Comprehensive Studies on the Labor Market Policy under the Transformation of Industrial Structure.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Since our research project started in 1987, we have always been seeking to design an adequate future social policy which makes possible not only a more efficient human resource management system for the part of the companies, but a more satisfying and challenging working environment for the part of the workers themselves.From our research findings we concluded that there should be two guidelines for the longterm governmental policy making to realize the above mentioned future social policy.1. 'Information Network Society' as a Fundamental Condition of the Social Policy. In order to understand clearly the meaning of the industrial restructuring which we are now experiencing in our society, we must define the emerging new stage as an 'information network society'. Many quantitative data of our research show that the relation between individuals and firms are now changing drastically. For example, a member of our research group emphasizes that both blue and white collar workers will be able to work more autonomously from the management control in the coming 'information network society'. We must change the traditional philosophies of social policy which are based on the experiences of 'industrial society'.2. From the Standardization to the Pluralistic Approach In the industrial society key word of the social policy was 'standardization'. In the future social policy, however, pluralistic approach would become more important. As our research findings show, many types of new workers are participating in contemporary Japanese labor market. The number of aging workers, young 'freeters', and foreign nationals are growing. On the other hand, employers are now trying to develop new working systems such as satellite office and teleworking system. Among these new types of workers the expectation to the social policy is not identical.