Mitarbeit

Mitarbeit is a German noun meaning participation, collaboration, or contribution in a task, project, or organization. The word is formed from mit (with) and Arbeit (work) and denotes involvement or co-operation rather than sole ownership or leadership. In everyday language, Mitarbeit describes the act of contributing one's efforts to a common goal, whether as an employee, consultant, or voluntary participant.

In employment contexts, Mitarbeit often refers to the degree of co-operation and engagement expected from staff. Phrases like gute Mitarbeit or aktive Mitarbeit are used in performance appraisals and references to describe a person’s interactive contribution to a team or project. Mitarbeit can indicate both the quantity and the quality of a person’s work within a collective setting, and it is distinct from simply fulfilling assigned tasks.

In organizational and project settings, Mitarbeit also means joint authorship or contribution to a product or report; Mitarbeit an einem Projekt implies collaboration among several people. In public and civil-society discourse, it can refer to citizen participation and involvement in decision-making or program implementation.

In academia, researchers may speak of Mitarbeit in a Forschungsprojekt or als Mitautor (co-author), noting that Mitarbeit can be broader than authorship alone and may include supporting contributions such as data collection, analysis, or writing.

See also: Zusammenarbeit, Kooperation, Mitarbeiterschaft.