An Exploratory Study on “Urban-Ecological Adaptation”, Gender Equality and Work–Life Balance in Japanese Companies

Abstract

Gender Equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. However, gender equality in the labour market has not yet been achieved in Japan. When companies are seeking to achieve gender equality aims expressed in the SDGs, greater focus needs to be placed on the benefits of a better work–life balance. Because organizations are assumed to best adapt themselves to or fit with the environment around them on the basis of the open-systems theory of organizations, increased urbanization is considered to be as one of the factors affecting the introduction and diffusion of work–life balance systems in Japanese companies. There may be differences in work–life balance personnel systems between companies in urban areas and those in nonurban areas because of situational differences. This is termed “urban-ecological adaptation” in the present study. However, a Japanese traditional cultural trait (i.e. masculine cultural orientation) can also affect the urban-ecological adaptation of human resource management and can make people resistant to equal treatment between males and females, thereby delaying gender equality and female empowerment in Japanese companies. Through an examination of employee satisfaction with work–life balance, the present study explores the degree to which Japanese companies have achieved urban-ecological adaptation. Based on the results of the analysis of the data from an Internet survey of 208 white-collar workers in February 2017, urban-ecological adaptation, gender equality and work-life balance in Japanese companies are discussed.