Work Family Balance of Japanese Men in the Era of Globalization

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24330153
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Mieko 大阪大学, 言語文化研究科(研究院), 教授 (90324871)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 善積 京子 追手門学院大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 教授 (80123545) ; 斧出 節子 京都華頂大学, その他部局等, 教授 (80269745) ; 松田 智子 佛教大学, 社会学部, 教授 (50250197) ; 釜野 さおり 国立社会保障・人口問題研究所, その他部局等, 室長 (20270415)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ワーク・ファミリー・バランス / 男性の働き方 / スウェーデン・オランダ・ドイツ / 日本人駐在員 / ケイパビリティ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focuses on Japanese male global workers, mainly expatriates working for Japanese enterprises, who either have been living in Sweden, the Netherlands or Germany with their wives and children (Study 1) or had worked there but have come back to Japan (Study 2). During 2013 and 2015, we interviewed a total of 65 persons. The result from Study 1 shows that their perception and attitudes towards WFB have changed to a large extent. Though many of the interviewees have become more aware of WFB and even tried to make a better balance, they have difficulty practicing it at the workplace after coming back to Japan (Study 2).
It is essential to learn from policies and practices in the EU counties, such as a minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours in every 24 hours, and their effects, and to start a new discourse on WFB that takes into account health and sustainability of future generations.

Free Research Field

社会学