This time line shows how gradually during the course of time and the changes that we have seen through out the world. This timeline shows the work ethic of many eras and how it had in a way affected our future and making it what it is today combining it with moral ethics as well as the work ethics in this world.

The History of Work Ethic:  Timeline
 

Hebrews (beginning of time - 607 BC)
The Hebrews believed that work was a form of punishment that God gave to Adam and Eve when they were forbidden to enter into the Garden of Eden.  There are scriptures that support the concept of work not because we should enjoy it but because it was necessary to prevent poverty and destitution.
*Proverbs 13:4 - The lazy one is showing himself desirous, but his soul is empty.  However, the every soul of the diligent ones will be made fat.
*Proverbs 20: 13 - Do not love sleep, that you may not come to poverty.  Open your eyes; be satisfied with bread.

The Greeks and Romans (331 BC- 30 BC and 30 BC- 476 AC)
    The Greeks and Romans thought of work as the poor man's burden.  The
Greek word for work is ponos, which means sorrow in Latin.
*The Greeks believed  that work wasted a man's mind, forcing it to use practical thinking, so then "brutalizing the mind" till it couldn't be used for more complicated, more important matters, like seeking truth and other tedious subjects.
 *The philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, said that the reason most men worked was so that the smaller class of elite could engage in exercises of the mind (such as that of the arts, politics, banquets, philosophy, and looking important).
* The Romans, however, held slaves, who would do their work while they tried to pursue military careers.
 *Let us not forget that if it weren't for these slaves and working men, these "elite" people could not have the lives that they have now of glory an could not have written mounds of books on their particulars, universals, theories of criminals and ignorance.  The entire economy depended on them.

The Medieval Period (1000's- 1400's)
During the Medieval Period the time of work was still regarded as a punishment, but it was also a great way of earning your keep so that you wouldn't have to be dependent on others.
*Excessive wealth was not popular, regarded as becoming attached to earthly things; people shared their excessive wealth.  The Church was the main and most important key player in deciding what was to be done with anything extra people had.
*The Church had a charity box and pity in those days meant you had a lot of faith in God and that you gave to charity so in other words you were good to god as well as those who do not have the necessary things that they need.
*The ideal occupation for them was in the monastery although many settled for Agriculture, handicrafts and commerce. Their idea was that idleness led to sin meaning that something that was meant for the slaves to do would not benefit to them and they were committing sin.
 
The Protestants (late 1400's)
Shaped by men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin.
* Protestants held that work was a different sort of "calling" for different people.
*Everyone had an occupation which they were made for in order to serve God right.  They opposed the monastery life many were forced into.
*Work was the will of God. People in this period believed that people would work on a different job depending on what the god would want them to do.

In America (1400's)
    There were many kinds of people searching for something different in the
New World, but the most outstanding were those who looked for religious
Freedom and those looking for economic gain and riches.
*The greedy people weren't ready for the pain that America turned out to be.  They were the modern Greeks and Romans.  The Puritans were better suited of work.  But America was no picnic and they worked hard to keep up with the seasonal changes and crops and the demands of the people. Still it wasn't as bad as the incessant work that the industrial revolution brought on.
*Believing those only slaves should be able to do that work.

Work Ethic in the Era of Capitalism (founding of United
States, 1700's)
    In our modern day world, which is the present, work is regarded as a good thing.
*Hard work is respectable and for the well being of the community or the economy.
*A Protestant ethic gave "moral sanction to profit making through hard work, organization and rational calculation" has shaped the Capitalist form of work ethic.
*Work brings profit; the more work the more profit, the more respect though in some cases more of the profit the more the respect does not necessarily apply.

The Industrial Era (Early 1900's)
During the Industrial Era time people were needed to run factories instead of shops were each individual had a trade and was professional.  In factories they were under constant observation, and demand to be more productive.
*Skill and craftsmanship were no longer needed.  People were hired to do monotonous jobs no matter of what their origin.
*As time went on and people got more and more bored, management decided that they needed incentives.  Employees had grown suspicious of them, hated the close supervision that they were always subject to and were intellectually depressed.  If there wasn't any challenge then employees became lazy so they decided to involve employees more.  People need to feel useful.
*Management has tried to become almost equal with the employees.
Still, authoritarian forms of management still exist as of today and as we know latter on in the future without supervision and management how will we keep up with our economy and needs to plan and plan making the world run the way it is suppose to without supervision.

The Information Age (Present)
     The Information Age is when White-collar workers are now outnumbering blue-collar workers as more and more technology comes along to do the more physical jobs.
*During the Industrial Era people did very low-discretion jobs, now one individual performs many tasks.  They make decisions and think at their jobs.  This provides challenges to the people.
*From the beginning children are taught to get a good education so that they could pursue their dream job.
*Competition is the key.
*Work is no longer just good for profit; a job that you love is first priority and very rewarding.
*Thanks to nannies and daycare, women comprise over half of the workforce now. A Big difference from the 18% back in 1900.
They are now the minds behind many businesses and ideas showing to the world that women can make a difference and be challenged like that of the men. Women can also be better at what they do then men.