Mindsets of Constituent Members of an Organization in Institutional Transition: A Case of Transition from a National Testing and Research Institute to an Incorporated Administrative Agency (Japanese)

This paper merges the results of an attitude survey conducted on constituent members of a former national testing and research institute (referred to as Institute A) that has been transformed into an incorporated administrative agency (IAA). In April 2001, a number of national testing and research institutes were transformed into IAAs as part of the government's administrative reform. Subsequently, national universities have also been reborn as IAAs (called incorporated national universities). Today, IAAs are gradually gaining public recognition within Japanese society. The IAA system, however, was launched amid expectations and anxiety as no one could go beyond the limits of predictions as to what changes would be brought to each organization as a result of incorporation. Research institutions that had been undertaking tasks as a central government mechanism from the public standpoint were redefined as organizations positioned midway between public and private. They are no longer governed by rules applicable to national mechanisms; instead they are now subject to those applicable to private-sector institutions. Their relationships with the relevant government ministries and agencies changed and so did the way of carrying out tasks. The particular institute upon which this survey was conducted is counted on, as a leading contributor to the revitalization of the Japanese industry, to produce and utilize research achievements that are conducive to enhancing economic efficiency. Specifically, the incorporated institute is now commissioned to cooperate with members of the industry and undertake joint research that will likely lead to a commercial business, that is, in addition to basic research, a prioritized area since the time when the institute was a national mechanism. By focusing on Institute A, which underwent drastic organizational change -- more severe than those implemented in any other IAAs -- at the time of institutional transition, this paper also examines what impacts such organizational reform has had on the constituent members of the institute. The purpose of this research is to continually analyze the relationships between an organization and individuals as well as between organizations and society at a time of institutional change, hence, to make a diachronic comparison of the changes in these relationships by fixed-point observation. Therefore, what is illustrated in this paper, which analyzes the results of an interview survey conducted since the winter of 2001 as well as information obtained through a 2002 questionnaire, does not represent the current state of Institute A which is now entering a settlement stage.