Open AccessThe structure of yutori and its functions
Author(s) -
Yamashita Miyako,
Yagi Ryuichiro,
Furukawa Hideo
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
japanese psychological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5884
pISSN - 0021-5368
DOI - 10.1111/1468-5884.00180
Subject(s) - contentment , exploratory factor analysis , promotion (chess) , competence (human resources) , psychology , perspective (graphical) , social psychology , scale (ratio) , developmental psychology , psychometrics , computer science , political science , artificial intelligence , physics , quantum mechanics , politics , law
A scale for measuring yutori was developed, and then used to examine the effectiveness of efforts made by companies to promote yutori among their employees. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the following eight factors in the structure of yutori : economic wealth, free time, environmental amenities, competence, contentment, enjoyment, challenge, and behavioral freedom. Covariance structure analysis suggested that yutori was not only related to objective, material measures, such as time and economic sufficiency, but also included very subjective psychological concepts. An examination of the systems and measures provided by Japanese companies to promote yutori found a low correlation between ratings of the effectiveness of such systems and measures, and employees' scores on the eight yutori factors, even between systems and measures for reducing working hours and the free time factor, for example. No effective systems and measures for the promotion of yutori were observed. There is a need for a psychological perspective in studies of the promotion of yutori .