Division of Labor
By division of labor we mean an arrangement whereby people perform
different functions at the same time. Though the term, 'Division of labor' is
applied in the field of economics, yet in fact division of labor in modern
society is not limited simply to labor but applies to all the factors of
production and exists beyond the purely economic field. For instance, in a
large scale readymade garment factory, a man does cutting of cloth, the second
man stitches clothes with machines, the third buttons, the fourth makes folding
and packing etc. This way of doing the work is called division of labor.
Division of labor is based on the principle of co-operation or interdependence.
The different persons among whom the work is divided co-operate in the
production of a thing for example, to make a chair, one group is engaged in
making backs another seats and still another joining them and finally there is
group of workers polishing the chairs. All of them co-operate and through their
cooperation, a chair is made. Division of labor is both a divisional and
integrating social principle. There may be four forms of division of labor.
l. Simple Division of Labor:.
When the production is split up into
different parts and many workers come together to complete the work, but the
contribution of each worker cannot be known, it is called simple division of
labor. For example when many persons carry a huge log of wood, it is difficult
to assign how much labor has been contributed by an individual worker. It is
simple division of labor
2. Complex Division of Labor:
This means the division of labor within a particular enterprise. Thus
within a factory there are weavers, spinners, designers, accountants, managers
and engineers. The work may be divided into complete tasks like spinning,
weaving, bleaching, designing, finishing etc. or it may be divided into
incomplete processes. It is said that work in a modern spinning factory is
divided into 18 processes. Technical division of labor is marked feature of
modern machine age.
3. Occupational Division of Labor.
When the production of a commodity
becomes the occupation of the worker, it is called occupational division of
labor This means division into occupation. Thus, there are farmers, weavers,
teachers, priests, laborers etc.
4. Geographical or Territorial Division of Labo:
This is also known as localization
of industries. Certain places or regions come to specialize in the making of
certain articles; Hosiery at Ludhiana, Cotton textiles at Ahmadabad and Bombay,
Jute industry at Calcutta, Leather industry at Agra and Kanpur etc.
Division of labor is an inevitable feature of the modern industrial system.
It is advantageous in the following ways.
Merits of Division of Labor
l. Increase in Production. With the adoption of division of labor, the
total production increases. Adam Smith has explained the advantage of division
of labor with the help of an example that a worker can produce only 20 pins
daily. If the making of pins in a modern factory is divided into 18 processes,
then 18 workers can produce 48,000 pins in a single day
2. Goods of Superior Quality. Division of labor is beneficial in making
goods of superior quality. When the worker is entrusted with the work for which
he is best suited, he will produce superior quality goods.
3. Increase in Employment
Opportunities. Division of labor leads to the diversity of occupations which
further leads to the employment opportunities. On the other hand, the scale of
production being large, the number of employment opportunities also increases.
4. Development of International Trade. Division of labor increases the
tendency of specialization not only in the workers or industries, but in
different countries also. On the basis of specialization, every country
produces only those goods in which it has a comparative advantage and imports
such goods from those countries which have also greater comparative advantage.
Therefore, division of labor is beneficial for the development of international
trade also.
5. Reduction in the Cost of Production. If a shoe-maker makes himself two
pairs of shoes daily, then four shoe-makers can make more than eighth pairs of
shoe, if they work in cooperation with each other. In this way, division of
labor increase production which reduces the average cost of production. Saving
of capital, tools and machinery, etc. also help in the reduction of cost of
production.
(6)The right man in the right place:
Under division of labor, the chance is that each man will get the job
for which he is best fitted. There will be no round pegs in square holes. The
work will be better done.
(7) The worker becomes an expert:
Practice makes a man perfect; under division of labor, the worker
repeats his task. By constant repetition, he is bound to become expert in his
task. He will be able to turn our better goods. There is an increase in the
skill and craftsmanship.
(8) Heavy work taken over by machinery:
Division of labor makes it possible for heavy work to be passed on to
machinery. Only light work is done by workers so that there is less strain on
them.
(9) Less training required: As the
worker has to do only a part of the job, he needs to learn only that much. Long
and costly training is rendered unnecessary. It will take long time for a man
to learn how to make a complete chair but it will take him less time to learn
how to polish it.
(10) Invention: When a man is doing
the same work over and over again some new ideas are bound to occur. This leads
to many inventions. These inventions make for economic progress.
(11) Cheaper things: On account of
mass production make possible by division and the use of machinery, cheaper things
are turned out. Even poor persons can buy them. Standard of living improves.
(12) Economic in the use of tools:
Division of labor helps in the saving of capital and tools. It is not
essential to provide a complete set of tools to every worker. He needs a few
tools only for the job he has to do. Thus there is the saving of tools as well
as capital. For instance, if a tailor stitches the shirt, he requires a sewing
machine, scissors, etc. But on the basis of division of labor, one can do the
cutting and the other can stitch the clothes. In this way, two tailors can work
with the help of one pair of scissors and one machine only.
(13) Saving in time: The worker has no longer to move from one
process to another. He is employed on the same process. He therefore goes on
working without loss of time.
Demerits of Division of Labor
The demerits of division of labors are the following:
(i)Monotony:Doing the same work over and again without any change produced
mental fatigue. Work becomes joyless and monotonous. There is no pleasure in
the job. The worker cannot be expected to take any interest. The quality of
work suffers.
(ii) Kills the creative instinct:
Since many men contribute to the making of an article, none can say that
he has made it. His creative instinct is not satisfied. The work gives him no
pride and no pleasure, since no worker can claim the product as his own
creation.
(iii) Loss of skill: The worker
deteriorates in the technical skill. Instead the making of whole article, he is
required just .to repeat a few simple movements. The skill gradually dies out.
(iv) Check mobility: The worker is
doing only a part of the job. He knows only that much and no more. It may not
be easy for him to find exactly the job elsewhere, if he desires a change. (In
this way, the workers losses his mobility)
(v) Risk of unemployment: If the
worker is dismissed from one factory, he may have to search far and wide before
he secures a job in which he has specialized. He may be making only the legs of
a chair. It is doubtful if he can get the complete chair. His chance of getting
a job elsewhere would be brighter.
(vi) Check development of personality:
If a man has been making an eighteenth part of a pin, he becomes an
eighteenth part of a man. A narrow sphere of work checks proper physical and
mental development of the worker,
(vii) Loss of sense or responsibility:
None can be held responsible for bad production because none makes the
complete article. When the thing is bad, everybody tries to shift the responsibility
to somebody else.
(viii) Evils of factory system:
Division of labor gives rise to factory system, which is full of evils.
It spoils the beauty of the place all round, leads to exploitation of women and
children and removes the personal factor in the production and management.
(ix) Problem of distribution: Under division of labor, many persons
contribute to the production of an article. They must receive a due share of
the product and it is not easy to determine this share. Thus, the problem of distribution is made difficult. If the
worker makes the article, independently he gets its value and there is no
trouble. But division of labor had divided the community into two conflicting
groups, i.e. capital and labor. The gap between them is daily growing wider
strikes and lockout have become a common occurrence in the present day.
(x) Dependence: The dependence of
one country upon another which is necessary consequence of division of labor,
proves dangerous in times of war.
Conclusion
To sum up, we can say it that division of labor is beneficial to the
workers, to the producers and to the society as a whole. Its merit outweigh its
demerits
No comments:
Post a Comment