What this lesson teaches
I can define division of labour and weigh its advantages and disadvantages.
Syllabus K343, 3.3.5. Division of labour: definition of division of labour (worker specialisation); advantages and disadvantages of division of labour
Make a guess
A fast food kitchen gives each worker one task, such as frying or packing. What is the main gain?
- The kitchen no longer needs to train its workers.
- Each worker becomes faster, so output per worker rises.
- Workers enjoy the job more, so they stay longer.
Show the answer
Each worker becomes faster, so output per worker rises.
Repeating one task builds speed and skill, and less time is lost switching tasks, so the cost of each meal falls.
Division of labour splits production into tasks so each worker specialises, raising output but making work repetitive.
Division of labour means breaking production into separate tasks, with each worker specialising in one task. It is worker specialisation.
Advantages: workers become skilled and fast at their task through repetition. Less time is lost moving between tasks. Training is quicker. Output per worker rises, so the cost of each unit falls.
Disadvantages: repeating one task can be boring, which lowers motivation and quality. Workers may struggle to find a new job if their narrow task disappears. A problem at one stage can stop the whole production line.
Division of labour is used in factories, fast food kitchens and even offices, where different staff handle sales, accounts and design.
- Division of labour
- Splitting production into tasks so workers specialise.
- Advantages
- Higher output per worker, faster training, lower unit costs.
- Disadvantages
- Boredom, low occupational mobility, whole line stops if one stage fails.
Worked example: A fast food kitchen
In a burger restaurant, one worker grills, one assembles, one fries and one serves.
- Advantage: each worker becomes very fast at their task, so customers are served quickly.
- Advantage: new staff can be trained in one task within a day.
- Disadvantage: the work is repetitive, so staff may quit, raising recruitment costs.
- Disadvantage: if the fryer breaks, the whole order is delayed.
Watch out for this
Division of labour means dividing workers into teams that each make a whole product.
It means each worker does one part of the process. The product is made by many workers, each specialising in a single task.
Check your understanding
Which is a disadvantage of division of labour?
- Training for each task takes less time, so firms spend less on it.
- Output per worker rises, because each worker gets faster at one task.
- Workers may become bored doing the same task repeatedly.
Show the answer
Workers may become bored doing the same task repeatedly.
Right. Repetition can lower motivation.
Check your understanding
Ten workers each building whole bicycles make 5 bicycles a day in total. After dividing the work into tasks, the same ten workers make 8 a day. By what percentage has output per worker risen?
- 60%
- 3%
- 30%
- 37.5%
Show the answer
60%
Right. Output per worker rises from 0.5 to 0.8 bicycles, an increase of 0.3 / 0.5 x 100 = 60%.