Division of Labor

Charlotte Nickerson

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Undergraduate at Harvard University

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The division of labor describes the splitting up of a complex productive task into a number of specialized, simpler tasks.

For example, an assembly line in a car manufacturing company may have one dedicated area for attaching wheels to cars and another for affixing doors to them, with workers assigned to just one of these tasks.

This specialization allows for greater efficiency and productivity (Littek, 2001). The division of labor has been a major driving force behind the growth and prosperity of civilization.

It is one of the key reasons why, today, people can produce more goods and services than ever before.

The division of labor is not just limited to factories and businesses. It also exists in our homes, schools, and government. There is almost no area of human activity where the division of labor does not play a role (Littek, 2001).

Photo of a Ford car Assembly Line circa 1929

  • The division of labor is the specialization of tasks within a production process. It is a key concept in economics and is often considered one of the main causes of the increased productivity and economic growth since the Industrial Revolution.
  • Division of labor occurs when workers are allocated different tasks to perform, and it can lead to increased efficiency as each worker becomes better at their specific task.
  • This specialization can also result in economies of scale, as businesses are able to produce more output with fewer inputs.
  • While division of labor can be beneficial, it can also lead to some negative consequences. For example, it can lead to workers becoming bored or pigeon-holed into repetitive and low-skilled jobs, increase dependence, and create a lack of responsibility among workers.
  • The division of labor can be extended to other forms of labor outside of manufacturing, such as housework and childcare. Historically, women have taken on a greater proportion of these responsibilities than men.

Theories About Division of Labor

Adam Smith, a social philosopher and economist is credited with being the first to really delve into and analyze the division of labor.

In his book, The Wealth of Nations, Smith discusses how the division of labor leads to greater efficiency and productivity. He also notes that the division of labor is a major driving force behind the growth and prosperity of civilization.

The division of labor is not just economically motivated. Many sociologists consider division of labor to be a pre-condition for conceptualizing society. The social division of labor is a term used by sociologists to describe the divisions at different levels of society, which comprise its complex structure.

These divisions can fall along the lines of class, gender, or ethnicity; on the role of power; on forces of social cohesion and disintegration; and on the importance of solidarity and morale.

Although originally an economic concept, division of labor came to heavily influence the thought of the first major sociologists (Littek, 2001).

Following Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, another social philosopher, took a different approach to the division of labor. In his view, the division of labor leads to people becoming more like machines. This, in turn, makes them less capable of thinking for themselves and living meaningful lives (Littek, 2001).

Karl Marx , a political economist, believed that the division of labor leads to workers becoming alienated from their work. He saw this as a major problem with capitalism and believed it was one of the key ways capitalists exploit workers (Littek, 2001).

Emile Durkheim believed that the division of labor is directly proportional to the dynamic or moral density of society — a combination of the concentration of people and the amount of socialization of a group.

As people become more concentrated, towns grow, and so does the amount and efficiency of communication. Increasingly, labor is becoming more divided, and jobs are becoming more specialized.

Simultaneously, because tasks grow more complex and people are limited to just a small part of them, the struggle for meaningful existence becomes more strenuous (Crossman, 2019).

What Factors Led Societies to Develop the Division of Labor?

As societies have developed and become more complex, the division of labor has become more and more commonplace. There are several factors that have led to this development.

One factor is the increasing size of populations. With more people and greater demand for services comes a greater need for specialization and division of labor to be produced enough to serve everyone.

Another factor is the growth of technology and industry. As technology advances, it has become possible to divide tasks even further. Not only does technology allow people to carry out more complex tasks than before, but people must maintain this technology.

Additionally, as people began to buy and sell goods from different parts of the world, they needed to specialize in order to be able to produce what was in demand and what was economically viable to produce.

Advantages of Division of Labor

1. efficient mastery (specialization of labor).

When workers specialize in a particular task, they are able to perfect their technique and produce a higher quality product (Boyce, 2021).

2. Quicker Training

The process of training an employee to carry out and perfect a complex task — like creating an entire knife from start to finish — requires, in some cases, years.

However, if the task is divided into simpler subtasks that can be learned quickly and are distributed among an entire team, the training process is much shorter and requires less skill and experience.

As a result of the division of labor, what was once considered to be manufacturable only by artisans and experts can become accessible to relatively low-skilled workers (Boyce, 2021).

3. Productivity

As the scope of each worker”s task becomes smaller, workers are better able to complete that task in a short amount of time. As a result, they can complete more tasks in a day, leading to increased productivity (Boyce, 2021).

4. Efficient Allocation of Workers

The division of labor allows for a more efficient allocation of workers. When each worker is assigned a specific task suited to their specific skills, the use of their time and skills is maximized.

This results in fewer idle workers and less wasted time and resources (Boyce, 2021).

5. Cheaper Products

There are a few reasons why division of labor can drive down prices. Firstly, task allocation can lead to increased productivity.

This means that businesses can produce more products in a shorter amount of time. As the number of products available in a market increases relative to demand, price decreases (Francois, 1990).

Secondly, the division of labor often leads to economies of scale. This is when the cost of production decreases as the volume of production increases.

This can happen because, for example, a manufacturer is able to negotiate with its suppliers to buy goods more cheaply in bulk, or the cost of transporting an individual item becomes cheaper en masse.

Finally, as workers become more specialized in their tasks, they are able to work faster. Manufacturers no longer need to hire artisan-level workers to complete a task.

Because these workers are less skilled individually, they demand lower wages than those who are skilled, allowing a manufacturer to gain a greater margin on their products (Francois, 1990).

6. Higher Wages

Although the division of labor can lead to the hiring of lower-skilled and lower-paid workers, the wages of each of these workers can increase as a result of this process.  When workers are able to perfect their technique and work more quickly, their value to the company increases.

In addition, as companies experience increased productivity and profitability, they can afford to share these gains with their employees in the form of higher wages (Francois, 1990).

7. Innovation

Additionally, the division of labor can lead to a greater variety of products being produced. This is because each worker is specialized in a particular task and so can contribute to the production of a range of different products.

This greater capacity to create different types of goods incentivizes manufacturers to develop a broader range of goods, increasing competition and, ultimately, innovation (Francois, 1990).

Disadvantages of Division of Labor

1. boredom from repetition.

When workers are assigned the same task day in and day out, they can become bored. This is a particular problem when the task is simple and does not require much thought or skill.

Boredom can lead to absenteeism and turnover as workers seek out jobs that are more stimulating.

For example,  factory workers who are tasked with performing the same monotonous job — like screwing in the same screw to the same part of a toy — day after day often suffer from boredom and apathy.

This can lead to low productivity and poor quality products. Marx called this lack of a feeling of meaning from work as a result of its repetition alienation.

2. Interdependence and dependence

The division of labor can also create dependence on others. When workers are assigned specific tasks, they become experts in those tasks.

However, this can make them reliant on other workers to complete other tasks outside of their area of expertise (Schoenberger, 1988).

For example, suppose a worker is only responsible for putting the finishing touches on a product. In that case, they will be dependent on other workers to complete all the prior steps in the manufacturing process.

If one of these workers is absent or does not do their job properly, it will disrupt the entire production process, and the final product will be of poor quality.

The division of labor can also limit opportunities for advancement. When workers are assigned specific tasks, they become experts in those tasks. However, this can make it difficult for them to move into other positions within the company that require different skills.

For example, a worker who is skilled in assembling a particular type of widget may not have the skills necessary to design or sell the widget. As a result, their career path may be limited, and they may never have the opportunity to earn a higher salary or improve their position within the company.

When they no longer work for the company they were trained for, they may find that their hyper specialized skills are not transferable elsewhere (Schoenberger, 1988).

3. Lack of Responsibility

When each person is just a small cog in a large machine, they can feel like their work is not important. This can lead to a lack of motivation and a feeling of disconnection from the company’s goals.

When a task fails, it becomes time-consuming to find out where exactly the line made the error. This simultaneously allows workers to take little responsibility for their lack of effort (Schoenberger, 1988).

When one person produces an output, it is easy to measure and compare their work against others. When many people work on the same task, however, it is difficult to compare outputs and identify which workers are not working as hard as they could be (Schoenberger, 1988).

The Assembly Line

One of the most famous examples of division of labor is Henry Ford’s assembly line for mass-producing cars. Ford’s innovation was to break down the process of assembling a car into smaller, more manageable tasks.

In fact, he divided his car manufacturing process into 84 distinct steps. Each worker on the assembly line was responsible for completing just one task, such as putting on the tires or adding the seats.

This division of labor meant that each worker could become an expert in their particular task, and it also reduced the time it took to assemble a car (Royston, 2015).

This increased efficiency allowed Ford to reduce his retail prices from $850 ($25000 USD in 2022) to $300 ($9,000 USD in 2022).

While the assembly line increased efficiency and productivity, it also had some drawbacks. The workers on the assembly line often found their jobs boring and repetitive, as they had little control over the production process.

As a result, many workers left Ford’s factories to find other work and even striked.

Many other businesses replicated Ford’s assembly line, division of labor model — including those in the food, garment, and electronics industries.

In the modern garment industry, for example, one worker may be responsible for cutting the fabric, another worker may be responsible for sewing the pieces together, and another worker may be responsible for adding the buttons or zippers.

This allocation allows for the more efficient production of goods across almost every industry (Boyce, 2021).

Domestic (Gendered) Division of Labor

The gendered division of labor is the allocation of tasks between men and women based on gender norms. This type of division of labor often results in women taking on more domestic responsibilities, such as cooking, cleaning, and child care.

In contrast, men are often seen as the breadwinners and are expected to work outside the home in paid employment.

While the gendered division of labor has changed over time, it is still a common practice in many households.

In fact, research suggests that women spend approximately twice as much time on domestic tasks as men (Baxter, 2002). This unequal distribution of labor often results in women having less leisure time and fewer opportunities to engage in paid employment.

As a result, the gendered division of labor can reinforce gender inequality.

Sociologists have argued that there is a narrowing of the gender gap in the domestic division of labor .

Young and Wilmott (2013) argue that this is because more women are in paid work, and families became more symmetrical as both men and women needed to tend to children.

Another reason for this narrowing is the ‘commercialization of housework.’ Washing machines, cleaning devices, and fridge-freezers have reduced the amount of housework and the time needed to complete it.

The pandemic has also been thought to reduce the division of labor. In 2014-2015, women did an average of 1 hour and 50 minutes more housework and childcare than men, but this was reduced to 1 hour and 7 minutes more during lockdowns (ONS, 2020).

Baxter, J. (2002). Patterns of change and stability in the gender division of household labor in Australia, 1986–1997. Journal of Sociology, 38 (4), 399-424.

Boyce, P. (2021). Division of Labor Definition .

Crossman, A. (2019). The Division of Labor .

Durkheim, E. (1892). The division of labor in society . Free Pr.

ONS. (2020). Coronavirus and how people spent their time under lockdown: 28 March to 26 April 2020

Francois, J. F. (1990). Producer services, scale, and the division of labor. Oxford Economic Papers, 42 (4), 715-729.

Littek, W. (2001). Labor, Division of. in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences .

Royston, A. (2015). Henry Ford and the assembly line . The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Schoenberger, E. (1988). Multinational corporations and the new international division of labor: A critical appraisal. International Regional Science Review, 11 (2), 105-119.

Smith, A. (1776). Wealth of Nations .

Young, M., & Wilmott, P. (2013). Family and kinship in East London . Routledge.

What is the division of labor according to Durkheim?

The division of labor, according to Durkheim, is a key element in creating social cohesion and stability in complex societies, provided it is regulated and does not lead to extreme disparity and social disintegration.

Durkheim believed that as societies become more complex, the division of labor increases, which leads to the transition from mechanical to organic solidarity. This happens because as tasks become more specialized, people become more dependent on each other for their needs.

However, Durkheim also warned of the dangers of “anomie” ( a state of normlessness ), which could occur if the division of labor was unregulated, leading to social disorder and potential conflict.

According to Marx, the division of labor is a central aspect of capitalism and is closely linked to class struggle.

In Marx’s view, the division of labor creates a class hierarchy based on controlling the means of production. Those who own the means of production (the bourgeoisie or capitalist class ) have power over those who sell their labor (the proletariat or working class ).

This division of labor, Marx argued, leads to the alienation of workers as they do not have control over what they produce, how they produce it, or what happens to their products.

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Division of Labor, Part 1

political economy division of labor wealth of nations pin factory extent of the market

essay of division of work

Political economy, considered as a branch of the science of a statesman or legislator, proposes two distinct objects: first, to provide a plentiful revenue or subsistence for the people, or more properly to enable them to provide such a revenue or subsistence for themselves; and secondly, to supply the state or commonwealth with a revenue sufficient for the public services. It proposes to enrich both the people and the sovereign. (Smith, 1776, Book IV).
For just as all other arts are developed to superior excellence in large cities, in that same way the food at the king’s palace is also elaborately prepared with superior excellence. For in small towns the same workman makes chairs and doors and plows and tables, and often this same artisan builds houses, and even so he is thankful if he can only find employment enough to support him. And it is, of course, impossible for a man of many trades to be proficient in all of them. In large cities, on the other hand, inasmuch as many people have demands to make upon each branch of industry, one trade alone, and very often even less than a whole trade, is enough to support a man: one man, for instance, makes shoes for men, and another for women; and there are places even where one man earns a living by only stitching shoes, another by cutting them out, another by sewing the uppers together, while there is another who performs none of these operations but only assembles the parts. It follows, therefore, as a matter of course, that he who devotes himself to a very highly specialized line of work is bound to do it in the best possible manner. (333; emphasis added).
(Socrates) A State, I said, arises, as I conceive, out of the needs of mankind; no one is self-sufficing, but all of us have many wants. Can any other origin of a State be imagined? (Adeimantus) There can be no other.   (Socrates) Then, as we have many wants, and many persons are needed to supply them, one takes a helper for one purpose and another for another; and when these partners and helpers are gathered together in one habitation the body of inhabitants is termed a State… And they exchange with one another, and one gives, and another receives….that the exchange will be for their good. ( Republic , Book II)
The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgement with which it is any where directed, or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of labor. 
  • Causes: “… owing to three different circumstances; first , to the increase of dexterity in every particular workman …” That is, “labor” is not homogeneous; an experienced worker is more dexterous. But the required “experience” is actually determined by the division of labor! By breaking up the work into smaller parts the increase in productivity through dexterity is multiplied. Even a very dexterous artisan could realize the productivity gains captured by breaking the work up into 4, or in the case of Smith’s pin factory example, 18 separate smaller steps. Each of the 4 activities would be a “job,” in the small shop, and each of the 18 separate activities would be a “job” in a larger factory. The nature of jobs themselves, and what dexterity means, comes to depend on the extent of the market.
  • “… secondly , to the saving of the time which is commonly lost in passing from one species of work to another; …..” Smith makes a memorable assessment of the problem here, when he says that, even if a person is working energetically, when that person switches from one task to another, “he commonly saunters a little.” Here Smith anticipates the famous “Time and Motion” studies (Taylor, 2003) that sought efficiency in work processes. Of course, Taylorism was applied to the individual jobs along a production line, but that was only because Smith had already figured out that the really big savings in “time and motion” was to apply division of labor in the first place.
  • and lastly , to the invention of a great number of machines which facilitate and abridge labour, and enable one man to do the work of many .” Here, Smith includes a dynamic component that proved prescient. Of course, Smith was thinking at most of hand tools, or of the simplest kind of crude machinery. Still, fully foreseen or not, Smith recognized the opportunities to design new tools and new machinery. A person who does the same small task thousands of times conceives a tool to make it easier and faster and then envisions a way of using another machine to manipulate the first tool, and so on. Eventually, many steps are replaced by one machine.

The Importance of the Division of Labor Essay

Division of labor is an activity of separating a work process into many manageable small tasks. The idea aims at easing the management of these tasks. This is possible since a different person or a group of people performs each task. The simple tasks provide the best solution to some of the complex work processes. It also ensures that the right man gets the right work. Division of labor has its roots from the pioneers of philosophy and the world of civilization. Therefore, it is worthy to have a clear knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of this human discovered means.

The human labor in a company that uses division of labor attains different specializations. This ensures that only the right people do their right jobs. The long-term result of this is an appealing output. Moreover, the company becomes more efficient on top of being effective in its processes. In this case, the company expands financially due to its ability to satisfy its customers.

In a divided labor, the specialized units are always at the same place doing their jobs. There is minimal or no movement at all. This is very important to the company since employees spend all their time in production as opposed to in movement. This increases their efficiency in time management. This encourages quality of services employees give to the company

The Sumerians employed division of labor mainly because they wanted to improve the rate of production. This means that they spend few hours to produce numerous products. This is important for large-scale production. In modern production industries, division of labor is excellent in producing a high quantity of goods within a short period to meet the demand. It is through the reliability of an industry that many customers become loyal. The outcome of loyalty is the expansion of the market share of the industry.

The specialized labor takes less time to learn the requirements of their areas. This is because of a favorable quantity of requirement compared to learning everything in a work process. It can also improve inventions and innovations. This is possible especially when people try to get new ways of simplifying their tasks. These innovations assist the company by reducing the cost of production. It also increases efficiency of production while still giving a quality output.

Finally, the society benefits from all efforts the industry puts in increasing its quality and reliability. They obtain goods when they need them. They also enjoy the best quality that comes with low prices. This boosts the economic growth of the company and society. The markets widens because of many consumers who find attraction to the quality products.

Division of labor has several disadvantages despite its unlimited benefits. To begin with, none enjoys doing the same work every time. It is not appealing when the conditions of that work remain the same. Working at the same place with exact tools and neighbors is boring to employees. This results in reduced production.

In a specialized industry, there is great interdependence. This affects the smooth running of work process especially when one unit of workers is absent. In cases where one man performs the task, the process might stop entirely. This is clear from their specializations. There is no one able to perform every task in a process. This is a blow to an organization as little or no production goes on. This results in wasting a lot of time as the human labor available receives their payment despite not accomplishing their tasks.

In simplified tasks, the dynamic world might find a machine based solution to those tasks. If this happens, there are high chances of employees losing their jobs. This is a blow to the employees as they become unable to support themselves economically. This affects the entire society as many people eventually lose their jobs to newly innovated ways.

In conclusion, Division of labor is a key way to ensure economic growth of an industry due to its ability to increase production. It is a good way to increase the market share and the lives of people. It is the key to specialization, innovation and efficiency. Therefore, it is the way to go when thinking about reducing costs while increasing the quality of production.

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Economics Help

Division of Labour

Definition: Division of labour is an economic concept which states that dividing the production process into different stages enables workers to focus on specific tasks. If workers can concentrate on one small aspect of production, this increases overall efficiency – so long as there are sufficient volume and quantity produced.

This concept was popularised by Adam Smith in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). Famously, he used the example of a pin factory. Adam Smith noted how the efficiency of production was vastly increased because workers were split up and given different roles in the making of a pin.

assembly-line-factory-specialisation

Why is the division of labour more efficient?

  • Workers need less training as they only have to master a small number of tasks
  • It is faster to use one particular tool and do one job.
  • No time is wasted with a worker dropping a tool and then picking up another.
  • Workers can gain loyalty and a sense of achievement from their branch of production.
  • There is no need to move around the factory; the half-finished good comes to them.
  • Workers can concentrate on those jobs which best suit their skills and temperament.

When production has very high volumes, the division of labour is necessary to get economies of scale .

Potential problems of division of labour

  • If workers are highly specialised, then the job can become very boring and repetitive. This can lead to low labour morale.
  • If workers lose the motivation to concentrate and do a good job, mistakes may creep in as they get bored.
  • An assembly line could grind to a halt if there is a blockage in one particular area.
  • Adam Smith himself recognised this potential problem and advocated education of the workforce so that they wouldn’t get too demoralised by their repetitive job.

Examples of division of labour

Ford motor factories. In the 1920s, Henry Ford made use of the assembly line to increase the productivity of producing motor cars. On the assembly line, there was a division of labour with workers concentrating on particular jobs.

Food production . A very basic example of division of labour could be seen in food gathering. In early societies, men would be the hunters, women and children would prepare the food and collect berries. The idea was that it was a very simple division of labour to enable the best use of different skill sets.

Nowadays, there is an even greater division of labour in food production. Farmers will buy seeds, fertilisers and tractors from different companies. They will just concentrate on one aspect of food production. The tools and food processing is handled by different workers and a different stage in the production cycle.

Apple products . “Designed in California, produced in China”. A new iPhone has innumerable examples of division of labour. The process is split up into many different parts. Design, hardware, software, manufacture, marketing, production and assembly.

Globalisation and division of labour

Globalisation has enabled a division of labour by country. For example, the developing world concentrates on the production of primary products. This involves low-paid labour to do the labour intensive work of picking coffee beans. The beans are then transported to developed countries, where other workers process, package and market the product.

  • Economies of scale
  • Specialisation and division of labour

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Module 2: Economic Environment

Division of labor and specialization, learning outcomes.

  • Explain division of labor and specialization

Photograph of factory workers for a shoe company working separately on individualized tasks.

Assembly Line

We have learned that there aren’t enough resources to fulfill all of our wants, and this reality forces us to make choices that have opportunity costs. How do we get the most we can from the resources we have? Over time, markets and trade have come into existence and have become highly efficient mechanisms for optimizing our use of resources and bringing us the most and best combination of goods and services.

Think back to pioneer days, when the average person knew how to do so much more on his or her own than someone today—everything from shoeing a horse to growing, hunting, and preserving food, to building a house and repairing equipment. Most of us don’t know how to do all—or any—of those things. It’s not because we’re not capable of learning them, it’s because we don’t have to. The reason for this is something called   the “division and specialization of labor ,” a production innovation first put forth by Adam Smith.

The formal study of economics began when Adam Smith (1723–1790) published his famous book,  The Wealth of Nations, in 1776. Many authors had written about economics in the centuries before Smith, but he was the first to address the subject in a comprehensive way.

decorative image

In the first chapter of the book, Smith introduces the idea of the  division of labor , which means that the way a good or service is produced is divided into a number of tasks that are performed by different workers, instead of all the tasks being performed by the same person. To illustrate the division of labor, Smith counted how many tasks were involved in making a pin: drawing out a piece of wire, cutting it to the right length, straightening it, putting a head on one end and a point on the other, packaging pins for sale, and so on. Smith counted eighteen distinct tasks that were typically performed by different people—all for a pin!

Modern companies divide tasks, too. Even a relatively simple business like a restaurant divides up the task of serving meals into a range of jobs: top chef, sous chefs, less-skilled kitchen help, host/hostess, waiters/waitresses, janitors, a business manager to handle accounts and paychecks, etc. A complex business like a large manufacturing factory or a hospital can have hundreds of job classifications, which can help optimize the output.

Practice Question

Why the division of labor increases production.

When the tasks involved with producing a good or service are divided and subdivided, workers and businesses can produce a greater quantity of those  goods or services . In his study of pin factories, Smith observed that one worker alone might make twenty pins in a day, but that a small business of ten workers (some of whom would need to do two or three of the eighteen tasks involved in pin making), could make 48,000 pins in a day. How can a group of workers, each specializing in certain tasks, produce so much more than the same number of workers who try to produce the entire good or service by themselves? Smith offered three reasons.

First,  specialization in a particular small job allows workers to focus on the parts of the production process in which they have an advantage. People have different skills, talents, and interests, so they will be better at some jobs than at others. The particular advantages may be based on educational choices, which are shaped, in turn, by interests and talents. Only those with medical training qualify to become doctors, for instance. For some goods, specialization will be affected by geography—it’s easier to be a wheat farmer in North Dakota than in Florida, but easier to run a tourist hotel in Florida than in North Dakota. If you live in or near a big city, then it’s easier to attract enough customers to operate a successful dry-cleaning business or movie theater than if you live in a sparsely populated rural area. Whatever the reason, if people specialize in the production of what they do best, then they will be more productive than if they produce a combination of things, some of which they are good at and some of which they are not.

Second, workers who specialize in certain tasks often learn to produce more quickly and with higher quality. This pattern holds true for many workers, including assembly-line laborers who build cars, stylists who cut hair, and doctors who perform heart surgery. In fact, specialized workers often know their jobs well enough to suggest innovative ways to do their work faster and better. A similar pattern often operates within businesses. In many cases, a business that focuses on one or a few products is more successful than firms that try to make a wide range of products.

Third, specialization allows businesses to take advantage of economies of scale , which means that, for many goods, as the level of production increases, the average cost of producing each individual unit declines. For example, if a factory produces only 100 cars per year, then each car will be quite expensive to make, on average. However, if a factory produces 50,000 cars each year, then it can set up an assembly line with huge machines and workers performing specialized tasks, and the average cost of production per car will drop. Economies of scale implies that production is becoming more efficient as the scale of production rises.

The ultimate result of workers who can focus on their preferences and talents, learn to do their specialized jobs better, and work in larger organizations is that society as a whole can produce and consume far more than if each person tried to produce all of their own goods and services. The division and specialization of labor has been a force against the problem of scarcity.

Trade and Markets

Specialization only makes sense, though, if workers (and other economic agents, such as businesses and nations) can use their income to purchase the other goods and services they need. In short, specialization requires trade. You do not have to know anything about electronics or sound systems to play music—you just need a device (e.g., your phone or computer), and to download the music and listen. You don’t have to know anything about textiles or the construction of sewing machines if you need a jacket—you just buy the jacket and wear it. Instead of trying to acquire all the knowledge and skills involved in producing all of the goods and services that you wish to consume, the market allows you to learn a specialized set of skills and then use the pay you receive to buy the goods and services you need or want. This is how our modern society has evolved into a strong economy.

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Henri Fayol Division of Work Principle

Fundamentally speaking, any institution requires a hierarchical structure with a strong authority at the apex. The authority must be skilled enough to manage the system efficiently. Management is central to any niche. Any niche or institution is bound to collapse without an effective management system.

In 1916, Henri Fayol gave his groundbreaking theory of principles of management. He gave 14 principles of management, including the Henri Fayol division of work principle, and concluded that they are the core of any management system.

We aim to provide a basic understanding of the division of work principle of management in the following sections. 

What is a Division of Work?

The principle of division of work states that any work project must be divided into small tasks among workers based on their specialization. This division of work promotes achieving specialization in a skill. This is the primary answer to the question, “what is division of work?”

The Theory Behind the concept of Division of Work

The theory which governs the principle of work division says that when a labourer is assigned with a specialised work task, they gain mastery in the skill over due course of time. That inevitably saves time as well as resources since the worker can focus all their energy on one task and manage time efficiently. In conclusion, such segmentation is highly cost-efficient and reliable.

Division of Work Example

If you are still not able to grasp what is a division of work, here is a simple division of work example:

(Image will be Uploaded soon)

The above picture depicts the principle of division of work in the process of dress production. To elaborate, suppose one gets the task of making a dress for a bridal ceremony. The process can be divided into the following various sub-processes.

Designing: 

Outlining a draft sketch of the dress and creating a 3D version of the initial 2D design. This process involves two tasks, designing and patterning. Thus, this process is further divided between a designer and some who can pattern the 2D design.

Production or Making of The Dress: 

The making of the dress can further be divided into several processes, and each worker can be assigned a task based on their skills. A weaver weaves the textile while a tailor sews the dress.

Embroidery related work: 

After a dress is sewn, it might need detailing. This task is divided based on the requirements of the design. One worker can do sequencing, while the other can do embroidery. Further, a different worker can add laces to the dress.

Hence, one can clearly see the importance of division of labour for ensuring efficient working.

Advantages and Importance of Division of Work

The advantages and importance of division of work have been highlighted below:

Intensification of Production: 

When the process of production is split into sub-processes, and each worker is assigned a task in particular to their mastery, the output indisputably increases. When a group of people focus on a specific work, the yield can almost double.

Saving the Expenditure on Production: 

When the outcome of production increases, naturally, the need to invest more resources decreases simultaneously. Hence, the costs of production reduce significantly.

Time Management: 

Since tasks are segregated, multiple processes can be carried out by different people/groups simultaneously. This results in faster production. Additionally, division of work promotes skill specialisation, which increases the efficiency of the worker.

The importance of the concept lies in its effectiveness. Without a proper allocation of resources and labour, a person would be burdened. It is not only impractical to expect a person to be dexterous in all tasks but also unethical. Hence, a division of labour based on expertise is of paramount importance.

The principle of division of work was conceptualized originally in the year 1776 by Adam Smith, a Scottish economist and pioneer in political economy. In his book: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, he pointed out that product’s quality and efficiency increases with the splitting of roles and duties among workers through the example of a pin factory’s manufacturing process.

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FAQs on Division of Work

1. How does the internet contribute to specialization?

Division of work promotes any worker to achieve specialisation. Specialisation refers to developing adroitness in any task to gain mastery over it. The Internet, as a global network between devices, ensures access to means of specialisation.

A copious amount of data is available on the internet. This includes fundamental and advanced knowledge on skill-building. Therefore, through the advent of the internet, accessing information conducive to specialisation has become convenient and cheaper. One can undoubtedly become a self-taught specialist with the help of the internet.

Innumerable amounts of institutions, which offer specialisation courses, have established themselves on the internet. These make skill-building more accessible. Additionally, one can go beyond the resources available at their geographical location since various international institutes offer online distance learning programs. One can also find courses that are free of cost, thereby making specialisation accessible to people with economic barriers.

2. Explain the relationship between the division of work and specialisation. How can you connect globalization to this?

Division of work principle of management and specialization are deeply connected. Division of work ensures that each worker is assigned a task they are skilled in. Thus, the modern-day system requires an employee to be proficient and efficient in one particular domain. As a result, everyone strives to achieve specialization through whatever means possible.

The effectiveness of the division of work principle of management lies in the ability of the employee. This is because if the worker is not skilled enough, no matter how low the workload is, the productions would not be quality and cost-efficient. Moreover, there would be a wastage of resources and time.

Since culture affects skill-building, geography becomes a crucial factor in the principle of division of work. With globalisation, immigration for labour and employment has become more prevalent and smoother. Several multinational companies are established, and they set up their production houses based on the skills of the demographic population.

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The Division of Labor in Organizations

Introduction.

Division of labor is a principle of commerce mostly used in corporate labor. It is usually aimed at increasing the total output of work in an organization. It began in ancient times of early trading even before the 20th century and is still being practiced up to date (Littek, 1995). Division of labor has its benefits, challenges in the application, as well as shortfalls. This paper seeks literature about division of labor in organizations. It is drawn from a wide range of scholarly materials. The paper seeks literature on how the principle of division of labor developed, different problems hindering its applicability, how the principle has been absorbed into human resource management and how business and not-for-profit organizations are applying division of labor to enhance performance.

Development and essence of the principle of division of labor

According to Glick and Huber (1995), the 20th century saw a rise in division of labor in large organizations. Most organizations, especially during industrialization in Europe and the United States, were manufacturing organization. These organizations were mainly aimed at increasing the volume of productivity by placing employees within departments. Employees were not sensitized on the need of autonomy, because organizations were highly structured with high respect for authority (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012).

As it is with organizations operating under the guidance of modern rules of management, the employees are highly sensitized of the need and the importance of autonomy in work. Differentiation, which is one of the brainchildren of the principle of division of labor, leads to efficiency (Peaucelle, 2000; Chemuturi, 2011). In differentiation, workers are assigned tasks, with their roles being clearly defined by the management. The management remains to be the key overseer of the workers; though, they work independently.

This is common with many organizations that deal in processing of products. In differentiation; a given group of specialists is given or trusted with organizations resources, which they use. The group used these resources, and it would give feedback to management on how they have utilized the resources. The proper use of these resources is reflected in the work output, in the section or department. The employees are, thus forced to become responsible, which end up impacting positively on the performance of these organizations. Consequently, increased productivity leads to higher profits. Division of labor leads to specialization which by extension results to organizational efficiency (Picot, Reichwald & Wigand 2008; Oliveira, 2011).

Many researches have pointed that division of labor means spreading jobs to different employees in the organization. A given job is broken down into various smaller tasks. Each task is then assigned to different workers. Therefore, individuals end up dealing with the task assigned. Research has revealed that fast food companies apply the concept of division of labor in standardizing processes of taking orders from customers. There are skills which require highly developed skills, while there are other jobs, which do not require high skills. Organizations put a clear line of separation between these skills. Thus, division of labor helps in dealing with diverse skills and dealing with the diversity in skills. Modern managers have viewed labor division as a means of increasing organizational performance (Westcott, 2005; Division of labor, 2011).

Research has revealed that different governments have different ways or structures of governance; for instance, socialism/communism or capitalism. Capitalism is common in administration, in Europe and the Northern America, while socialism and communism is common in Asian countries. These types of government affect the use of the division of labor model. Organizations from the capitalistic nations are more synonymous with the use of division of labor in achieving labor efficiency and effectiveness for increased performance (Midlarsky, 1997; Iqbal and You, 2001).

Gender and technical parities in division of labor

Many studies are proving that the extensive usage of self-managing teams in organizations is bringing about a new ‘division of labor’. In this new order, team members in organizations are expected to learn and adopt tasks that go beyond the main tasks (Windebank, 2008). This leads to cross-functionality. This was evident in a research which was done to ascertain whether self-managing teams in organizations can perform cross-functionally. The research also aimed to establish the impact of gender disparities on division of labor.

Interviews, which were conducted on members belonging to four different service-oriented mixed teams, revealed that teams discuss the essence of learning to perform the task of other employees in organizations. However, constraints to cross-functionality in organizations emerged. As a result, this brings occupations together, which had more rations of a given gender. While teams are assigned to perform roles in the organization, firms are expected to embrace cross-training and cross-functionality. This is seen as one way of increasing efficiency in work.

The research revealed that men, especially those performing technical task, were the main impediments to the relocation of roles. They rejected to work with women, who were seen as having little skills. Therefore, gender remains to be a significant impediment in the diversification of ‘division of labor’ in organizations. The organizations must ensure that they have fully addressed issues of gender, as well as stratification to achieve cross-functionality in self-managing teams. These issues are more visible in scenarios where we have feminine and masculine teams, which have a varied level of skills (Ollilainen and Rothschild, 2001).

Division of labor as a point of focus for improving delivery by international organizations

UNAIDS has realized the need for raising work efficiency using division of labor. In the year 2005, the organization initiated a process meant to help clarify and develop division of labor, to aid in offering technical support to different states. The organization came up with an agreement on a modality of division of labor, which differentiated between the roles of its secretariat and the cosponsors. These roles were divided and clearly outlined and aligned to tasks; which are service provision, management and technical tasks (Lule, Seifman, David & World Bank, 2008).

In the year 2009, an independent evaluation was done. The conclusion of the evaluation called for the UNAIDS program to become more strategic, focused, efficient, accountable, flexible and responsive in its work. The evaluation noted that real limitations of division of labor for the program manifested itself in the inadequacy in coordination between the Agencies of the United Nations. The problems of coordination in the agencies were brought about because of fragmentation of programs, as well as the structures and support for different states.

The other problem was inadequate accountability mechanisms, monitoring, reporting as well as evaluation. It was recommended that these problems should be addressed. The UNAIDS coordinating board called for a review of division of labor, which would help in strengthening of the work of the organization. The review was to majorly focus on operating crosscutting issues of human rights and gender, which were the main hindrances to program implementation. The review was also supposed to be composed of a framework on which different roles could be clearly defined and responsibilities assigned. Division of labor was to consolidate how the program works to address key issues in their agenda and strategies laid down. It is supposed to guide the organization up to 2015 (World Bank. 2008).

The European Union has been working on a model of improving work delivery in countries where it provides aid using the attributes of division of labor. The EU programs aim to reduce poverty levels in the developing world. Therefore, the EU has been seeking to use financial and human resources optimally to enhance the effectiveness in aid delivery. The EU is using a model known as complementarity. This model always aims to attain an optimal division of labor between the various actors. Complementarity is comprehensive.

It implies that each donor is paying focus on areas that have the highest value because they complement the activities of other donor organizations. This model entails a comprehensive decision pertaining to division of labor by concentrating on a limited, minimal number of sectors in defining donor roles. Division of labor is substantial in raising the value and the magnitude of aid, and how it is absorbed in by the recipients.

In-country complementarity is meant to take care of situations where the fragmentation of aid in a destination brings about administrative challenges for both the recipients and the donor workforces. As a way of ensuring that aid added value to the targeted destines, the EU drafted a piece of legislation known as the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in the year 2005. This was further translated into another legislation known as the EU Code of Conduct on Complementarity and Division of Labor in the year 2007. The later piece of legislation has a set of rules and regulations, which define the role of all stakeholders in aid disbursement (Go and Page, 2008).

Hino (2006) and Grant (2009) observe that specialization and division of labor has been the core principles behind the triumph of Japanese business organizations in the global market. From the mid-1990s, Japan has been holding to specialization in the technical skills. With this, high quality skills and innovation has been attained. The transfer of these skills to industry has resulted in innovation of new products and services; for instance, Toyota Motors Corporation.

Specialization is linked to division of labor. A group of people who possess similar skills is placed in a distinct supportive environment where people work on a task to perfection (Wagner and Hollenbeck, 2010). Successful Japanese organizations have the ability to manage work relationships, even though the division of labor is so extensive, especially among the specialists. This is what is required in division of labor. Working relationships among the employees must continue prevail (Liker, 1995).

Division of labor in Human Resource management

Numerous studies show that human resource management is leading to improved managerial functions in many organizations. The major attention of HRM is managing the employees and their talents. While the principle of division of labor is quite old as it originated in the ancient times of agrarian revolution, it is still one of the subjects of human resource management. However, the manner in which division of labor is applied in HRM as it is today is quite different. In the ancient times, divisions of labor centered on the fact that people were to focus on only a given task in the organization.

Recent research in working organizations has shown that, while employees have tasks to perform, they are being encouraged to possess dynamic skills (Lobel, 2004). This is further explained in what is referred to as workplace diversity. While the division of labor has benefits to the organizations, work place diversity has led to an overhaul of its application in organizations. Most organizations are seeking people who can easily switch tasks to keep pacing with the ever-changing environment in organizations. These changes often result from external stimuli (Sullivan, Sage Publications, inc., and Sage eReference (Online service), 2009; Wagner and Hollenbeck, 2010).

Social science research deduces that organizations are social units, which are constructed deliberately to achieve goals. Organizations encompass a wide range of institutions; which include business firms, schools, hospitals and churches among any other institutions. Division of labor and communication is one of the characteristics of organizations. These institutions have objectives, which can only be realized through the assignment of tasks to certain groups. When the tasks are fully accomplished, a firm meets goals. Organization attains value by the level at which they realize their set goals and objectives. Division of labor is a key tool here. It aligns goals to certain individuals depending on their level of qualification as is related to the task.

The assignment of workers to tasks is helping organizations to reach high levels of responsibility amongst the employees. Division of labor has found strong acceptance and adoption in scientific management, which is what most organizations are using to improve management. Organizations are employing people with different specialties and handing them within departments. This is what is called specialized labor. The specialized laborers perform distinct duties in the organization. Specialization is a lee way to the optimization of division of labor and responsibility in organizations. Organizations that work on this basis have more often than not been performing quite well. For ease in applying the principle of division of labor, organizations must be seen as social units composed of different people who have varied needs and talents.

Decentralization as a pathway to division of labor and efficiency

Barnett and Finnemore (2004) conducted a study on different forms of management. They noted that bureaucratic form of management encourages vertical structure of management, where most functions are left to the chief authorities in organizations. Organizations have been opting to mechanisms of decentralizing authority hence division of labor.

The level of accuracy is raised when organizations choose to use a non-centralized system of working, where every person is given time and independence to deal with and accomplish the specified duties assigned. For this reason, many institutions are opting to use teams in accomplishing certain tasks in the organization. The seniors in the organizations or institutions are only left with the supervisory or monitory role. These teams only seek specialized counsel from their bosses on areas proving to be difficult or challenging to them needing external intervention (Jangla, n.d).

Doheny-Farina (1992) found out that a number of organizations in different sectors tend to have high levels of specialization divisions. The medical sector requires investment in different fields of medical specialties. These fields require comprehensive research to result into product development. Thus, different people in the field, who have skills that are required, are used in product development. Such teams are comprised of medical doctors with qualifications in the areas being investigated. Thus, they embark on the task, which becomes easier as they will read between the same lane of the profession and professionalism. An example is the current teams of doctors, who are conducting research on the HIV, with the aim of developing an HIV vaccine.

This is one field in which division of labor is highly valued. High levels of knowledge and coordination are required as accurate results are the expected outcomes. However, there are some cases where these teams of medical specialists have to work in collaboration with other organizations so that they come up with other vital discoveries. In such cases, division of labor often faces a lot of impediments. Each of the team of specialists; for instance, specialists in chemistry, physics and even biology is automatic barriers to the whole process of product innovation and development.

This shows that individual teams will usually work exceptionally well under the principle of division of labor. However, the greatest setback comes when new members are introduced into the team or when different teams have to integrate in order to accomplish a given duty. Group dynamics comes in as a major hindrance to collective tasks. Different groups are used to different code of ethics, especially for the specialized groups. They have a codified way of communication and professionalism. When they are brought together to work with a different stream of specialists, each of these groups will be forced to adjust and readjust everything. This will adversely affect the work that is being done hence one of the major barriers to specialization and division of labor (Piore, Lester and Malek, 1997; Kelly, 2012).

Division of labor and talent management

There is diversity of skills in the society today as it is outlined in different human resource texts. The diversity in skills comes from the continued and comprehensive investment in education and skill development. Organizations, on the other hand, are seeking for these talents which can be extremely resourceful when tapped. Organizations are tapping the skills and placing them within the context of the organization.

The skilled personnel under the guidance of the principle of division of labor are equipped with organizational resources so that they can explore their skills for the benefit of the organizations. Individuals who are highly skilled will only be of much help to organizations when they are given a certain level of autonomy. It is only organizations that are least centralized that embrace the principle of division of labor, which ends up exploiting the full potential of their employees (Silzer and Dowell, 2010; Rothstein, 2010).

This literature has been drawn from a wide range of materials. From this literature, it is evident that the principle of division of labor has been and is still phenomenal in organizations. Division of labor is has developed over many years, and many organizations are still tailor-making this to induce efficiency of organizational work. The literature also shows that a lot of impediments stand in the way of implementing the principle of division of labor in different organizations. Nonetheless, the principle has resulted in better outcomes, especially for instances where it has been fully applied. More literature is still being developed on this subject.

Reference List

Primary sources.

Chemuturi, M 2011, “Distributing work for a revolution”, Industrial Engineer: IE , vol. 43. no. 12, pp.46-51.

Hino, S 2006, Inside the mind of Toyota: Management principles for enduring growth , Productivity Press, New York, N.Y.

Jangla, BI n.d, Modern Organizations by Amitai Etzioni: Book Review , Web.

Lobel, O 2004, “Between Solidarity and Individualism: Collective Efforts for Social Reform in the Heterogeneous Workplace”, Research In Sociology Of Work, vol. 14, pp.131-164.

Lule, E, Seifman, RM, David, AC & World Bank 2008, The changing HIV/AIDS landscape: Selected papers for the World Bank’s agenda for action in Africa, 2007-2011 , World Bank, Washington D.C.

Ollilainen, M & Rothschild, J 2001, “Can self-managing teams be truly cross-functional? gender barriers to a “new” division of labor”, in SP Vallas (eds), The transformation of work , JAI, New York, pp. 141-164.

Peaucelle, J 2000, “From Taylorism to post-Taylorism: Simultaneously pursuing several management objectives”, Journal of Organizational Change Management , vol. 13, no. 5, pp.452 – 467.

Piore, MJ, Lester, RK & Malek, KM 1997, The Division of Labor, Coordination, and Integration: Case Studies in The Organization of Product Design Medical Instruments, MIT IPC Working Paper 97-007, Web.

Windebank, JE 2008, “Volunteering and the gender division of labour: A Franco-British comparison”, Community, Work & Family , vol.11, no. 4, pp. 457-473.

World Bank 2008, The World Bank’s commitment to HIV/AIDS in Africa: Our agenda for action, 2007-2011 , World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Secondary sources

Barnett, MN & Finnemore, M 2004, Rules for the world: International organizations in global politics , Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, N.Y. [u.a.

Division of labor 2011, Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition , Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, N.Y. [u.a.

Doheny-Farina, S 1992, Rhetoric, innovation, technology: Case studies of technical communication in technology transfers , MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.

Glick, WH & Huber, GP 1995, Organizational change and redesign: Ideas and insights for improving performance , Oxford Univ. Press, New York, NY [u.a.

Go, DS & Page, JM 2008, Africa at a turning point?: Growth, aid, and external shocks , World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Grant, RM 2009, Contemporary strategy analysis , John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

Iqbal, F & You, JI 2001, Democracy, market economics, and development: An Asian perspective , The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Kelly, P 2012, Nursing leadership & management , Cengage Learning, Clifton Park, NY.

Kirst-Ashman, K & Hull, GH 2012, Generalist practice with organizations and communities . Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA.

Liker, JK 1995, Engineered in Japan: Japanese technology – management practices . Oxford Univ. Press, New York [u.a.

Littek, W 1995, The new division of labour: Emerging forms of work organization in international perspective , Gruyter, Berlin [u.a.

Midlarsky, MI 1997, Inequality, democracy, and economic development . Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge [u.a.

Oliveira, N 2011, Automated Organizations: Development and Structure of the Modern Business Firm , Physica-Verlag, Heidelberg, Neckar.

Picot, A, Reichwald, R & Wigand, RT 2008, Information, organization and management , Springer, Berlin.

Rothstein, MG 2010, Self-management and leadership development . Edward Elgar. Cheltenham [u.a.

Silzer, RF & Dowell, BE 2010, Strategy driven talent management: A leadership imperative , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Sullivan, LE, Sage Publications, inc. and Sage eReference (Online service) 2009, The Sage glossary of the social and behavioral sciences , Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Wagner, JA & Hollenbeck, JR 2010, Organizational Behavior: Securing Competitive Advantage , Routledge Publishers, New York.

Westcott, R 2005, The certified manager of quality/organizational excellence handbook . ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee, Wis.

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The Division Of Work By Emile Durkheim

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  • Emile Durkheim. (2016.) Durkheim’s Division of Labor in Society. (n.d). Retrieved from:
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  • Crossmen, A. (2018). Understanding Durkheim’s Division of Labor. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from: https://www. thoughtco.com
  • Emile Durkheim. (2000). Retrieved from:
  • www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/researchgate/publication10.html

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