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Social Norms on Working Hours, Work-Life Balance, and Fertility Choice

Author

Listed:
  • Kohei Daido

    (School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University)

  • Ken Tabata

    (School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University)

Abstract

This paper studies the role played by the social norms of working hours in a household labor- leisure and fertility decision model. We suppose that social norms enforce workers not to deviate from the ideal level of working hours, which depends on past and current observations of working hours in workplaces. We show that the social norms lead to multiple equilibria: one with long working hours and a low fertility rate and another with short working hours and a high fertility rate. Our results may help to explain the long working hours and low fertility rate that are observed in Japan.

Suggested Citation

  • Kohei Daido & Ken Tabata, 2013. "Social Norms on Working Hours, Work-Life Balance, and Fertility Choice," Discussion Paper Series 108, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Sep 2013.
    • Handle: RePEc:kgu:wpaper:108
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matthias Doepke, 2004. "Accounting for Fertility Decline During the Transition to Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 347-383, September.
    2. KURODA, Sachiko & YAMAMOTO, Isamu, 2011. "What determines work hours?: who you work with or where you work," ISS Discussion Paper Series (series F) f155, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo.
    3. Kalemli-Ozcan, Sebnem, 2002. "Does the Mortality Decline Promote Economic Growth?," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 411-439, December.
    4. Alessandro Balestrino & Alessandro Cigno & Anna Pettini, 2002. "Endogenous Fertility and the Design of Family Taxation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 9(2), pages 175-193, March.
    5. Munshi, Kaivan & Myaux, Jacques, 2006. "Social norms and the fertility transition," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 1-38, June.
    6. Akira Yakita, 2017. "Fertility, Child Care Outside the Home and Pay-as-You-Go Social Security," Population Economics, in: Population Aging, Fertility and Social Security, chapter 0, pages 45-63, Springer.
    7. Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "Why do Americans work so much more than Europeans?," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 28(Jul), pages 2-13.
    8. Palivos, Theodore, 2001. "Social norms, fertility and economic development," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 25(12), pages 1919-1934, December.
    9. Reuben Gronau & Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2006. "Time Vs. Goods: The Value Of Measuring Household Production Technologies," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 52(1), pages 1-16, March.
    10. Suzuki, Toru & 鈴木, 透 & スズキ, トオル, 2006. "Lowest-Low Fertility and Governmental Actions in Japan," Discussion Paper 294, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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