I worked for a small corporation for 5 years. They took full advantage of my dedication. Then I walked out, no notice, nothing. One of the most empowering great days of my life. Now the business is gone. I was hoping and cheered mightily when the business closed up. Hip hip hooray. Then again, it was run poorly run. Its demise was needed and warranted and celebrated. That being said, corporations are good as long as there are good honest people who run them. So that includes about 50 percent of them. The other 50 will do anything for a buck. But that is the system.
One of the changes that has occurred over the last 20 years is the abandonment of loyalty in business, both from employees and employers. An employee is valued only for what he can do today. It matters not what his accomplishments might have been in the past nor what his future potential might be. It's all about what he can do for the company today.
Young employees just getting started learn very quickly to go for the highest salaries they can get, jumping ship at first sign of trouble for better paying jobs.
American companies need to learn a lesson from the top Japanese companies who run circles around their US competitors. They spare no expense to recruit employees, rewarding hard work and loyalty with good salaries, benefits, and lifetime job security.