It's not a thumb rule that merit always gets rewarded. However, in the business world, when you present a resume or curriculum vitae, you are, in essence, asking the employer to hire you based on the merit of your education. If the job is for a skilled position and the resume or cv you presented hits all the right qualifications and the interview goes well, you get the job. Wise employers will keep their employees happy, so advancing someone based on the merit of their work, giving them a raise or a bonus is par for the course. Regarding the businessman, he may also be a stakeholder, so in that sense, he could be rewarding himself in the long run by taking a pay cut. Also, the Japanese are pretty obsessed with perfection, and even in business, Kaizen is a common practice. Check out the lifespan of your average Honda or Toyota. They kick our ass with regards to vehicle longevity, and this is good. We need quality examples for healthy competition in the marketplace. If you're ever looking for a new or used car, you might want to go for a Honda or a Toyota, as they don't seem to be on the same Americanized planned obsolescence model as companies like Cadillac, etc.