Abstract

This thesis is an examination of the ideology of Japanese white-collar organizations. The ideology, which evolved from the concepts present in various religious movements and cultural periods of Japan, is a set of guidelines adhered to by Japanese white-collar organizations in order to instill the proper work ethic in Japan's corporate employees. My aim in examining this ideology is to show the dependence that Japan's business world has on the ideology, and how this reliance on the ideology, though a major stimulus for Japan's rapid economic expansion after World War II, now threatens Japan's future as a possible economic world leader. The ideology is illustrated by examining Japan's economic miracle, the ideology and its origins, and the manifestation of the ideology in Japan's corporate environment. After this detailed description of the ideology, I examine the characteristics of an economic world leader in order to illustrate Japan's weaknesses as a possible global economic leader. These weaknesses are then followed by a list of solutions to Japan's problems concerning global leadership and a recognition of the difficulty in proffering change in such a traditional environment as Japan's corporate world.