#Japan #Tokyo #Trustyyle #Labor Cooperatives #Teal Organizations

Event Report: "Reclaiming Labor"

On June 20th, Trustyyle, based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, hosted the event "Reclaiming Labor: Considering the Future of Work from Worker Cooperatives and Teal Organizations" through its community, the Human Resources Library. This event provided a vibrant discussion around the system, thoughts, and practices related to "self-organized" work styles. Here, we deliver an overview of the day's events.

Background and Purpose of the Event

The Worker Cooperative Law, enacted in October 2022, allows organizations aimed at promoting "joint work" to obtain corporate status. The goal is to reunify the often-divided "decision-making" and "implementation" processes seen in traditional pyramid organizations, thus restoring work to the realms of life and community.

This event aimed to achieve two key objectives:

1. Share practical knowledge following the law's enforcement.
2. Explore more realistic operational models by combining experiences from teal organizations and NPOs.

The panel featured notable presenters including Noriko Matsumoto, a researcher of worker cooperatives and author of "What is a Worker Cooperative" (Chuo Keizai), Mitsunori Matsuda, who served as the HR manager at Oz Vision, the only Japanese company discussed in the book "Teal Organizations", Kentaro Matsui, involved in community development NPO activities while working at various corporate support roles, and Yusuke Iwata, a certified social insurance labor consultant.

Event Highlights

Input Talk

Matsumoto introduced the two major genealogies of cooperatives (Workers Co-op and Workers Collective) and outlined that there are currently 153 established organizations in Japan. She emphasized that partitioning into small units of about ten people effectively facilitates participation and consensus-building.

Cross Talk

Matsuda discussed the developmental stages of teal organizations, pointing out that "if the managers' 'capacity' does not expand, self-management will become merely a formality rather than a true empowerment system."

Iwata raised concerns from the perspective of a social insurance labor consultant, mentioning that "even in cooperatives, labor contracts are essential. The next topic to consider will be how to design operations for paid leave and time management."

Matsui concluded by drawing from his experience in regional NPO cooperation, stating that “the distance between ideals and reality is bridged by ‘who you work with,’ emphasizing the importance of relationships in such endeavors."

Q&A Session

Participants were eager to know specifics about cooperative operations with questions such as "How does decision-making evolve as membership grows?" and "How should we welcome student interns?" At the end of the event, members expressed their thoughts through a feedback survey where they noted:

• - "I realized there are many options for work styles that I was previously unaware of."
• - "It was revealing to see the management challenges of cooperatives and teal theory connected."
• - "The labor consultant's questions were directly linked to practical work scenarios, making it very engaging."

In a satisfaction survey, the event rated an average of 4.6 out of 5, with high praise for the candid sharing of real challenges.

Summary and Future Perspectives

The event brought forward the longstanding debate of whether "the system comes first or the people do" and emphasized the importance of simultaneously designing systems and relational dynamics as a form of “hybrid practice.” Looking ahead, initiatives such as case study workshops to continuously share examples of operational laws, field trips to organizations exploring cooperative and teal models, and joint projects with students and local residents will be expanded to deepen practical knowledge and learning. The driving belief is that "challenges that are daunting for an individual can be tackled collaboratively." Through these offerings, the aim is to empower individuals to reclaim their work experiences actively.

Speaker Profiles

Noriko Matsumoto (Professor, Komazawa University)
Born in Tokyo in 1980, Matsumoto's research focuses on management practices within non-profit and cooperative organizations. This February, she will publish "What is a Worker Cooperative" to explore notions of solidarity economics.

Mitsunori Matsuda (Co-founder, Arinomama LLC)
Matsuda, born in 1977 in Funabashi, is an MBA holder with experience transitioning from a system engineer to the management sector, having achieved two IPOs in his career, and contributing significantly to organizational development practices.

Kentaro Matsui (CEO, Yohaku Inc.)
Born in Yokohama in 1982, Matsui has a deep interest in the relationships through which work manifests, actively experimenting as a 'freelance nomad' while running community-driven NGOs and various corporate support roles.

Yusuke Iwata (Certified Social Insurance Labor Consultant)
With experience in organizations like Pasona and Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting, Iwata has directed HR management and has authored several publications focusing on labor relations and consultation.

About the Human Resources Library

The Human Resources Library, which opens on April 1, 2024, in Ningyocho, Tokyo, is a co-working community for HR professionals. It houses over 2,500 HR-related books and has more than 700 members. Its tagline is, "Navigating the Future through Learning Together." The location is Tokyo, Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Kakigaracho 1-12-7 WACROSS NINGYOCHO 6F. Find more information on their official website: https://hr-library.jp/