Summary Of Orientation: White Collar Workers In Office Space

This dark, alarming revelation of how disturbing the white collar workplace can be better illustrated in “Orientation.” In the short story, the workplace seems alien and the humans in the story seem to forced to be devoid of emotions. Everything in the economic work space has an order and a place, including who one can talk to and only after one has received permission from someone else. The representation of white collar work is almost haunting. The first few lines of the short story write, “This is your phone. Never answer your phone. There are no personal phone calls allowed. If you must make an emergency phone call, ask your supervisor first (Orozco).” In this piece of literature, the office space is portrayed at methodical and slightly

ominous.
The economic space in “Orientation” has strict limitations which are overexaggerated but because of such, they bring to attention the problems with the white collar work space. The speaker describes everything the new employee is and is not to do. She tells the employee that everyday, he will receive an amount of work that he must pace to fit an eight-hour day, regardless how many hours the work is actually intended to use. This draws attention to how employees can be overworked or underworked, but their employer does not care and thus, the work must be completed regardless. The speaker also tells the new employee to freely ask questions, but she includes that if he asks too many, he will be fired. She goes on to tell him that his breaks are privileges while, his lunch break is a right. However, if he abuses either of those, he will also be fired. These examples show that in the office place, the magnitude of the mistake does not matter. One can be let go for any reason the employer deems fit. Nothing in the workplace has to be reasonable. Things will happen because the manager wants them to be that way.
Similar to the car crash scene in Office Space, “Orientation” describes a how its health plan will provide its employees and their families with full coverage insurance.

The speaker describes how if the employee, Larry Bagdikian’s, six daughters all simultaneously became extremely ill, the girls would all be covered. The speaker states states, “Larry’s girls would all be taken care of. Larry Bagdikian would not have to pay one dime. He would have nothing to worry about (Orozco).” This once again reveals how white collar workers are seemingly only concerned about money. Since most white collar workers find absolutely no joy in their job, the only reason they choose the remain employed at the company is so that they will have a source of income. Thus, this over-exaggeration serves its purpose by highlighting this aspect.
Office Space and “Orientation” describe the cubicle and the economic space of white collar work in different, but still negative ways. As a classic film of the 1990s, Office Space was one of the first films that brought attention to how the office cubicle was restraining and oppressive. The film showed how the dull, sterilely conformed office was incapable of bringing any worker happiness while employed there. “Orientation” brought attention to how nothing that happen in the workplace has to have a cause. Everything is determined by the manager and it should not be

questioned.
While the cubicle office may have been substantial during the 1980s in which the work required little innovation. The 21st century and the information revolution calls for employees who are capable of abstract thinking and inventive creating. Thus, an office in which employees are devoid of communication and mental stimulus, which would include colors and nature, is no longer acceptable. This type of office will bring little to no growth to the economy.
Currently, there has been a push for companies to incorporate workspaces that are more open. Advertisement literature for cubicles currently promote teamwork and creativity while still allowing employers to maximize their office space ("Office Cubicles"). Companies on the leading edge of innovation, such as Google, have offices that seem more like a cross between a playground and college campus rather than a place designed for productive work. Google allows its software engineers to design their own desks and they are encouraged to express themselves anywhere and everywhere (Stewart). Google’s goal in this chaotic but effective office design is “to create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world (Stewart).” The company’s success is based off of innovation and collaboration, and the freedom the managers give to its employees to be creative and happy is what allows the company to be so successful. The employees are working off an intrinsic desire to create (Stewart).
Human beings are social creatures and depending on the environment they are placed in, their moods will be affected and they will act accordingly. As depicted in Office Space and “Orientation,” the economic space of white collar work has become associated with conformity and worker oppression. Under a cubicle office culture, standard workers will remain under the dominating control of executive members. These literary pieces over exaggerate some aspects of the workplace to bring attention to them and to push corporations towards using more liberating office structures. The current 21st century, innovation based economy requires such offices so that employees can create more and drive the country forward.