@article{oai:kyukyo.repo.nii.ac.jp:00000409,
 author = {LEE, Jihyang and DRUMMOND, Damon and HEMPEL, Paul},
 issue = {2},
 journal = {九州共立大学研究紀要, Study journal of Kyushu Kyoritsu University},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {This paper explores Japanese human resources (HR) management and performance management
practices. Japan is renown for its traditional three-pillars of HR management. The popular edict suggests
firms have moved away from traditional and shifted towards more transparent Western-style. However,
existing research has focussed on formal HR policy rather than actual practice and there is inconsistent
evidence as to the degree Japan has made the transition. This paper reviews ten company cases by
interview at varying organizational levels. The research classified companies interviewed into three
HR typologies: Those that were; 1) Western-style , with jobs clearly defined, transparent performance
management, and generally strong foreign investment or international exposure. Conversely, there
was the, 2) Traditionalist-style which exhibits a strong membership generalist employment system.
Alternatively, the research defined a middle ground being a, 3) hybrid-style where both membership
generalists and job-type specialist systems coexist. The research found that this hybrid-style has a
Dual-track HR system. This means traditional Japanese generalist HR practices are preserved, whilst
in parallel, a Western-styled job specialization is found. This is happening whilst Japanese working
population is shrinking and there is growing competition for the available young school leaver recruits
whose employment expectations are rising. Further, there is increasing foreign business investment and
international engagement which is creating labour market demands and exposure of Japanese traditional
firms, and their employees, to Western-style firms. Notably, young recruits, and especially women, seem
increasingly attracted to Western-style job specialist type firms. The findings are useful to policy makers,
practitioners and foreign investors in understanding and contemplating HR trends.},
 pages = {1--13},
 title = {Exploratory Study of Japanese Human Resources Management : Traditional versus Western-style approaches},
 volume = {11},
 year = {2021}
}