open access

https://doi.org/10.14943/b.edu.148.19

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/99989

The Evolution and Challenges of Women’s Advancement in Department Stores : Perspectives from Work-Life Balance Policies and Gender-Equal Employment Practices

日本語

Department Store Industry

2026-06-29

Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University

Bulletin of Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University

148

19-44

26

This paper examines the historical evolution of women’s employment and promotion in Japan’s department store industry, focusing on how human resource systems have shaped women’s career outcomes. Using a historical analysis since the 1960s, the study investigates two key dimensions of HR management: work-life balance (WLB) measures supporting continuous employment and gender-equal treatment policies related to evaluation and promotion. The findings show that while the expansion of WLB measures contributed to higher job retention and increased promotion of women to section chieflevel positions, advancement to higher managerial roles remained limited. This pattern reflects the structure of internal labor markets in which promotion is closely linked to long working hours, late-night supervisory duties, and accumulated experience through inter-store and inter-departmental transfers. Although WLB measures facilitate continued employment, they often restrict working hours and mobility, making it difficult for women to meet these promotion requirements. The paper highlights that gender-equal outcomes depend not only on the presence of WLB policies but also on how such policies are integrated with training, assignment, and mobility systems within firms.

紀要論文

Version of Record

1882-1669

AA12219452