This paper investigates the factors influencing happiness from an economic perspective, focusing on four domains: income, gender, age, and marriage/childbirth. Since the 2000s, research in these fields has accumulated, accompanied by emerging trends. The study presents the following five key findings: (1) The relationship between income and happiness depends on perspectives—while time-series data show no correlation, micro-level data indicate that happiness rises with income. (2) Women generally report higher levels of happiness than men but also exhibit signs of declining mental health. (3) Although happiness and age have traditionally followed a Ushaped curve, recent declines in young people’s mental health are disrupting this pattern. (4) Marriage tends to boost happiness, yet poor marital relationships can significantly diminish it. (5) Parenthood is associated with reduced happiness—financial strain is the primary factor in Europe, whereas in Japan, both financial burdens and marital strain play a role. These findings underscore the diverse effects of demographic and socioeconomic factors.

This study examines “happiness at work” as a primary determinant of subjective well-being, focusing on the relationship between working hours and subjective well-being. The analysis is based on original survey data collected in Finland and Japan in March 2019. The result indicates that, compared with Japan, individuals in Finland are able to sustain a higher level of subjective well-being while working.

The purpose of this study is to construct a framework for understanding employees’ HR attributions related to well-being-oriented HR policies and to examine the types and effects of attribution discrepancies that arise in Japanese companies. A case study conducted at Company A yielded a revised framework for HR attribution in the context of well-being-oriented HR policies, clarifying the existence of three types of discrepancy in relation to the policies’ intended objectives.

This paper elucidates the process by which individuals deepen their knowledge through engaging in multiple occupations. Based on the findings of an interview-based study, it was revealed that, while managing multiple work roles, individuals tend to establish a stronger personal axis (self-concept) and enhance their social networks, ultimately leading to knowledge deepening. Furthermore, this process appears to contribute to the improvement of individual well-being. The paper underscores the significance of leveraging individual knowledge within society.

This study examines the potential for fostering well-being competencies through service practices within a university-industry project-based learning (PBL) context. A case study employing flowers and well-being cards revealed that both recipients and providers experienced semantic transformation. These findings suggest the feasibility of designing new educational-service linkages informed by the Transformative Service Research (TSR) framework.

This study empirically examines the influence of shareholder voting on the diffusion of outside directors in Japanese firms. Using data from companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange between 2010 and 2020, the analysis shows that CEOs of companies without outside directors are more likely to encounter shareholder dissents. This relationship is especially pronounced when shares are held by foreign institutional investors and when firms are subject to corporate governance codes. Furthermore, increased shareholder dissent is associated with a higher likelihood that these firms will subsequently appoint outside directors.

Through a case study on the employment of highly skilled foreign workers in Japan, this paper empirically examines how Japanese firms engage in specific practices and make sense of their organizational responses amid the tension between external pressures and internal logics. Interviews with headquarters officials reveal a mechanism by which firms adjust their employment strategies to balance external adaptation and internal integration in a tugof-war dynamic. While all firms studied employ highly skilled foreign workers—primarily by hiring international students—differences emerge in whether they view this approach as optimal. The findings suggest that companies often seek to hire highly skilled foreign workers in ways that minimize disruption to the status quo. At the same time, this tug-of-war has prompted changes in both practice and perception when firms confront unavoidable conflicts.

Existing research suggests that ensuring compatibility between a company’s core competencies and its IT systems is critical when implementing enterprise systems. Such implementations are rarely undertaken solely by the user company; typically, a vendor company is contracted to carry out the system deployment. Consequently, the vendor’s IT capabilities may also influence the success of the implementation. This study focuses on the compatibility between core competencies and enterprise systems, examining the relationship between the IT capabilities of both user and vendor companies. A case analysis of a core system implementation project in a Japanese company provides empirical insights into this relationship and clarifies the research question.