CHAPTER 5: TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORKPLACE
Technological, social, demographic, economic, and political change at both the global and local levels has become rampant in North American enterprises. As a result, organizations are undergoing a fundamental shift in the way they view, organize and perform work in this new global economy. This paradigm shift is characterized by the transformation of organizations from large, hierarchical organizations stressing command and control, to the more fluid, smaller, team-oriented structures that have a greater level of participation from an empowered workforce (Miller, 2001). Providing the proper working environment that helps people and organizations realize their full potential requires a thorough understanding of these changes and the relationships between the external forces involved with the physical environment.
In early times, work did not exist, individuals in society took food and shelter when (and where) it was found. There was no distinction between work and leisure time. The ancient Greeks and Romans viewed work as a curse and to be performed only by lower class people. The early Christians adopted the Hebrew approach with respect to work and in addition believed that work could generate a surplus of goods and services that should be shared with those less fortunate. Christians saw work as generating the opportunity to be charitable and therefore the value of work was not the focus, it was seen as normal. Non-work held a higher statusùone could pray and contemplate spirituality (Pierce, 1997).
The Renaissance held that creative work could be, in itself, a job that would be devoid of any connection with religion. The industrial revolution helped solidify the non-religious view of work and it became the dominant means for the acquisition of material goods and services. In the twentieth century, work played a major role in satisfying both the economic and psychologic...