enter, standing before the group on a platform, unfolds a scroll on which are written the precepts of the company. He leads the trainees in a loud and rousing reading of the Matsushita credo and the new employees then continue their immersion in the Matsushita company culture (Sullivan, 1992, p. 10).
The extraordinary conformity which has been the hallmark of the traditional company training programs has resulted in some criticism, however. Critics note that the conformity has created a vacuum; that in order to compete domestically and internationally in the future, Japanese managers will not only have to maintain their individual spirit and initiative, but will also have to learn how to be independent and individually decisive. Some Japanese firms have recognized this in that they have begun recruiting more widely from universities than in the past. These companies have also begun hiring more workers who have been educated abroad or who have worked for other companies. These practices would
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