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The relationship between employees and their companies
is noticeably different between the East and the West. In
Japan, workers have a strong sense of identification with, and loyalty to, their
employer. However, in the West, this isn't usually
the case. In developing a company-orientated society,
Japan introduced a system of lifelong employment similar to that which existed
between feudal lords and their retainers. The communities
of Japan have always shown a preference for long apprenticeships with people learning
their trades under masters of the profession. Furthermore,
strong feelings of obligation and respect for seniority contribute to the success
of the system. In the West, however, employees do
not have a strong sense of loyalty to the organization which employs them. They
regard their workplace as a place where they receive money in return for their
labour. Factors such as the number of hours in the
working week, the amount of holidays they receive and salaries are much more important
to them. If a better opportunity appears, they are
usually quite willing to leave one company to work in another. This
means that, on one hand, the company must do everything it can do to make its
jobs attractive to employees, but on the other hand, the employees must work hard,
knowing that the company won't hesitate to dismiss them if their work isn't up
to standard. | 
