We show that for $p$-operator spaces, there are natural notions of minimal and maximal structures. These are useful for dealing with tensor products.

For a locally compact group $G$, let $A(G)$ be its Fourier algebra, let $M_{cb}A(G)$ denote the completely bounded multipliers of $A(G)$, and let $A_{\mathit{Mcb}}(G)$ stand for the closure of $A(G)$ in $M_{cb}A(G)$. We characterize the norm one idempotents in $M_{cb}A(G)$: the indicator function of a set $E \subset G$ is a norm one idempotent in $M_{cb}A(G)$ if and only if $E$ is a coset of an open subgroup of $G$. As applications, we describe the closed ideals of $A_{\mathit{Mcb}}(G)$ with an approximate identity bounded by $1$, and we characterize those $G$ for which $A_{\mathit{Mcb}}(G)$ is $1$-amenable in the sense of B. E. Johnson. (We can even slightly relax the norm bounds.)

We develop a symbol calculus for normal bimodule maps over a masa that is the natural analogue of the Schur product theory. Using this calculus we are easily able to give a complete description of the ranges of contractive normal bimodule idempotents that avoids the theory of J*-algebras. We prove that if $P$ is a normal bimodule idempotent and $\|P\| < 2/\sqrt{3}$ then $P$ is a contraction. We finish with some attempts at extending the symbol calculus to non-normal maps.

We prove a quantized version of a theorem by M.~V.~She\u{\i}nberg: A uniform algebra equipped with its canonical, {\it i.e.}, minimal, operator space structure is operator amenable if and only if it is a commutative $C^\ast$-algebra.