• thinkigcse.com

Specialisation and Division of Labour

Because of the fact that choice involves opportunity cost, the factors of production have to be used in the most efficient way. This is achieved through Specialisation and Division of Labour. This means every individual performs a specific task only so that he can give in the best output. Division of labour can be defined as

the separation of a work process into a number of tasks, with each task performed by a separate person or group of persons.

As the workers become specialised in a particular task, it results in 'specialisation'.

Division of labour is most visible in assembly lines which are used for mass production of goods. example. a car assembly line.

Importance of Specialisation

Specialisation results in greater efficiency and productivity. As the workers don’t have to move between jobs. This leads to lower cost of production.

Time is saved as the workers become for efficient in performing a particular job.

By doing the same job repeatedly, the workers become ‘experts’, they commit less mistakes and hence leads to less wastage.

Due to specialisation production level increases which make it possible to carry out mass production.

Specialisation is good for workers too. They master the job and can bargain for better wages.

However,

In specialisation each worker is assigned a particular piece of work and he or she does that particular task. Repeatedly doing the same job can result in boredom for the workers.

Repetition of work leads to a mundane routine for workers, this kills their motivation. They might become careless. This will lead to more errors and affect the quality of production.

Moreover, a job might be broken into small identifiable tasks, which a different set of workers might be doing. Now If a worker cannot complete his or her job on time this may result in a bottleneck for the whole production process.

Workers lose flexibility due to over specialisation on a particular job. If by any reason, that particular skills becomes obsolete, the worker will become redundant and might end up losing her job.

The business will have to invest in training their workers in particular skills. This costs money which adds up to the cost of production.

Exciting News!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Quizzes and worksheets on this website have been developed in Flash format. Flash is no more supported by browsers. Therefore, you might see blank pages on some instances. Install Flash player plugin for Chrome from Chrome Web Store. Click here 

Similarly, for other web browsers you will have to activate the relevant flash player plugins.

JOIN OUR ONLINE COURSES

New Youtube Channel - ThinkIGCSE

Hi Everyone, I have launched a new YouTube channel with more than a 100 videos on  Economics and Business Studies, tailored specifically for IGCSE and A Level and IBDP students.

Subscribe now and join us on this learning journey: @thinkIGCSE

WHO'S ONLINE

We have 237 guests and no members online

MindMaps

PDF FILE

Download

Cheatsheets

PDF FILE

Download

Crosswords

PDF FILE

Download

Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Read more
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Our website uses Google Analytics to understand how you interact with our site and improve your browsing experience. These cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come from, and the pages they visited. The data helps us analyze trends and user behavior to enhance our website's functionality and content.
Accept
Decline
Marketing
Set of techniques which have for object the commercial strategy and in particular the market study.
Marketing
Our website uses Google marketing cookies to deliver personalized ads and measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. These cookies track your online activity to help us show you relevant ads on Google services and partner websites.
Accept
Decline