Watabaran
changes corporate structure
The first of January this year Watabaran changed its corporate
structure, from an NGO to a joint-stock company. This is only
one of many changes that Watabaran is undertaking to develop
an even more structured business. The value foundation of
Watabaran will not change, we still work with fair trade and
towards a sustainable and environmental friendly development.
Why change
the structure?
When the company was created, five years ago, we where only
five employees. Everybody got to learn about the basics in
how to build and operate a company and where also given the
task to select a board of directors for the organisation.
The founder of Watabaran, Björn Söderberg, was given
an informal position, working as a mentor and bearing the
outermost responsibility for the company. This structure worked
out fine during the first couple of years
Along with Watabaran`s growth the need of a new corporate
structure emerged. One important reason for this was that
the Nepalese authority threatened to withdraw our export permit,
due to regulations that states that the main source of income
for an NGO can not be based on export revenues.
Structural
difficulties
The basic idea that all employees should have equal decition
making power turned out be more unfair than fair. Some of
the employees where much more interested and energetic to
actively participate and run the company.Others wished for
a more "traditional" employment.
Internal disputes arose when co-workers where to appoint directors
amongst co-workers. It resulted in power struggles and bad
atmosphere and the employees who where chosen as directors
faced great difficulties making hard but necessary decisions.
Björn
in a formal position
Björn Söderberg has since the foundation of Watabaran
had the outermost responsibility for its activities, but his
informal position had created some confusion and insecurity
amongst the staff. To formally appoint Björn as president
of the company therefore solves many of these problems. He
will from now on be responsible of the maintenance and development
of the democratic and participatory structures.
All of the employees will of course keep their rights and
possibilities to influence their own situation and daily work.
If you wish to participate in the decision making board and
be responsible for decisions affecting others, you will have
to show proper capability and motivation for the assignment.
The profit made in Watabaran is divided between the staff
and reinvestments in the company. In the future there will
also be possibilities for the employees to buy their own shares
in the company, an advantage given to those who can show that
they are capable of being part-owners in an international
corporation.
Positive
changes
By creating a joint-stock company we will increase our efficiency
and with that also our profits. The social aims are constant
fundaments in our activities and when the company improves
more people in the society will be able to benefit from it.
Handmade
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