A cross-cultural investigation of psycho-social mechanisms behind "Karo-Shi": Toward the development of policies for prevention

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24330188
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: KANAI Atsuko 名古屋大学, 教育学研究科(研究院), 教授 (80262822)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUZUKI Atsuko 慶応義塾大学, 文学部, 教授 (50265518) ; YAMAGUTI Hiroyuki 九州大学, 大学院人間環境学研究院, 教授 (50243449) ; TAKAI Jiro 名古屋大学, 大学院教育発達科学研究科, 教授 (00254269) ; FUJIMOTO Tetsushi 同志社大学, 大学院総合政策科学研究科, 教授 (50278313) ; SAKATA Kiriko 広島大学, 大学院総合科学研究科, 教授 (00235152)
• Research Collaborator: LAURENCE Gregory A. 米国ミシガン大学フリント校, 経済学部, 準教授 ; TAK Jinkook 韓国光云大学, 産業心理学部, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 過労死 / 職場のメンタルヘルス / 長時間労働 / 国際情報交換 / 韓国：中国：ドイツ：フィンランド：米国

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psycho-social mechanism behind “Karo-shi” (death from overwork), that is, working long hours, from a socio-cultural perspective. We proposed a Four Level, 10 Factor Model of Work Culture, and tested it across six nations, including China, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The results showed, ①“Karo-shi” is increasing in Korea as in Japan and ②In Japan, rather than role overload stressors, the pressure to work longer hours and the maintenance dimension of leadership affected extended work hours. In this research, Japan’s Collectivism I was low, but it is suggested that factors related to the context of collectivism, such as stronger workplace norms or the relationship between workers and leaders, is related to extended work hours.

Free Research Field

産業・組織心理学