In most Japanese major companies, white-collar workers are engaged in lifetime employment system and seniority-based pay system. Since noncontingent money payments do not decrease intrinsic motivation, those companies provide a favorable and unique opportunity to observe and test intrinsic motivation. The present study tests a version of E. L. Deci's (1975) hypothesis that, if a person's feeling of self-determination is enhanced, his or her job satisfaction will increase. With a measure of self-determination which was first developed, the hypothesis is supported by data from 10,916 white-collar workers in 385 organizational units of 46 Japanese major companies: There is a strong linear relationship between the job satisfaction and the degree of self-determination.

View full abstract

This paper analyzes the organization strategy of an established firm when a change in product architecture occurs on a previous product. For the purpose, the paper analyzes an organizational design and management of an established firm in overcoming the restrictions from past resources and in creating heterogeneous resources required in new product architecture.

View full abstract

In order to more accurately represent the inter-firm learning process in a strategic alliance, this paper argues that, under certain conditions, it is necessary to incorporate a teaching perspective. A framework that does so is proposed and tested by a case-study analysis. Case findings largely support the framework.

View full abstract