Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in a Global Era: Re-Fabricating Lifetime Employment Relations

Abstract:     
In 'Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in a Global Era,' I argue that Japan's lifetime employment system is not collapsing under the various pressures of globalization and modernization, but that it is developing gradually and that it continues to work well for the salarymen that work within it. Consequently, I argue that Japan's capitalism and modernity remain differentiated from its western counterparts in many crucial ways. However, pressures for convergence towards the Anglo-American system remain, and in future Japanese corporate managers will find it harder to maintain such distinctiveness.

Keywords: lifetime employment, organizational behaviour, human resource management, Japan, Japanese firm

JEL Classification: Z10, J41, J5, J6, O10, O15, O53, P1, N35, M12, M14, M51, M54, J44

Accepted Paper Series