Division of labour and mass production

DIVISION OF LABOUR
Production activites can be classified according to two basic principles:

Division of Labour
this refers to the breakdown of work or trading activities into individual tasks which are then allocated and done by different people. Examples include:

The division of sectors into industries for example: butchers, farmers, potters, mechanics etc

The division into processes: for example the iron industry can be divided into processes that begin with the extraction of ore, smelting, turning pig iron into steel.

Geographical division- this is the division of labour arising from physical conditions of the region for example availability of coal or gold in a given area or using climatic conditions such as Mashonaland and its vast maize farms.

Benefits of Division of labour

• more goods are produced for various markets
• Large scale production has resulted in more people being employed
• Mass production has enabled people to afford different types of goods e.g. Tvs, Cars resulting in higher standards of living
• Automation and Mechanisation results in faster production rates
• Prompted the interdependence of workers leading to trade
• Leaders to lower production costs resulting in consumers paying lower prices

Disadvantages of Division of labour

• leaders to interdependence of workers
• Due to interdependence of workers any disruptions in any part of the production line might affect the whole production process of the goods.
• Goods produced are standardised thus robbing people of individuality
• Tasks become repetitive and boring leading to workplace alienation
• Mechanisation and automation has resulted in unemployment
• Specialisation-is doing a job one is good/talented at.
• Standardisation- this is the practice of making identical goods e.g. cars of the same model have the same exact specifications and features.
• Simplification-processes and tasks are easier to perfom.

Mass production– is the making of goods in large quantities and the provision of serves on a large scale.

Benefits off mass production

• low cost of production resulting in lower prices
• goods are always available
• improves standards of living
• leads to automation and mechanisation
• leaders to standardisation of products
• leads to simplification of processes
• leads to specialisation of workers
• leads to trade.

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