@article{oai:icu.repo.nii.ac.jp:00004816,
 author = {西尾, 隆},
 issue = {87},
 journal = {社会科学ジャーナル},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {This paper will explore the future of Japan’s civil service system by examining the possibility of introducing open announcement method (kobosei) as a next step of the long-lasting civil service reform. In the background, the Japanese government is now facing challenges of a declining number of applicants for public service positions and an increasing separation of young promising officials from service. These are not only real issues for practical reform but also theoretically important topics in terms of the transformation of the civil service system. 
    Japan’s civil service system is characterized by an all-at-once recruitment, a closed appointment system within the public sector, a strong job security, and a generalist-oriented, membership-based personnel system. While it is a historically developed organic system that cannot be changed in a short period, it is not impossible to transplant the Western job-based open announcement method. This system has partly been adopted by some Japanese companies and met the changing needs from both employers and employees. Japan’s traditional membership-based personnel system requires employees to be engaged in all sorts of jobs in exchange for a life-long guarantee of the “membership.” It enables a strong commitment from staff members but often causes long working hours and frequent unexpected transfers. On the other hand, the Western-based personnel system requires clear and detailed job descriptions and a relatively long announcement-application-examination period. In the U.S. Federal Government, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) handles this complex selection processes for senior executive service (SES) and it takes up to three months for each case. One question here is whether the Japanese government can afford to put more time, energy and human resources to make the present personnel system more transparent, objective, rational and scientific. 
    Having introduced recent surveys by the National Personnel Authority (NPA) on the attitude of civil servants toward their work and life, the author will examine the job-based appointment system of the U. S. Federal Government and recent changes in the higher civil service of the British government as solution models. 
   NPA surveys show an increasing number of negative responses in staff motivation, fringe benefits, future prospects, and sense of security after retirement. Moreover, there are problems concerning a heavier workload, weaker staff allocation and fewer opportunities to realize that they are truly serving the nation. A large majority is feeling dissatisfaction with career development, acquiring new expertise, or work-life balance (especially concerning the limited time for childcare). Since the fundamental reason for this dissatisfaction lies in the absolute shortage of staff members in the public sector, it is unrealistic to add new staff just to introduce a new open announcement method. However, both central and local governments have adopted open announcement-application-appointment method for some fixed term positions that are necessary for public service delivery. 
    Lastly, the author will discuss the change in the passive attitude of Japan’s higher civil servants in terms of applying or expressing wishes for certain positions.  They seem to have had passion for public service under the membership-based personnel system, for they were willing to accept any tough tasks, unlimited workload, or unexpected transfers.  However, survey results show that this system is becoming unsustainable because the resources to compensate workers, such as sufficient budget, attractive positions both before and after retirement, people’s respect, or autonomy from politics no longer exist. Checking the balance sheet of merits and demerits of working as a higher civil servant, it is unlikely that the young and brightest will positively choose to work for the government.  Important things in the public service are the following: meeting real needs of the society, absorbing the voices of the street level bureaucracy, fair and rational allocation of jobs, relaxation of the present closed membership system, and describing various jobs for generalist administrators.  The adoption of the announcement-applicationappointment method can be one of the solutions, which may lead to a change in the “kasumigaseki culture.”},
 pages = {49--65},
 title = {閉鎖的公務員制度と公募制の可能性 ―メンバーシップ型人事の行方―},
 year = {2020}
}