Advantages and disadvantages of division of labour

Advantages and disadvantages of division of labour

Advantages and disadvantages of division of labour

A) Advantages of division of labour

• Right person in the right Job

Every worker is assigned the task for which he is best suited. This helps to provide, opportunities for the best utilisation of natural talents as a person performs the job which he likes he gets pleasure in work.

• Greater Efficiency:

Division of labour helps to increase the efficiency of workers due to two reasons. First, every worker is assigned a job that suits his skills, experience, training and aptitude.

Right man in the right job leads to higher output. Secondly, due to division of labour, a worker continuously repeats his work. He becomes an expert in performing the job Repetition of the same work improves his dexterity and skills.

• Better Quality of Work:

Division of labour not only increases the quantity of work it also improves the quality of production. Better and modern machines and equipment are used. Better quality products help to increase the goodwill and profits of business.

• Saving of time:

Division of labour helps to avoid waste of time and effort caused by changes from one type of work to another. The worker does not have to shift from one process to another.

• Economies of large scale production:

Division of labour facilitates mass production. Large scale production provides economies in the use of resources, such as raw materials, labour, tools etc. Optimum use of means of production helps to reduce cost of production.

• Less learning period:

Under division of labour a worker needs to learn only a part of the whole task. Therefore, lesser time and expenditure is involved in training workers.

• Inventions and Innovations:

A worker doing the same task again and again tries to find new and better ways of doing the job. Small and simple parts of a task can easily be done by machines. Thus, division of labour increases scope for inventions and innovations.

• Less Strain:

Division of labour makes tasks small and simple Workers can perform them without much strain and physical tiredness is reduced. Less skilled labour is required to perform the divided and sub-divided tasks.

• Wider Market:

Division of labour makes available cheaper goods of a wide variety. As a result demand for goods and services increases.

• Benefits to society:

Society is benefited due to
(a) reduced cost on account of large scale production
(b) higher productivity which leads to economic growth
(c) employment of unskilled workers
(d) better quality of goods and services for consumers.

B) Disadvantages of division of labour

• Monotony in work:

A worker has to do the same small task again and again. Therefore, the job becomes boring and the worker loses interest in his work. Boredom and monotony create mental fatigue which ultimately spoils the quality of work.

• Lack of responsibility:

A worker performs only a part of the total job. Therefore, no individual can be held responsible if anything goes wrong. It is very difficult to fix responsibility for defect in the product.

• Greater interdependence:

Job, work processes and industries become increasingly inter dependent due to division of labour. Any problem or defect in one part may cause disturbance and dislocation in the entire process of production.

• Loss of job pride:

Since every worker produces only a small part of the product, he cannot take pride in ultimate result. Loss of sense of job satisfaction reduces the involvement of employees.

• Reduced mobility of labour:

Since every worker specializes in one type of work, he may find it difficult to procure a job in case of unemployment

• Retarded personality:

Repetition of the same task again and again leads to intellectual dullness. It kills the initiative and weakens the desire to learn. As a result the development of physical and intellectual personality of a worker may be retarded.

• Decline in craftsmanship:

• Pollution of environment

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