OVERWORK AND CAREER-CENTERED SELF-VALIDATION AMONG THE JAPANESE - PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES AND COUNSELING IMPLICATIONS

Overwork and workaholism among Japanese corporate workers and related psychosocial issues are explored. Ishiyama's (1989) model of self-vali dation is used as a conceptual framework. The Japanese culture and the corporate structure are treated as the context in which social pressu re for overwork and obsessive work-preoccupation are espoused. The aut hors examine the nature and consequences of overwork and career-center ed self-validation, in terms of family, marital, and existential issue s, as well as stress and karoshi (death by overwork). Implications to counselling and social and systemic change are discussed.