Impressions of working in Japan: Credo (クレド)

Here's a plastic pocket that we carry around during the office hours. It holds in two items: employee's name tag and a credo.

Ok, name tag is a easy to explain, it shows employee's name and other details. But what's a credo? The word is written in Katakana, indicating a foreign origin. Anyone who has studied Latin might be able to identify the meaning since the word comes from Latin. Let's see what the definition according to Collins English Dictionary is:

Credo ('kri:dəʊ, 'kreɪ-) n, pl -dos
    1. the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed
    2. a musical setting of the Creed
    [C12: from Latin, literally: I believe; first word of the
    Apostles' and Nicene Creeds]
credo ('kri:dəʊ, 'kreɪ-) n, pl -dos
     any formal or authorized statement of beliefs, principles,
     or opinions
credo ['kri:dəʊ, 'kreɪdəʊ] s uskontunnustus (Finnish)

So it's a set of beliefs but what is it used for? 35 phrases are written in the neatly folded sheet of paper. Almost every morning during a morning assembly the plastic pocket is opened and one phrase read out loud. That is followed by a discussion accordingly.


Phrases in the credo mean good but when people read them in a low and slow voice it sounds awfully religious, just like in a church when doing a confession. I'd suggest to add a pinch of cheeriness to the voices to make the atmosphere better. On the other hand, on those early morning assemblies everybody's damn tired, which might be just the cause for aphonic and low voices.

Question: Is credo merely a feature of Japanese companies or are they used widely?