työntekoon

Työntekoon is a neologism used in Finnish discourse to describe a proposed mode of organizing work based on distributed, collaborative production networks rather than traditional hierarchical firms. The term blends työ (work) with tekoon, a form found in Finnish verb usage that can imply intention or collective action, such as “let there be work” or “work to be done together.” The word is typically presented as a conceptual ut for exploring alternatives to conventional management.

Concept and core features include self-organizing teams, modular task structures, and participatory governance. In a työntekoon framework, tasks are decomposed into smaller units that teams select and execute autonomously, while decision-making remains transparent and consensus-oriented. Ownership of outcomes, and often a share of profits or surplus, is positioned as shared among participants rather than concentrated in a managerial layer. The emphasis is on collaboration, mutual accountability, and flexible coordination across organizational boundaries, which can apply to formal workplaces as well as community projects or cross-organizational initiatives.

Origins and usage notes indicate that työntekoon arose in Finnish-language discussions about the future of work, particularly in think-tank notes, policy blogs, and speculative essays during the mid-2010s onward. It has not become a widely established term in academic labor studies and is largely used in aspirational or critical contexts to illuminate possible shifts in organizing work.

Relation to other ideas places työntekoon alongside worker cooperatives, platform cooperativism, agile and participatory governance models, and distributed work. Critics point to potential coordination overhead, free-rider dynamics, and scaling challenges, while proponents argue that appropriate governance protocols and digital tooling can mitigate these issues.

See also: worker cooperative; platform cooperative; participatory economics; distributed work.