Japanese business school philosophy seems to be fire the leaders first, then the followers. It's a sort of 'both' solution spread over a couple of fiscal cycles.

If you ever get bought by a Japanese conglomerate and your boss gets fired, rather than being relieved you should be worried, because you're next if things don't improve. I can't fault that logic, but it does seem to make at least some westerners a little complacent, cross-purposefully.