A Comparison of Job Attitudes of Japanese Employees Working in Japanese Firms and Gaishikei (Foreign-Affiliated) Firms

Abstract

The sanctity of life-long employment and senior-based compensation and advancement is being challenged due to current economic conditions in Japan. The resulting change in employee job attitudes brings up the question of whether the current Japanese management system still motivates employees, or whether they are/would be more motivated working under Western management. Through a questionnaire survey extended to five Japanese firms and five foreign-affiliated firms (gaishikei), this research collected data concerning work-related values, perceived work conditions, and satisfaction for twelve work factors. The conclusions suggest that Japanese employees in gaishikei value instrinsic factors more than employees at Japanese firms; gaishikei offer intrinsic work content to a greater extent than Japanese firms; Japanese employees at gaishikei are more satisfied than employees at Japanese firms; and, incongruence of workers' values with corporate culture results in dissatisfaction.