Or, more accurately, because of it. Japan's tale is one of inflexibility and of trying to overlay a matrix of rigidity and stability on a changing complex market economy. Despite major economic distress, Japanese companies are reluctant to cut workers. This has the effect of choking off the development of new industries and stifling the shifting of workers to where consumers would want them. Instead, they remained trapped in industries that bleed with losses.
Flexibility means change and, for some people, a sense of uneasiness.
It means that we are not likely to stay in one job for 20 years and that we will have to upgrade our job skills continuously. However, change is inherent in the real world. The societies that have the most flexible economies are equipped to handle their changing needs. They will grow, prosper, and change, while those anchored by political chains or societal bonds will go through periods of struggle and suffering. Christopher Mayer, a commercial loan officer, is studying for his MBA at the University of Maryland.