Most Japanese companies are now weighed down by excessive capacity purchased or invested during the bubble years of the late 1980s, and are now working hard to restructure their organizations and personnel resources and to streamline their businesses. But stop and think what's happening. In my opinion, restructuring, which is the most popular remedy for the ailing Japanese economy, is an over- simplistic solution. A careful reading of recent newspapers shows that opinions are changing slightly. The morale of an organization may be lowered if every member is treated with absolute equality regardless of individual effort or performance.
Japan is now in a transition phase and moving toward the American style of management.
As an executive of a Japanese company, I have had many opportunities to meet and discuss with more than 1,000 international business leaders. Among the directors and executives of US, European and Asian firms that are famous for their corporate reliability, I met some respectable people who think positively and are determined to make progress every day. They know the importance of personal relations, take great delight in meeting friends again and are much concerned over their friends' health. Before answering this question, let's take a look at other countries which are behind Japan in terms of the development of modern society. Such developing countries are often controlled by a prolonged regime, or by a single or very limited number of families, and their government officials and private companies have corrupt and collusive relations.