Division of Labour and Specialisation


With the development of factories in the 18th century, they   began to specialize. Division of labour and specialization are closely associated. Division of labour means the act of breaking down or splitting some productive labour work into a number of separate specific tasks (activities).  In the process of division of labour, the separate specific task will have to limited to a particular act.  Specialisation is limiting the activity of a person to a single/particular task. Under division of labour, each worker does a particular task. Division of labour and specialisation is applied in the production in large scale such as car, TV sets and so on.  In these production units assembly line or line production method is used. (i.e.  While the product moves down the line each worker does his task).  This kind of production method is also known as mass production.
            In United Kingdom different regions started specializing in different products based on the availability of resources.  The Midlands for cars, Lancashire for clothing and textiles, Tyneside for ship building, and so on.  Countries also started specializing in different industries such as Japan for electronic industries, Italy for shoes, USA for defence equipment, and Maldives on fishing industries and so on. Different countries are doing this because they have skills to do and resources suited to the production of certain goods and services.  
            International trade arises because the production of different kinds of goods requires different kinds of resources with different proportions and these resources are unevenly distributed throughout the world.  More over the international mobility of resources is extremely limited. [Land is geographically immobile].  Labour is restricted by barrier of language and imposed restrictions of immigration.  Capital is geographically mobile but not international due to unfavourable conditions such as political instability, threats of confiscation, barriers to take profit outside the country and so on.] 

Division of labour means the act of breaking down or splitting some productive labour work into a number of separate specific tasks (activities).
In the process of division of labour, the separate specific task will have to limited to a particular act.  Specialisation is limiting the activity of a person to a single/particular task.
Under division of labour, each worker does a particular task. Division of labour and specialisation is applied in the production in large scale such goods as car, TV sets and so on.  In these production units assembly line or line production method is used. (i.e.  While the product moves down the line each worker does his task).  This kind of production method is also known as mass production.
For example, the production of a wooden furniture may be divided into activities such as cutting the tree, sawing the timber, cutting the wood into suitable sizes,  planning, shaping,  making  joints and nail holes,  assembling,  and polishing.

Advantages of division of labour and specialisation
1 Creation of more job opportunities:  Division of labour and specialisation create more job opportunities by breaking down a particular process into different activities.  More jobs will be created to suit the ability and interest of different workers.
2 Saving time: - when division of labour and specialisation is applied, the production is by assembly line or line production method. [i.e.  While the product moves down the line each worker does his task.]  Therefore worker need not move from one machine to another and the labour time can be utilised more effectively.
3 Utilisation of machine and tools: - Division of labour and specialisation a set of tool can be used by many workers and not tools will be left idle (unused). Like that every operation of machinery can also be utilised fully. 
4 Improved productivity: - Division of labour and specialisation will help to improve the productivity.  At the same time, it improves the standard of production and provides leisure to the labour without loss of production.

Disadvantages Division of labour and specialisation
1 Boredom: - By doing the same work throughout the time the labourer feel monotony and frustration.
2 Loss of craftsmen-ship: - In division of labour and specialisation each worker is limited to one single task, this leads to the loss of skill of the individual worker.
3 Loss of variety of products: - By applying division of labour and specialisation the production is standardised and the products are identical and thereby consumers cannot find variety of products.
4 Dependence:  - Division of labour and specialisation makes the firms too much interdependent.  That means in a line of production, if one worker stops the work the entire line will be stopped.
In traditional economies, goods are exchanged for other goods which are known as barter system.  As economies developed, money was introduced along with the increase in the production.  The excess productions of goods are exchanged for money by those who want those goods.  Exchange is the process of giving something and receives something different in return (give something and get something else in return) For example: exchanging land for money or exchange fish for cash
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