The dark side of Japanese management in the 1990s

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract Over 30 years, many comparative surveys have found Japanese employees and managers far less satisfied with their jobs than their Western counterparts. This paper explores the findings and interpretations from these studies, and then proposes an alternative explanation based on childhood socialization practices and the history of Japanese society. This explanation is then used to illuminate the recent social problems of karoshi (death from overwork) and ijime (bullying) in the Japanese workplaces.

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