Skip to main content
Top

2019 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

5. Impacts of Companies’ Promotion of Work–Life Balance and the Restrictive Regular Employment System on Gender Wage Gap

Author : Kazuo Yamaguchi

Published in: Gender Inequalities in the Japanese Workplace and Employment

Publisher: Springer Singapore

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

This chapter examines whether certain firm policies regarding work–life balance and flexible work places increase women’s wages, thereby decreasing the gender wage gap. In particular, this chapter focuses on the influence of (1) firms’ personnel policies that “encourage employees to fulfill their potential regardless of gender,” which hereinafter is referred to as the Gender Equality of Opportunity (GEO) policy, (2) whether firms have systematic work–life balance (WLB) promotion policies in place, and (3) whether firms have work–location-restricted regular employment systems. The linked survey data between Japanese firms and their employees taken from the 2009 International Comparative Survey on WorkLife Balance conducted by the Research Institute of Economy Trade and Industry are used in the analysis. A selection bias occurs because companies’ policies and measures are not randomly assigned. In this chapter, the selection bias caused by firm and employee characteristics is eliminated through the use of propensity-score weighting. Furthermore, the analysis takes into account unobserved heterogeneity in company characteristics and interprets the causal relationship of the analytical results accordingly. The analytical results are as follows.
(1)
Compared with situations in which the GEO policy is not in place, women’s wages increase and the gender wage gap decreases in cases in which it is in place.
 
(2)
The effects of the presence of both the WLB promotion policy and work-location-restricted regular employment systems depend on the presence of the GEO policy. When the GEO policy is in place, the effects of both increase women’s wages and decrease the gender wage gap over and beyond the effects of the GEO policy.
 
(3)
When the GEO policy is not in place, the presence of work-location-restricted regular employment systems has no significant effect on the gender wage gap, whereas the presence of the WLB promotion policy actually increases the gender wage gap.
 

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Footnotes
1
When a common multinomial logit model is expressed as \( \log \left( {\frac{{P_{10}^{{Z_{1} Z_{2} }} }}{{P_{00}^{{Z_{1} Z_{2} }} }}} \right) = \alpha_{1} + \sum\limits_{j = 1}^{K} {\beta_{1j} x_{j} ,} \log \left( {\frac{{P_{01}^{{Z_{1} Z_{2} }} }}{{P_{00}^{{Z_{1} Z_{2} }} }}} \right) = \alpha_{2} + \sum\limits_{j = 1}^{K} {\beta_{2j} x_{j} } ,\log \left( {\frac{{P_{11}^{{Z_{1} Z_{2} }} }}{{P_{00}^{{Z_{1} Z_{2} }} }}} \right) = \alpha_{3} + \sum\limits_{j = 1}^{K} {\beta_{3j} x_{j} } \), it has a relationship of \( b_{1j} = \left( {\beta_{1j} + \beta_{3j} - \beta_{2j} } \right)/2 \), \( \,b_{2j} = (\beta_{2j} + \beta_{3j} - \beta_{1j} )/2,\,\,b_{3j} = \beta_{3j} - \beta_{1j} - \beta_{2j} \) with Eq. (5.4).
 
Literature
go back to reference Bang, H., & Robins, J. M. (2005). Doubly robust estimation in missing data and causal inference models. Biometrics, 61(4), 962–973.CrossRef Bang, H., & Robins, J. M. (2005). Doubly robust estimation in missing data and causal inference models. Biometrics, 61(4), 962–973.CrossRef
go back to reference Baughman, Reagan, DiNardo, Daniela, & Holtz-Eakin, Douglas. (2003). Productivity and wage effects of “family-friendly” fringe benefits. International Journal of Manpower, 24, 247–259.CrossRef Baughman, Reagan, DiNardo, Daniela, & Holtz-Eakin, Douglas. (2003). Productivity and wage effects of “family-friendly” fringe benefits. International Journal of Manpower, 24, 247–259.CrossRef
go back to reference Hamaguchi, K. (2009). Atarashi Rodo Shakai—Koyo Shisutemu no Saikochiku e [New labor society: Restructuring employment systems]. Iwanami Shoten. Hamaguchi, K. (2009). Atarashi Rodo Shakai—Koyo Shisutemu no Saikochiku e [New labor society: Restructuring employment systems]. Iwanami Shoten.
go back to reference Hoshino, T. (2009). Chosa kansatsu de-ta no tokei kagaku—inka suiron·sentaku baiasu de-ta yugo [Statistical science of survey observation data: Causal inference, selection bias and data fusion]. Iwanami Shoten. Hoshino, T. (2009). Chosa kansatsu de-ta no tokei kagaku—inka suiron·sentaku baiasu de-ta yugo [Statistical science of survey observation data: Causal inference, selection bias and data fusion]. Iwanami Shoten.
go back to reference Kawaguchi, A. (2008). Jenda Keizai Kakusa [Economic gender inequality]. Keiso Shobo. Kawaguchi, A. (2008). Jenda Keizai Kakusa [Economic gender inequality]. Keiso Shobo.
go back to reference Matsuda, S. (2013). Shoshikaron [The theory of declining birth rates]. Keiso Shobo. Matsuda, S. (2013). Shoshikaron [The theory of declining birth rates]. Keiso Shobo.
go back to reference Matsuda, S. (2016). Shoshika taisaku ni okeru kazoku shakaigaku no koken to kongo no kadai (Contributions of family sociology to measures for preventing the declining birthrate). Nihon Shakaigaku Hyoron (Japanese Sociological Review), 66(2): 260–277.CrossRef Matsuda, S. (2016). Shoshika taisaku ni okeru kazoku shakaigaku no koken to kongo no kadai (Contributions of family sociology to measures for preventing the declining birthrate). Nihon Shakaigaku Hyoron (Japanese Sociological Review), 66(2): 260–277.CrossRef
go back to reference McKinsey Report. (2007). Women matter: Gender diversity, a corporate performance driver. McKinsey Report. (2007). Women matter: Gender diversity, a corporate performance driver.
go back to reference McKinsey Repor. (2008). Women matter 2: Female leadership, a competitive edge for the future. McKinsey Repor. (2008). Women matter 2: Female leadership, a competitive edge for the future.
go back to reference McKinsey Report. (2009). Women matter 3: Women leaders, a competitive edge in and after the crisis. McKinsey Report. (2009). Women matter 3: Women leaders, a competitive edge in and after the crisis.
go back to reference McKinsey Report. (2010). Women matter: Women at the top of corporations: Making it happen. McKinsey Report. (2010). Women matter: Women at the top of corporations: Making it happen.
go back to reference McKinsey Report. (2012). Women matter: Making the breakthrough. McKinsey Report. (2012). Women matter: Making the breakthrough.
go back to reference Morgan, S. L., & Winship, Christopher. (2007). Counterfactuals and causal inference. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef Morgan, S. L., & Winship, Christopher. (2007). Counterfactuals and causal inference. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef
go back to reference Rosenbaum, P. R., & Rubin, D. B. (1983). The central role of the propensity score in observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika, 70, 41–55.CrossRef Rosenbaum, P. R., & Rubin, D. B. (1983). The central role of the propensity score in observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika, 70, 41–55.CrossRef
go back to reference Rubin, D. B. (1985). The use of propensity scores in applied Bayesian inference. In J. M. Bernardo, M. H. De Groot, D. V. Lindley, & A. F. M. Smith (Eds.), Bayesian statistics (Vol. 2, pp. 463–472). Elsevier: North-Holland. Rubin, D. B. (1985). The use of propensity scores in applied Bayesian inference. In J. M. Bernardo, M. H. De Groot, D. V. Lindley, & A. F. M. Smith (Eds.), Bayesian statistics (Vol. 2, pp. 463–472). Elsevier: North-Holland.
go back to reference Tsuru, K. (2014). Gentei seishain kara nihonjin no hataraki kata o kaeru (Changing the working style of Japanese people starting with restricted regular employees). Chuo Koron (Central Review), 43–47. Tsuru, K. (2014). Gentei seishain kara nihonjin no hataraki kata o kaeru (Changing the working style of Japanese people starting with restricted regular employees). Chuo Koron (Central Review), 43–47.
go back to reference Tsuru, K., Kume, K., & Toda, A. (2016). Tayo na seishain no hatarakikata no jittai—RIETI ‘Heisei 26-nendo seishain·hiseishain no tayo na hatarakikata to ishiki ni kansuru Web chosa’ no bunseki kekka yori [The reality of diversified employees: Evidence from a 2014 RIETI survey on diversified work styles of regular and non-regular workers]. RIETI Policy Discussion Paper 16-P-001. Tsuru, K., Kume, K., & Toda, A. (2016). Tayo na seishain no hatarakikata no jittai—RIETI ‘Heisei 26-nendo seishain·hiseishain no tayo na hatarakikata to ishiki ni kansuru Web chosa’ no bunseki kekka yori [The reality of diversified employees: Evidence from a 2014 RIETI survey on diversified work styles of regular and non-regular workers]. RIETI Policy Discussion Paper 16-P-001.
go back to reference Toda, A. (2015). Gentei seishain no jittai—kigyo kibo betsu ni okeru chingin manzokudo no chigai Nihon rodo kenkyu zasshi (Understanding restrictive regular employment: Differences by company size with a focus on wages and satisfaction levels). The Japanese Journal of Labour Studies, 655, 110–118. Toda, A. (2015). Gentei seishain no jittai—kigyo kibo betsu ni okeru chingin manzokudo no chigai Nihon rodo kenkyu zasshi (Understanding restrictive regular employment: Differences by company size with a focus on wages and satisfaction levels). The Japanese Journal of Labour Studies, 655, 110–118.
go back to reference Yamaguchi, K. (2009). Wakuraifu Baransu—Jissho to Seisaku Teigen [The work-life balance—Empirical evidence and policy recommendations]. Nikkei Publishing Inc. Yamaguchi, K. (2009). Wakuraifu Baransu—Jissho to Seisaku Teigen [The work-life balance—Empirical evidence and policy recommendations]. Nikkei Publishing Inc.
go back to reference Yamaguchi, K. (2011). Rodo seisansei to danjo kyodo sankaku—naze nihon kigyo wa damenanoka, josei jinzai katsuyo o yuko ni suru tame ni kigyo wa nani o subeki ka, kuni wa nani o subeki ka [Labor productivity and gender equality: Why do Japanese firms keep failing, what they should do, and what the government should do?]. RIETI-DP:11-J-069. Yamaguchi, K. (2011). Rodo seisansei to danjo kyodo sankaku—naze nihon kigyo wa damenanoka, josei jinzai katsuyo o yuko ni suru tame ni kigyo wa nani o subeki ka, kuni wa nani o subeki ka [Labor productivity and gender equality: Why do Japanese firms keep failing, what they should do, and what the government should do?]. RIETI-DP:11-J-069.
go back to reference Yamamoto, I., & Matsuura, T. (2012). Waku raifu baransu shisaku to kigyo no seisansei (Policies for work-life balance and corporate productivity). In E. Takeishi (Ed.), Kokusai Hikaku no Shiten kara Nihon no Waku Raifu Baransu o Kangaeru (Looking at work-life balance in Japan from an international comparative perspective). Minerva Shobo. Yamamoto, I., & Matsuura, T. (2012). Waku raifu baransu shisaku to kigyo no seisansei (Policies for work-life balance and corporate productivity). In E. Takeishi (Ed.), Kokusai Hikaku no Shiten kara Nihon no Waku Raifu Baransu o Kangaeru (Looking at work-life balance in Japan from an international comparative perspective). Minerva Shobo.
Metadata
Title
Impacts of Companies’ Promotion of Work–Life Balance and the Restrictive Regular Employment System on Gender Wage Gap
Author
Kazuo Yamaguchi
Copyright Year
2019
Publisher
Springer Singapore
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7681-8_5