Comprehensive Research OrganizationWaseda University

Employee motivation is a critical factor influencing both individual performance and organizational success. While extensive research in Western contexts has identified human resource (HR) practices that promote employee motivation, there has been limited exploration of how these findings apply to Japanese organizations. Despite the widespread introduction of Western HR practices by scholars and consultants, employee engagement—understood broadly as motivation—remains lower in Japan compared to other countries. This suggests a need for a more context-specific understanding ofemployee motivation within Japanese organizations.

Improving the productivity of white-collar workers has long been a key concern for Japanese organizations. While increasing foreign ownership and growing pressure for short-term performance have shaped corporate priorities, Japan’s aging population has led to labor shortages, exacerbating the challenge. Discussions typically focus on technical solutions such as the adoption of information technology and artificial intelligence; there has been comparatively less attention to the role of employee motivation in driving organizational productivity. Developing a deeper understanding of the strategies that effectively enhance motivation—and by extension, productivity—within Japan’s organizational environment is of considerable practical significance.

This research focuses on young employees with university degrees, one of the groups that have become central to Japan’s workforce challenges. In the current context, integrating young talent into organizations is critical. Given that nearly one-third of new graduates leave their employers within three years, fostering their motivation is a pressing concern. While university education plays a role in preparing these workers, there remains a disconnect between academic training and the professional development provided by companies.

This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring how “basic professional education” can be integrated with university curricula, with a focus on developing and evaluating strategies to enhance the motivation of young employees. The research will assess the effectiveness of these strategies through a comprehensive approach, rethinking educational practices and evaluation methods in collaboration with both academia and industry.