Based on these responses, as well as on individual and group interviews conducted by the author, several conclusions have been drawn, each relating to one of the four values highlighted by the survey. Most of the Japanese people I interviewed believe, in contrast to many Americans, that work is done for neither money nor prestige but for the good of the employer and society. Many workers still log long hours. Subways and buses are buzzing early in the morning with commuters, while restaurants are frequented until eleven or twelve at night by many of these same commuters, still in business attire, socializing with co-workers, building company camaraderie. Along with this dedication comes pride as well, evident in the spotlessness of the factories we visited and the work-related knowledge of the employees I interviewed.
Japanese companies seem to run like well-oiled machines.
Another young man recalled as a child being told that he should give first to the company and then to himself and his family. Many people said that they learned loyalty at home and at school, following the examples of their dedicated teachers and family members. Loyalty is not just a spelling word in Japan, it's a way of life. When I asked a group of U.S. fifth graders the same question, very few had any concrete ideas. Loyalty will be a value challenged in Japan in the twenty-first century.