The change of HR department and employment practices in Japanese firms

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03923
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Management
• Research Institution: Hitotsubashi University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMANUKI Tomoyuki 一橋大学, 大学院経営管理研究科, 教授 (40454251)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 人事部門 / 地位 / 機能 / 組織構造 / 雇用慣行

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are two approaches to the status of the HR departments in a company: one is to focus on their authority and power in HRM decisions, and the other is to focus on their authority and power in management decisions such as strategic planning, M&A, and restructuring. In the latter, the high status of the HR department is judged by whether the HR department plays a strategic role rather than an administrative role. In addition, the degree of HR department status can be measured by whether the HR executive is a board member. The analysis of data on directors of Japanese listed companies shows that companies with a board member in charge of HR have declined between 1990 and 2015. This result suggests that the HR department status in Japanese companies is becoming weaker over the past twenty-five years.

Free Research Field

人的資源管理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の意義は、人事部門の企業内地位という新しい視点から、日本企業の雇用慣行の特徴や変化を検討したことである。従来の研究は長期雇用や年功賃金といった人事施策に注目して日本企業の雇用慣行の特徴や変化を検討してきたが、これらの人事施策と表裏一体である人事部門に関する研究は限られていた。日本企業の企業内地位は高いとした既存研究の知見に対して、過去25年間に人事部門が徐々にその地位を低下させてきたという発見事実は重要である。日本企業の雇用慣行の特徴や変化を論じる際には、人事部門の組織的特徴にも注目する必要があることを示唆している。