Kohteluuntekijä

Kohteluuntekijä is a neologism used in Finnish to describe an agent, policy, or mechanism that shapes how people are treated in social interactions, organizations, or digital environments. The term is commonly applied in discussions about etiquette, civility, and the governance of conduct, rather than as a formal job title.

Etymology and scope: The compound combines kohtelu (treatment, courtesy) and tekijä (maker, doer), yielding "maker of treatment" or "designer of conduct." In Finnish discourse it is typically used descriptively and analytically, referring to processes or actors that influence interpersonal or systemic treatment of individuals.

Applications: A kohteluuntekijä can be a human actor—such as a policy designer, moderator, or customer-service representative—or a non-human component, such as guidelines, moderation rules, or algorithms. It encompasses both deliberate design choices and automated systems that determine how users are addressed and how disputes are resolved.

Examples and contexts: In customer service, an entity that enforces consistent respectful language can be described as a kohteluuntekijä. In online platforms, moderation policies or AI systems that guide interaction styles are cited as examples of a kohteluuntekijä.

Critique and discussion: Proponents argue that naming and analyzing these mechanisms support accountability and improvements in fairness and civility. Critics warn that the term can mask responsibility behind impersonal systems or complicate assignment of blame in cases of biased treatment.

See also: etiquette, manners, user experience design, algorithmic governance.