This extensively researched book sheds new light on Japanese management and its social consequences. Since the collapse of the Japanese bubble economy, the once-acclaimed Japanese-style management has been under serious criticism both inside and outside Japan. But this is not a new phenomenon - over the last 50 years evaluation of Japan and Japanese management has fluctuated between wide extremes of praise and criticism. Unlike most studies that are cross-sectional in nature and cover a relatively short period, this work is a longitudinal analysis that covers 40 years. It uses firsthand information from managers in major Japanese corporations, and it involves several of these managers in the research process.