Guilt, Gender, and Work-Life Balance in Japan: A Choice Experiment
IMF Working Papers, November 27, 2019
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- Guilt, Gender, and Work-Life Balance in Japan: A Choice Experiment
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Bibliographic details
- Authors: Chie Aoyagi, Alistair Munro
- Published: November 27, 2019
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513515342.001
Summary
- The quantification of how aspects of a job are valued by employees sheds light on the potential for labor market reform in Japan.
- Using a nationwide sample of 1,046 working-age adults, the authors conduct a choice experiment that examines individuals’ willingness to trade wages against job characteristics such as the extent of overtime, job security, and the possibility of work transfer and relocation.
- Main results:
- i) workers have high WTP (willingness to pay) to avoid extreme overtime and work transfer
- ii) women have higher WTP than men
- iii) higher WTP for women are driven in part by feelings of guilt
Methodology
- Study design: choice experiment.
- Sample: nationwide sample of 1,046 working-age adults.
- Job attributes examined: extent of overtime, job security, possibility of work transfer and relocation, and wage trade-offs.
Key Findings
- Workers place high value on avoiding extreme overtime.
- Workers place high value on avoiding work transfer.
- Gender differences:
- Women have higher WTP than men for avoiding undesirable job characteristics.
- Part of the higher WTP among women is driven by feelings of guilt.
Implications
- Findings shed light on the potential for labor market reform in Japan by quantifying trade-offs workers make between wages and job characteristics, highlighting significant gender differences in WTP and the role of guilt in shaping women’s preferences.
Source: Guilt, Gender, and Work-Life Balance in Japan: A Choice Experiment (IMF Working Paper No. 2019/261, November 27, 2019).
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- Working Paper