I. Research Objectives
The purpose of this research is to gain information on the perceptions of middle managers as well as those on the manager track as to the current employment system under which general white collar employment is becoming increasingly insecure. Furthermore, it is an attempt to clarify how this insecure environment will affect the union-management relationship as personnel systems attempt to adjust to the meet the needs of both employees and corporate objectives. Accordingly, this paper will elucidate, through questionnaire results evaluation, manager class employees' perceptions of current phenomena in their enterprise as well as their opinions of corporate requirements in today's environment. This paper is based on the report of the above committee which discussed as its primary subject a comparison between the ideal scope of union membership as seen by manager class employees and the actual scope at the time of the survey.
II. Research Method
With the cooperation of constituent unions under the umbrella of Rengo Trade Union Confederation, in November 1994 questionnaires were distributed to middle managers in a wide range of companies (this questionnaire is hereafter referred to as 'union questionnaire'). Specifically, questionnaires were given to 1000 employees with 520 managers returning a response. In order to control attributes of the sample group and thereby assure validity of the research, questionnaires were sent to male managers from their mid-thirties to forties employed in a head office. One half the respondents are section mangers with the remaining 50% working as assistant section managers.
To supplement the research, questionnaires were also distributed on 'business streets' in Tokyo during the morning rush hour (this is hereafter referred to as the 'business area' questionnaire). 500 of these questionnaires were handed out and 97 employees wrote in their responses.
III. Summary of Research Results
1. White Collar Managers With a College Degree are the Target of Research
Attributes of respondents are as follows:
Average age of 42; White collar managers with, on average, 20 years with the company; 67% hold college degrees; 88% are from companies with over 3000 employees; and 77% work at the head office. Regarding job rank in the company, 45% of the respondents are managers, 35% are assistant managers, 19% are deputy mangers (i.e. between manager and assistant manager), and 2% work in the capacity of deputy directors (i.e. one level above manager).
From this data it is evident that the characteristics of respondents are (1) employees at large corporations and (2) white collar managers holding a college degree.
2. Problems in the Workplace
Among assistant managers and deputy managers, the workplace problem cited most frequently ( 55.6%) is the requirement to participate in discussions that involve interdepartmental work (common in Japan) , as this activity is viewed as consuming an inordinate amount of time. As for managers, a plurality of 60.2% feel that the mismatch between job requirements and both the number and ability of staff members poses the most serious problem in the workplace. Moreover, it is evident from the top three responses that there is a serious problem among many middle mangers as they feel staff ability and numbers are not suited to job needs, corporate management policy remains unclear, and that their salary is too low for the workload and responsibilities involved in day to day activities.
3. Anxieties involved with corporate restructuring
Our survey results show that 30% of Assistant Managers and Deputy Managers are anxious about job security as a result of corporate restructuring or bankruptcy while approximately 40% expressed insecurity over temporary and/or permanent transfers, and over falling behind in their promotional track. Naturally, many employees did not indicate such anxiety, but even so it is prudent to reflect on conditions under which mid-level managers, who make up the core of a business, become more insecure towards employment and general treatment by the company.
4. Information Technology Development and the Role of Managers
Regarding the role of mid-level managers, the important question is whether their role will shrink with the development of information technology systems and the tendency towards organizationally 'flat' corporations. 30.1% of managers polled answered that they believe this will in fact occur, while 65.0% felt this scenario would not become a reality and 3.5% remain 'unsure' of the outcome. However, more than 60.0% of managers seem to agree over the necessity of mid-level managers to carry out corporate objectives. In the case of Assistant and Deputy Managers, 37.5% indicated they believe their roles will be significantly reduced as information technology is developed, since the effectiveness and importance of mid-level managers under such a scenario is in their eyes diminished.
5. Consensus for a 'high risk-high return' system for Managers
As for risk and return in the management classes, managers themselves at various ranks were questioned whether or not they agree with the idea that managers of all ranks should take heavy responsibility in the company and incur substantial risk in the form of termination at will in return for greater opportunity for 'rewards'. For assistant managers, 36.0% agreed with this proposition while for managers, the percentage reached 58.0%, a significant increase. Among Director and Deputy Directors, the ratio is even greater at 72.0% of respondents in that group. Among the manger group only, those that feel their own position should be 'high risk-high return' reached 65.5%, only slightly more than half. However, both manager class respondents in general and 'managers' themselves feel strongly that those holding positions of Deputy Director and above should be subject to high risks accompanied by high returns.
6. 37% of Managers Expect a Temporary or Permanent Transfer at Retirement Age
86% of those in the manager classes responded they feel a company is responsible for guaranteeing and protecting employment of its workers. 41.0% answered they will remain with their current corporation until retirement and 37% expect to receive a permanent or temporary transfer near the age of retirement.
7. Requirements for Managers to Become Union Members
Recently, there is a focus on the question of whether or not union membership should be expanded to include the manager class. This questionnaire was structured to gain information on how managers themselves feel about such a proposition. 26.5% of white collar managers and 23.9% of blue collar managers indicated a preference for inclusion in the union membership. Significantly, those managers who expressed anxiety over corporate restructuring efforts also indicated a desire to belong to a union.
8. A 'Manager Class Only' Union is Beneficial?
61.0% of Managers polled maintain a preference for a union which includes only managers while 22.0% are opposed to any type of membership in any union. Only 13.0% see benefits from joining the current company union. At this point then it is currently prudent for company unions to consider alternate forms of organization which include managers in order to expand membership and the scope of union affiliation.
(Note: In Japanese enterprises, generally employees, whether 'blue' or 'white' collar, are members of the same union until such time that one becomes 'manager' or in some cases, 'assistant manager'. Under current rules, at this rank one is automatically expelled from the union. It is analogous in western industrial unions to the event of a line worker in a manufacturing plant becoming a superintendent or foreman and being consequently taken out from under the union umbrella).