New World Disorder

The idea of new world disorder ushered in a new era of workplace relations. There were new innovative technologies, replaceable 'temp' workers, flexible labor and a moving away from the old world order of Fordism. The old world order consisted of the division and specification of labor and lifetime careers for workers. In this new world, everybody is responsible for knowing and understanding the whole product and being able to perform all aspects of the job related to that product; unlike in the assembly line of Fordism where each worker is only responsible for their specific job

 This clip from Glengarry Glen Ross is the perfect example of this shift from the order of the old world to the disorder of the new world.

Alec Baldwin perfectly showcases the shifting values of this new world. He criticizes the men who pride themselves on being good fathers, loving husbands, and nice guys. These are not idealized characteristics in this 'get the job done or get out' way of life. He forcefully lets the men know that everyone is replaceable. If you can not do the job, then you can not work there. In his attempt to motivate them, he uses tactics that seem very harsh but they are not meant to mollify the men, they are meant to light a fire under their butts.