The tone of the article is critical, and Instapundit (h/t) foreshadows ominously, but this sounds like a healthy trend to me.
Hidekazu Nishikido, a 24-year-old agent at a staffing company, recently got promoted to help manage a small group of employees. The new job means a higher salary and a better title.
But he isn't happy about it. Now he often works past 10 p.m., leaving him less time with his girlfriend. So Mr. Nishikido flatly told his bosses at R-live Inc. he isn't interested in further promotions.
"My job is important, but it's not what makes me tick," Mr. Nishikido says….
Miya Matsumoto, manager of the laid-back Mr. Nishikido, says she's tried everything — from screening success-themed films like "The Devil Wears Prada" to throwing after-work drinking parties — to push her subordinates to be more ambitious. But her team members rarely show interest in bigger responsibilities, she says….
Managers are aghast. How will they ever convince the lowly salarymen to work all night long whenever the company demands it?
The 31-year-old Ms. Matsumoto says she threw herself into her job, often staying overnight in the office to get work done. "Don't you want to get ahead? Don't you want to get rich and drive a nice car?" she prodded Mr. Nishikido recently.
But Mr. Nishikido says he finds Ms. Matsumoto's enthusiasm off-putting. He says he was especially turned off when he learned she had left her sick baby at home with her husband to come to the office (Ms. Matsumoto says work emergencies sometimes must come first.)
"That's definitely not the life I want," Mr. Nishikido says. "No way."
Yeesh, can you blame him?
bearing blog 