Urban planners in developing countries tend to have maps indicating land use around a city. Decisions on that area will be based on its reality as parkland. An example is the response of corporations competing for new university graduates. In another Japanese example, according to appearances Toyota does not control the company Koito in which it has a 19 per cent stake, especially since it has no seats on the board. But the unspoken reality, recognized by all concerned, is that a number of the directors are former Toyota employees.
Control is ensured through a range of friendly shareholders.
The distinction between the explicit and implicit realities is not sufficiently clear. Such denials have totally undermined the credibility of institutions in the eyes of those exposed to the problems whose existence is being denied. The dissonance is perhaps greatest in the case of various forms of corruption. The existence of corruption may be officially denied, although it is a continuing lived reality for many. The shell game has a long tradition in many cultures.