Are people bad at their jobs or are the jobs just bad?

The problem is with work ethics, not with jobs.

In Japan, it's impressive to see how people perform even the most menial jobs with dedication. It's the Yoda approach: do or do not. If you do a job, do it well. So, you will see people whose job is to stand in the rain and watch over a construction site exit making sure people in the sidewalk do not get run over by trucks exiting the site, doing their job with utter dedication. Even if it rains. Even if the job is crappy. I'm sure these people would rather have a different job — but as long as this is the one they have, they will sure as anything do it well!

> So, you will see people whose job is to stand in the rain and watch over a construction site exit making sure people in the sidewalk do not get run over by trucks exiting the site, doing their job with utter dedication.

That kind of job existing in the first place is the problem. And that could be well called subservience instead of work ethic.

> That kind of job existing in the first place is the problem.

Why? You don't think that job is important? To prevent injuries around a construction site?

In most of the world that job is done by a traffic light.