Culture at Work
Cultural change and job satisfaction in a multinational manufacturing company
Real-world problem as basis for the project
- Employees of a specific Japanese manufacturing company have reported low levels of job satisfaction for many years
Study objectives
- Generate a cultural theory of job satisfaction
- Generate a cultural theory of job satisfaction
- Provide an in-depth case study of a manufacturing MNC in Japan
- Make concrete suggestions for the company to improve JS
Key facts
- HQ and factories in Japan
- Foreign-owned, ongoing international expansion
- ~10.000 Employees; ~500 foreign employees and expats
- Top managment almost exclusively expats
Research Questions
- How is job satisfaction construed by different social groups and entities within the company?
- What are the consequences for this company and other organizations who want to raise their employees’ level of job satisfaction?
Methodology
The study follows the theory-generating constructivist methodology of praxeology (Bourdieu 1997; Reckwitz 2003) and relational analysis (Bourdieu/Wacquant 1992; Everett 2003), which is used as a basis to create and analyze field notes and interview questions/transcripts.
As a resource on how to systematically generate theory from this data, Grounded Theory (Glaser/Strauss 1973) is used
Data
Field notes from 5 months of participant observation in HR
Transcripts from ~ 40 face-to-face interviews with employees, managers
Transcripts and notes from 5 expert interviews
Preliminary Results
Organizational climate
Organizational climate
Generally good in-group atmosphere in almost all departments, but strong perceived disconnect between different parts of the organization and between top and bottom
Case: Internal branding
Case: Internal branding
An employee from a regional sales center feels pride for the company, but feels no emotional connection with the parent company. The switch of internal branding to reflect the parent company’s name and design elements is confusing and inappropriate to him
Employee Benefits
Employee Benefits
Traditional Japanese benefits like relocation budgets, company housing, gratuities from customers and nomikaibudgets have been eliminated, causing much dissatisfaction and even precarious situations
Case: Tanshinfunin
Case: Tanshinfunin
An employee was relocated fromNagoya to Kanto 6 years ago. His family still lives in Nagoya and he goes home once a month . Due to the company’s cutting of relocation aid, he cannot afford to move his family to Kanto. All of his disposable income is spend on traveling and housing –he cannot afford a smartphone or laptop to make video calls
Communication
Communication
Work-related communication seems rather efficient (with exceptions), but Human Relations issues are ignored, leading to distress.
Case: Employee survey
Case: Employee survey
Every employee takes part in a biannual employee survey, yet many respondents claimed that they never learn about the results from their manager. Employee satisfaction and the employee survey are non-topics in most departments
Job security and career perspectives
Job security and career perspectives
Despite the company‘s policy of avoiding layoffs at all cost, many employees find themselvesin a situation of precarious employment.
Case:The 6h commute
Case:The 6h commute
An employeewho had a shaky relationship with his superior was given an assignment in an outside office that required 3h of travel time from and to work every day, with required daily check-in at the HQ office and no option for a permanent relocation. In addition to his private life, his performance suffered so much that his future career options in the firm vanished completely. He is encouraged by his superior to leave the company.
Top-down culture
Top-down culture
There seems to be a fundamental conflict of bottom-up Japanese management and MC’s strong top-down culture
Case: Training program
Case: Training program
An employee from human resources has developed a trainingprogram that has received very favorable feedback among colleagues. Following the rules of bottom-up management, the project was proposed to the manager, who obtained approval from his managerial colleagues as well. However, after several years of work, the project still hasn’t come to fruition due to the difficulty of getting top management on board with an agenda that did not originate at the top.
Case: Time management
Case: Time management
Rigorous product cycles and downsizing in anticipation of economic developments leave employees with “not enough time to do their jobs” (in terms of targets as well as work ethics). Employees feel that top management is not aware of the actual working conditions in the departments
Case:Customer relations / performance
Case:Customer relations / performance
The parent company’s global guidelines and control mechanisms don’t allow to maintain customer relations as usual. E.g., cash payments and customer gratuities require lengthy compliance checks and are often denied.