従来の研究では，定型業務はワークモチベーションを抑制することが明らかにされてきたが，どのような心理プロセスによってワークモチベーションを抑制するのかについてはさほど注目されてこなかった。本研究では，定型業務のもとでワークモチベーションを抑制する心理プロセスを明らかにすることを目的とした。9企業と1大学で働くオフィスワーカー261名から質問紙調査への回答を得た。質問内容は，職務における定型業務度，職務意義（他者志向，自己志向，報酬志向），ワークモチベーションに関するものであった。調査の結果，定型業務がワークモチベーションを抑制する関係にあることと，定型業務では顧客と社会への貢献感（他者志向）と，自己の成長，達成感（自己志向）が感じられにくいことでワークモチベーションが抑制されることが示された。一方，社会的，経済的な報酬（報酬志向）は影響しなかった。このことは，定型業務のワークモチベーションをマネジメントするうえで単に報酬を高めれば良いという訳ではなく，他者や自己に関わる意義を職務に感じさせる重要性について示唆を与えている。

This study identifies issues with and countermeasures for the hiring of new graduates in small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) while considering the differences in such hiring behavior among large firms. Differences between large firms and SMEs were confirmed to understand the characteristics of hiring behaviors in SMEs, the subject of the research, and the research focus was subsequently narrowed. Issues with SMEs were (1) population formation due to the low brand power for hiring; (2) shortages of human resources for hiring and know-how; and (3) trade-offs between early informal job offers through RJP initiatives and early turnover rates. The study then examined how SMEs that focus on these selected issues, and those that are successful in hiring, respond to these issues. The results of the analysis were as follows.

First, regarding population formation, SMEs used different methods from large firms by strategically coordinating the timing of hiring new graduates and using unique promotion methods and channels such as Facebook, other social media, and dedicated websites.

Second, in response to a lack of human resources, SMEs used outside professionals if there was no hiring know-how in the company. In addition, executives and employees outside of human resources aggressively participated in hiring. However, there were risks in hiring behavior where there were no partnerships with executives or those responsible for human resources.

Third, for RJP, many employees, including executives, participated in hiring rather than having the human resources group lead the process. This increased opportunities for different types of communication with students. With SMEs in particular, there is a risk of informal offers being turned down when they are simply given information on the work environment, whereas sympathetically sharing information, such as workplace experience via other hirees (in actual internships) or even the traditional company briefing, produced results.

Based on these cases, successful measures for SMEs are those that are unique to each company rather than the imitation of hiring methods used by large firms. However, these measures are not shared among SMEs. If effective ways for hiring new graduates can be shared outside individual companies and with society as a whole, then they can be useful in reducing mismatches in the new graduate labor market.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically analyze the hiring of new graduates in Japanese companies and to clarify the logic of the hiring practices.

Japanese workers market has witnessed recently a significant increase in the numbers of “NEETs” (those who are not in education, employment, or training) and “Freeters” (young peripheral workers). Discussions about the “Year 2007 problem” also became common. This situation asks for deeper research on the practices of new-graduate hiring in Japanese companies.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the kind of factors that affect Japanese companies’ practices in hiring new graduates. In order to investigate the hiring regulation factors in Japanese companies, an interview research is conducted with 21 managers responsible of hiring new graduates in eleven Japanese companies. The result of the research shows that there are two recruitment regulation factors, namely: the organizational factor and the environmental factor.

By explaining the Japanese companies’ practices in recruiting new graduates, this paper provides further explanation to the recruitment strategies in Japanese companies, and provides some suggestions on how to link strategic management and human resource management.