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Interview
SPECIAL INTERVIEW Keita Matsushita
February 18 ,2022
Professor Keita Matsushita specializes in media and urban studies, and has been studying work styles for many years. He lives and works from both the Kanto and Kansai regions, and lectures at Kansai University while giving talks all over the country, both in-person and virtually. We asked Professor Matsushita on his views regarding the sense of distance that exists between the job, the workplace, and individual workers.
Work Will Shift to a “Hybrid Work Style”
—Our way of working has changed dramatically with COVID-19. How do you think the changes will take root after COVID ends?
I think that in the future, a hybrid work style in which people switch back and forth between remote and on-site work will become more widespread. Even before COVID-19, work styles had diversified to include the use of coworking spaces, working from resorts, and digital nomads who worked while traveling. What changed significantly in the wake of COVID-19 was that those work styles, which were formerly considered to be espoused by a minority, gained instant recognition and rapid acceptance. COVID also caused meetings to move online all at once.
Right now, there exists a mixture of newly acquired habits that people want to keep post-COVID, and pre-COVID aspects that people would rather return to, depending on one’s occupation and individual preferences. Should we try to restore the work styles of the past, which has, for better or for worse, come apart, to what it was before, like a jigsaw puzzle? Or should each company or worker sketch out a clear vision of how they want to work, and reassemble the blocks, choosing only those that are necessary? I think the latter makes more sense.
—As hybrid work styles become more established, we think that people will reconsider the functions of the office as well. What are your thoughts on how to use the office, and what it needs to be equipped with?
I think the office will be transformed from a “well” into something resembling a “bonfire.” What I mean by this is that, just as people make trips to a well in order to fetch water necessary for daily sustenance, a well-like office emphasizes the equipment necessary for work, such as outsized printers. On the other hand, just as starting a fire in a campsite will enticepeople to gather around and build relationshipsof trust through conversation, a bonfire-like officewill emphasize furniture and facilities that fostercommunication between workers and enhance thesense of unity. As remote work has become the normand people increasingly work in isolation, they alsowant to connect more with others. Therefore, we willprobably come to focus more on the office’s role inbuilding relationships of trust between the workersand improving teamwork, rather than as a place tocarry out tasks.
But that doesn't mean that well-like offices are completely irrelevant. This is because some tasks cannot be carried out without company equipment, depending on the type of business and the nature of the job. Therefore, when reviewing the office environment, it is necessary to clarify whether you want to expand well-like elements, or newly install bonfire-like elements. The process of sifting through the needs of the office involves subtraction. You need to think about what your company or members of your team really need, and make only those enhancements. This should also be an opportunity to review the identity of the company itself.
Online Meetings Have Their Advantages
—There is also the question of how to conduct online meetings effectively. What kind of approach and effort do you think are necessary?
Regarding the problems with online meetings that have been reported, I'm optimistic that people will get used to them over time. The key to future discussions is to be aware of its advantages, and to judge whether the issue at hand merits an online meeting, is something that can be solved through online chatting, or requires an in-person meeting. And by reviewing it in advance, it will also be possible to determine which will be more effective, virtual or in-person. When I am asked to give an interview or a talk, I always ask, “Can I do it online?” If I need to be photographed, I will do it in person, but doing it virtually gives me more flexibility, since I can do it anywhere I happen to be.
So what are the advantages of online meetings? From my own experience of conducting university classes online, I have found that it enriches communication with my students. This was because moving classes online and accepting questions via chatting and email encouraged students who were shy in the classroom to speak up. In a group, the ones with assertive personalities tend to stand out, overshadowing those that are more quiet. The same can be said of companies. There are issues such as lookism, in which people judge others by their appearance, and issues of diversity as well, but in face-to-face meetings, loud people tend to dominate the discussion. But online meetings level the playing field. This is a big plus.
If we stop using the vague term "online meeting" internally, it will be more effective. For example, we can be more specific, like calling it "a 15-minute session to discuss what to ask Matsushita in the interview." If you organize the information in advance, you can reduce the number of unnecessary meetings, because you can see what can be done through emails and online chats instead.
—One innovative idea is to use avatars in online meetings. Are you in favor of or against it?
Personally, I approve of the use of avatars. Acommon challenge regarding online meetings isthat you can’t read between the lines or perceive theoverall atmosphere unless you are able to see theothers’ faces. In such a situation, avatars tend to beviewed in a negative light. Because if it isn’t the faceof the person him/herself, you won’t feel any trust.Regarding this, I have two things to say.
First of all, if your avatar is a character set to work mode, the real you would also have been a similar work-mode version of you even when you were in the office or working face-to-face. People around us expect us to switch between work and private modes. If we consider that the avatar is a virtual embodiment of all this, perhaps this avatar can be better at playing you in work mode.
Secondly, by homogenizing the visuals of people with avatars, some people may find it easier to speak up than in face-to-face meetings. This may lead to evenly balanced communication.
Toward a Society in Which Every Person Has His/ Her Own Work Style
—Professor Matsushita, you are advocating the realization of a society in which people can work in whatever way they want.
Thinking about the distance we sense at work, which is the theme of this interview, is also about pursuing the question of how one wants to work. For example, for the classes I teach at university, I fully expect that students may not able to forge connections among themselves, given the current situation of online classes. This is because forging connections is not so important in making progress with individual research. On the other hand, in a company, creating a sense of unity is important, since departments and teams often build up businesses together. In this way, it is important to pursue one’s work mindful of the characteristics of theorganization, and assign priorities in order to achieve the goal.
How can we reduce the sense of distance between people, and maintain and improve a sense of unity while adopting remote work? For one thing, I think it will be effective to introduce something that allows you to experience the sense of smell and touch together when discussing something in person. This is because we cannot share the sense of smell and touch virtually at present. I am looking forward to a society where each and every one of us can opt for his/her own work style, and pursue work with enthusiasm, all the while keeping in mind how one wants to work and what one should value in order to bring that about.
Keita Matsushita
Born in Kobe in 1977. At present, he is a Professor in the Faculty of Sociology, Kansai University, following positions at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters, as visiting researcher at the Berlin Institute of Technology, and associate professor at the Faculty of Human and Social Studies, Jissen Women's University. He lives, works and raises his children in both Kanto and Kansai. He researches new work styles and places brought about by media and technology from the perspective of media theory. His most recent book is “Work Styles in the Aftermath of COVID-19” (East Press).
This article was reprinted from the KNOWLEDGE WORK DESIGN REVIEW by Okamura.
Interview & Text: Ayano Yoshida
Photography: Hiroyuki Takenouchi
Production: Plus81 inc.
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