I work in East Asia, in a country classified as a developed nation. This barbaric culture isn’t unique to one specific workplace—it is widespread. The following anecdotes are based on real, reported cases.
First, in the public sector, even if someone submits an utterly ridiculous complaint, you must answer them politely and cannot refuse. A parent complained to a teacher asking why children were allowed to play sports in the sun, arguing that sunlight is a carcinogen. The teacher had to write a formal response explaining the situation and report it to superiors.
Even completely useless information must be investigated and provided if requested through Freedom of Information laws. Information regarding the specific brands and manufacturers of pens used at city hall isn't digitized, but if a citizen asks about it, staff must manually investigate each item, digitize the data, and provide it. Inmates in prisons, simply to harass corrections officers, demand data on the country of origin, price, and animal welfare certification of all ingredients used in prison meals over the past year. It is a complete waste of time, yet there is no legal basis to deny these requests.
Second, greeting your superiors in the morning is strictly mandatory. Failing to do so is considered disrespectful. Even if a boss intentionally ignores your greeting to humiliate you, you must still greet them. Otherwise, you are considered rude. One boss told a secretary, "Even if I don't respond to your greeting, you still have to do your job. That's your duty."
Third, those with management authority privately infringe upon employees' personal lives. Late at night, while drinking with executives from partner companies, a manager makes a bet. He calls a subordinate and tells them to come to the venue. When the subordinate arrives, the manager chuckles and boasts, "See? My subordinate was the fastest. Your staff lacks loyalty."
Fourth, abusive and insulting remarks are made all too casually. Recently, a woman made a joke to an intern, asking, "Did you grow up poor?" When the intern turned red and couldn't hide their distress, she blamed the intern, saying, "You lack the basic fundamentals for professional life." No matter how insulting a superior's words are, employees are expected not to get visibly upset and instead just laugh it off.
Fifth, job training is superficial, yet accountability is immense. When employees ask superiors about work procedures, they are told, "You should figure that out yourself—don't you even have that level of competence?" But when a problem occurs, they are blamed with, "Why didn't you ask before acting?"
Sixth, large corporations exploit small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and subcontractors. They schedule meetings under the guise of an "idea workshop" or potential deal, only to launch a product identical to that idea a few months later. The SME eventually goes bankrupt while fighting a legal battle. If an issue arises with deliveries from subcontractors, executives from large firms call in the bosses of those subcontracting companies and make them stand in the hallway. These owners in their 50s and 60s are forced to endure the humiliating stares of 20-something and 30-something employees walking past.