Rage Against the CubicleThe 1990's, also known as the Information Era, brought changes to the traditional work place and corporate culture via technological advancements. As the technological job market emerged, offices became less personal, less collective - reduced to a series of cubicles and computers. Office Space, a brilliant, knee-slapping comedy is a desperate, witty, and to some, an inspiring rebuttal to the horrors of cubicle life and to the frustrations of dealing with the hierarchy of management in the changing job market of the 90's. A successful first in motion pictures for writer/director Mike Judge, the film is the brainchild sprung from his animated short, Office Space, which was a success on Saturday Night Live. When asked when the job market might get back to normal, Greenburg of the American Management Association states, "If your model for normal is the 1960's, 70's, or 80's, we will never get back to normal. Technology is changing work as well as every other aspect of life" (Church). The routine of seemingly pointless protocol and grind of an unremitting, a computer screen-gazing, stall-dwelling workweek can diminishes one's zeal. The Information Technology sector can be a "nasty, high-stress job,"(Steen). In light of the Information Era creating a fast growing technology sector, the era also brought about another structural change in the corporate labor force. The trend: spastic company shrinkage. The labor force was cut to the bare amount of drones essential for efficiency in IT departments. "The latest survey by the American Management Association of 8,000 of its members showed that 47% reduced their staffs during the 12 months ended last June, [1993]" (Church). Information Technology professionals were very aware of this work force-cutting threat. As one reader writes to CNN's Opinion column, "Limited headcount means that every position must add value to the department.
