Division of Labour.pptx

CBS grade 8

1. Division of Labour CBS Gr 8

2. Definition The division of labour occurs where production is broken down into many separate tasks. Thus, each task is assigned to a person or group. By doing so organisations intend to increase its efficiency Specialisation  is when we concentrate on a product or task There are three main different forms of division of labour . They are specialisation by: work, country location.

3. Forms of Division of Labour Certain jobs require workers to have special skills. As it suggests specialisation by work is referred to divisional areas of occupations . For example, carpenters, teachers and farmers are specialised by nature of their work. These works cannot be carried out by a normal worker who does not have the specialised skills. Similarly, some countries have better resources than the others for production of certain goods and services. In this case, the country specialises in the production of such goods and services. Specialisation can be in a regional/location level as well. This means that certain works are carried out in a specific area of the world or the country

4. Advantages of Division of Labour Higher productivity and efficiency – e.g. rising output per person hour Lower unit costs leading to higher profits Encourages investment in specific capital – economies of scale Workers need less training as they only have to master a small number of tasks Save time Workers can gain loyalty and a sense of achievement from their branch of production. Workers can concentrate on those jobs which best suit their skills and temperament.

5. Disadvantages of Division of Labour If workers are highly specialised , then the job can become very boring and repetitive. This can lead to low labour morale. If workers lose the motivation to concentrate and do a good job, mistakes may creep in as they get bored. An assembly line could grind to a halt if there is a blockage in one particular area. Adam Smith himself recognised this potential problem and advocated education of the workforce so that they wouldn’t get too demoralised by their repetitive job .

6. Limitation of Division of Labour Although division of labour may bring about positive improvements to a production process, there are limitations as well. Some tasks or processes are not divisible. Division of labour also depends on the nature of a good or service . Some goods and services are not suitable for mass production which may not require division of labour . Division of labour involves in continuous repetitive tasks being performed by workers which may result in boredom and the worker taking less pride in his or her work. R educe the mobility of labour as workers may have to gain additional training to shift jobs. A breakdown or slowdown in one task would affect the total production process.