Organizational Culture

Our organizational concept of Mitsue-Links 2.0 is founded on the notions of autonomy, mastery and purpose, with five subsequent keywords - simple, flat, team commitment, visualization, and lean - that guide our working values. We aim to be an organization where highly flexible, creative, passionate, and motivated employees thrive as team players.

• No.1: Show gratitude to colleagues for their work
• No.2: Have good relationships with colleagues
• No.3: Maintain a work-life balance
• No.4: Have good relationships with superiors

Simple

We seek to simplify complex internal structures, systems and processes so they’re easier for employees to understand. Simplification of our organizational structure is implemented through reduced hierarchy and bolstered team commitment systems; simplification of communication is achieved through visualization of workflows and better horizontal communication; and our simplification of process is realized through the adoption of leaner working practices etc.

Flat

For us, the concept of flat is to found our organization on improved horizontal communication flows - rather than one where orders are only followed through a hierarchical chain of command. A hierarchy-based command approach, where orders are given by superiors, has several drawbacks including the nurturing of passive team members and time consuming communication - whereas horizontal interaction provides the basis for more autonomous working and leaner communication.

Team Commitment

Through our team commitment system, team members think and act under their own initiative and assist colleagues to achieve team goals. Regarding project procedure, teams are empowered and have more autonomy.

Visualization

Visualization is the sharing of necessary information with all those involved in a project to ensure optimum work performance. On whiteboards set up throughout our office, we visualize team issues and workloads, skill levels etc. as well as share corporate objectives and policies. This facilitates team autonomy and allows members to work towards achieving common goals.

Lean

To be lean in operation means to be efficient and function without waste - waste can include doing activities that provide no value, having and enforcing pointless institutions/rules, unproductive communication. We seek to eliminate the wastes of non-value-adding activities, irregularity, and overburden; whilst simultaneously elevating production efficiency, expediting task and improvement execution, and ensuring better responses to rapidly changing external environments.

Autonomy^*

Autonomy is making decisions and acting on tasks without being bound by overly cumbersome management rules and restrictions, it’s also the ability to work interdependently with others. This is different from independence - defined as not relying on anyone and going it alone. The concept of Autonomy is the antithesis to control.

Mastery^*

Mastery is having the desire for self-improvement regarding workplace knowledge and skills. It is the adoption of a mindset that acknowledges through great, and sometimes painful, endeavors comes improvement, betterment and ultimately fulfilment.

Purpose^*

Purpose is connecting our task or work to a cause larger than ourselves. Purpose provides a background to Autonomy and Mastery. That is to say, autonomous people aiming for mastery alone achieve high results, but those who do it for a high purpose can achieve even more.

• * Daniel Pink, one of the world's leading business thinkers, has written extensively about motivation in the post-industrial workplace – a place where smart, creative thinking is required over the performance of repetitive tasks. Pink’s concept of Motivation 3.0, a concept for the instigation of intrinsic motivation within employees, consists of three elements – Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose – which we too deem important for a vibrant workplace.

Mitsue-Links Co., Ltd.
Human Resources
jinji@mitsue.co.jp