Geneza japońskiego systemu dożywotniego zatrudnienia

The origins of lifetime employment in Japan

This paper explains the origins of the phenomenon known as the lifetime employment system in Japan. For many years, lifetime employment was one of the most characteristic elements of a specific management system in Japanese corporations. During the years of rapid development, this system was praised as one of the essential elements which contributed to Japan’s economic success. Since the 1990’s, when the Japanese economy entered the period of prolonged stagnation, numerous critical voices have blamed lifetime employment as one of the main culprits of their economic problems. Some experts state that it is time to abolish the system, while others say that the system is so deeply rooted in Japanese post-war history, that it could not disappear so quickly. To understand the future of lifetime employment, it is necessary to examine the historical process of its evolution. The author analyses factors that have contributed to the creation of the system and in the conclusion, tries to point to the possible course of its future evolution.