[hugryhoop]

It's complicated.

For 1 employee which disobeyed orders and saved the company you'll have 99 which disobeyed orders and don't produce anything useful or even made harm.

This is called the Halo effect.

[dymk]

Well, if they really thought it was a waste of time, they could have fired him in the first few years, but instead they kept funding his research. The company was doing one thing with its right hand, and something entirely different with its left.

I'm not saying the halo effect isn't real or not applicable here. But a multi-billion dollar invention warrants Extenuating Circumstances, and it's oh so very convenient that the CEO can say "well we don't want to inspire this kind of behavior in other employees!" after the profits are realized.

[bawolff]

I think it would have been reasonable to fire him before he made the breakthrough. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. Its his treatment after success that seemed egregious.

[dudeinjapan]

It is extremely difficult to fire employees in Japan. Disobeying orders is in general not a fireable offense.

[IncreasePosts]

Yes, but the odds that someone who invents the blue LED also invents something else amazing is much better than a random employee who did not invent the blue LED inventing something amazing.

[willis936]

I'm not sure it is the Halo effect here. Imagine how much more money they would have made if more employees ignored the new CEO, or if there was a different CEO.