ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief examination of the history of workplace management in the United States, and focuses on the implications of technology, and work teams. It considers the cultural expectations of workplaces on employees. The chapter considers the ambiguous expectations and precarious prospects of work in relation to affirming and advocating for diverse family needs. Work, in the United States, began with farming and the establishment of cottage industries. The Industrial Revolution brought about entrepreneurial innovation and factory labor, as well as questions of how workers should be managed. Postmodernist work has implications both for what it means to complete work tasks, specifically, as well as what it means to be employed, more generally. In addition to performing commitment by making one's self unequivocally available through technological means, demonstrating workplace commitment also comes in the form of one's online presence and branding acumen. Another source of ambiguity regarding workplace expectations is the growing popularity of teamwork.
