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Production System and Labor Relations in the Ara of De-industrialization

Research Project

Project/Area Number 08453002
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 経済政策(含経済事情)
Research InstitutionTOHOKU UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

NOMURA Masami  TOHOKU UNIVERSITY,FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, 経済学部, 教授 (20112138)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) TOKUNAGA Shigeyoshi  MIYAGI GAKUIN WOMEN'S COLLEGE,FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES,PRPFESSOR, 学芸学部, 教授 (00004193)
HIRAMOTO Atsushi  TOHOKU UNIVERSITY,FACULTY OF ECONOMICS.PROFESSOR, 経済学部, 教授 (90125641)
Project Period (FY) 1996 – 1997
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1997)
Budget Amount *help
¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
KeywordsDe-industrialization / Globalization / Global strategy / Multi-national company / Production system / Employment problem / Life-time Employment / Seniority wage system / 労働問題 / 人事・労務管理
Research Abstract

We have conducted a fact-finding survey on the subject. We visited nineteen plants, eight head offices of firms and a trade union. The results of the survey are as follows.
1.Japanese MNCs (multi-national companies) tend to manage their global operations in Japan's head offices and concentrate R&D in Japan, leaving mass-production of the products in their overseas plants. Design and trial production of the products are usually done by both Japan's institutes and overseas' ones. There are some differences in the allocation of those functions among industries.
2.In the case of MNCs with "functional division of labor", they have no production base excluding that for trial production or for domestic narkets. MNCs with "division of labor between markets" preserve mass-production plants in Japan. MNCs with "division of labor among the products "tend to produce a frontier products or a high-class commodity in Japanese plants.
3.The problems by which MNCs' domestic plants are confronted vary with those types of division of labor. The plant under "functional division of labor" must produce the products of every kind, that under "division of labor between markets" undergoes directly flucltuations of the domestic market and that under "division of labor among the products "has to cope with a rapid change of products and fluctuations of the demands.
4.Those plants tend to introduce "Toyota production system" which is heavily depended on human ability, in stead of automatic machines.
5.They depend also on subcontractors or temporary workers heavier than ever, in order to cope with those fluctuations. So-called life-time employment is now shrinking.
6.The three pillars of the Japanese employment practices will change. but only gradually.

Report

(3 results)
  • 1997 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1996 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (3 results)

All Other

All Publications (3 results)

  • [Publications] 野村 正實(chnstian Bergggrrenと共著): "The Resilience of Corporete Japan" Paul Chapman Publishing, 219 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1997 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] NOMURA,Masami, (under joint authorship of BERGGREN,Christian): "The Resilience of Corporate Japan" Paul Chapman Publishing. (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1997 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 野村正實(Christian Berggrenと共著): "The Resilience of Corporate Japan" Paul Chapman Publishing, 219 (1997)

    • Related Report
      1997 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1997-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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