Why division of labor and specialization promote advancement. Social division of labor. Definition of division of labor

⚡ Division of labor ⚡ represents separation various types labor activity. This process began with the natural division of labor by gender and age, which developed in the household. Outside this economy, the social division of labor began to grow. The modern system includes the following types of such division of labor:

Individual specialization is the concentration of a person’s activity on some special occupation, mastery of a certain profession or specialty.
Division of labor in an enterprise (separation in work collective different types works, operations).
Isolation of creative activity on the scale of an industry, type of production (for example, electric power, oil production, automotive industry, etc.).
Division of national production into large types (industry, Agriculture and etc.).
Territorial division of labor within the country (with specialization in the production of certain products in different economic regions).
International division of labor (specialization of production of individual countries on certain types of products that these countries exchange).

The continuous development of the division of labor is objectively determined by the progress of technology and the human factor of production, as well as the conditions for improving the complex cooperation of labor. These conditions appeared already during the transition from simple cooperation of the labor of artisans in a capitalist enterprise to manufacture - the unification of the labor of workers separately performing many small operations.

Naturally, the subsequent transition from manufacture based on manual labor to industrial production greatly increased the efficiency of the division of labor.

So, specialization of creative activity serves as the most important means of increasing labor productivity (increasing people's output). This is a consequence of the fact that:

firstly, the specialization of workers increases skill and involves their acquisition of more advanced knowledge and skills
secondly, it saves working time, since by concentrating efforts, a person stops moving from one activity to another
thirdly, specialization gives impetus to the invention and use of machinery, which makes production mass and highly efficient

Training in secondary vocational and higher education is of great importance educational institutions specialists in various fields of scientific, technical and economic activity.

Modern state educational standards of higher education vocational education adopted in our country in 2000, provide for students to study:

general humanitarian and socio-economic disciplines (national history, cultural studies, political science, philosophy, economics, etc.)
general mathematical and natural science disciplines
general professional disciplines
disciplines of specialization

Thus, all students receive a wide vocational training combined with narrow specialization, which increases the quality of training of professionals and their relevance for practical activities.

Division of labor

Division of labor- a historically established process of isolation, modification, consolidation of certain types of labor activity, which occurs in social forms of differentiation and implementation of various types of labor activity.

There are:

General division of labor by branches of social production;

Private division of labor within industries;

Single division of labor within organizations according to technological, qualification and functional characteristics.

It is the reason for increasing the overall labor productivity of an organized group of specialists (synergetic effect) due to:

Developing skills and automaticity in performing simple repetitive operations
Reducing the time spent moving between different operations

The concept of the division of labor is described quite fully by Adam Smith in the first three chapters of his five-volume treatise, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

Highlight social division of labor- distribution of social functions among people in society - and international division of labor.

Social division of labor- this is the division of labor primarily into productive and managerial labor. (F. Engels “Anti-Dühringe” op., vol. 20, p. 293)

The division of labor has led in the modern world to the presence of a huge variety of various professions and industries. Previously (in ancient times), people were forced to almost completely provide themselves with everything they needed; this was extremely inefficient, which led to a primitive life and comfort. Almost all the achievements of evolution, scientific and technological progress can be explained by the continuous introduction of the division of labor. Thanks to the exchange of the results of labor, that is, trade, the division of labor becomes possible in society.

From the point of view of business engineering, division of labor is a functional decomposition of business processes. It is often possible to isolate such part of the functions as a separate type, which then becomes possible to entrust to automation or a machine. Thus, the division of labor continues to occur today and has a close connection, for example, with automation processes. In the field of intellectual work, its division is also possible and very useful.

The division of labor is the first link in the entire labor organization system. Division of labor is the separation of various types of labor activity and the division of the labor process into parts, each of which is performed by a specific group of workers united by common functional, professional or qualification characteristics.

For example, the main method of work in accounting is the division of labor of specialists. We distribute the work of employees across areas accounting under the guidance of leading specialists and auditors, which allows them to achieve maximum efficiency of their work. Thus, we dynamically combine developments in the field of accounting automation and experience in the field of administration of accounting services.

DIVISION OF LABOR- differentiation, specialization of labor activity, coexistence of its various types. Social division of labor is the differentiation in society of various social functions performed by certain groups of people, and the allocation in connection with this... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Division of labor- DIVISION OF LABOR, differentiation, specialization of labor activity, coexistence of its various types. Social division of labor differentiation in society of various social functions performed by certain groups of people, and the allocation ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

DIVISION OF LABOR- (division of labor) A system in accordance with which specialization occurs in the production process. It has two advantages: first, workers specialize in those types of work in which they have a comparative advantage (comparative... ... Economic dictionary

Division of labor- (division of labor) Specialization of workers in the production process (or any other economic activity). Adam Smith (1723–1790) in his work The Wealth of Nations described the division of labor as one of the greatest contributions to the increase... ... Dictionary of business terms

Division of labor- division labor functions between members of the work team (team, team) in accordance with the division of the production process into component processes and operations. [Adamchuk V.V., Romashov O.V., Sorokina M.E. Economics and sociology... ... Encyclopedia of terms, definitions and explanations of building materials

division of labor- Differentiation of people’s activities in the process of joint work. [GOST 19605 74] Topics: organization of labor, production... Technical Translator's Guide

DIVISION OF LABOR- English division of labour; German Arbeitsteilung. 1. A functionally integrated system of production roles and specializations within society. 2. According to E. Durkheim, a necessary condition for the material and intellectual development of society; source… … Encyclopedia of Sociology

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Justice in the national economy. Division of labor, G. Schmoller. Readers are invited to a book by the famous German economist and historian Gustav Schmoller, dedicated to the study of problems National economy. In the first part of the book, the author tries...

At the core economic development lies the creation of nature itself - the division of functions between people, based on their gender, age, physical, physiological and other characteristics. The mechanism of economic cooperation assumes that some group or individual focuses on performing a strictly defined type of work, while others are engaged in other types of activities.

There are several definitions of the division of labor. Here are just a few of them.

Division of labor- this is a historical process of isolation, consolidation, modification of certain types of activity, which occurs in social forms of differentiation and implementation of various types of labor activity. The division of labor in society is constantly changing, and the system of various types of labor activity itself is becoming more and more complex, as the labor process itself becomes more complex and deepening.

Division of labor(or specialization) is the principle of organizing production in an economy, according to which an individual is engaged in the production of a separate good. Thanks to the action of this principle, with a limited amount of resources, people can receive much more benefits than if everyone provided themselves with everything they need.

There is also a distinction between the division of labor in the broad and narrow sense (according to K. Marx).

In a broad sense division of labor- this is a system of types of labor, production functions, occupations in general or their combinations that are different in their characteristics and simultaneously interact with each other, as well as a system of social relations between them. The empirical diversity of occupations is considered by economic statistics, labor economics, branch economic sciences, demography, etc. The territorial, including international, division of labor is described by economic geography. To determine the relationship between various production functions from the point of view of their material result, K. Marx preferred to use the term “distribution of labor.”

In a narrow sense division of labor- this is the social division of labor as human activity in its social essence, which, unlike specialization, is a historically transitory social relationship. Specialization of labor is the division of types of labor by subject, which directly expresses the progress of the productive forces and contributes to it. The diversity of such species corresponds to the degree of human exploration of nature and grows with its development. However, in class formations, specialization is not carried out as a specialization of integral activities, since it itself is influenced by the social division of labor. The latter divides human activity into such partial functions and operations, each of which in itself no longer has the nature of activity and does not act as a way for man to reproduce it. social relations, his culture, his spiritual wealth and himself as a person. These partial functions are devoid of their own meaning and logic; their necessity appears only as demands placed on them from the outside by the system of division of labor. This is the division of material and spiritual (mental and physical), executive and managerial labor, practical and ideological functions, etc. An expression of the social division of labor is the separation of material production, science, art, etc. as separate spheres, as well as the division themselves. The division of labor historically inevitably grows into a class division.

Due to the fact that members of society began to specialize in the production of individual goods, professions– individual types of activities related to the production of any good.

But the division of labor does not at all mean that in our imaginary society one person will be engaged in one type of production. It may turn out that several people will have to engage in a particular type of production, or so that one person will be engaged in the production of several goods.

Why? It's all about the relationship between the size of the population's need for a particular good and the labor productivity of a particular profession. If one fisherman can catch just enough fish in a day to satisfy all members of society, then there will be just one fisherman in this household. But if one hunter from the mentioned tribe cannot shoot quails for everyone and his work is not enough to satisfy the needs of all members of the household for quails, then several people will go hunting at once. Or, for example, if one potter can produce so many pots that society cannot consume, then he will have extra time which he can use to produce some other good, such as spoons or plates.

Thus, the degree of "division" of labor depends on the size of society. For a certain population size (that is, for a certain composition and size of needs), there is its own optimal structure of occupations, in which the product produced by different producers will be just enough for all members, and all products will be produced at the lowest possible cost. With an increase in population, this optimal structure of occupations will change, the number of producers of those goods that were already produced by an individual will increase, and those types of production that were previously entrusted to one person will be entrusted different people.

In the history of the economy, the process of division of labor went through several stages, differing in the degree of specialization of individual members of society in the production of one or another good.

The division of labor is usually divided into several types depending on the characteristics by which it is carried out.

Natural division of labor: the process of separating types of labor activity by gender and age.

Technical division of labor: determined by the nature of the means of production used, primarily equipment and technology.

Social division of labor: natural and technical division of labor, taken in their interaction and in unity with economic factors, under the influence of which there is a separation and differentiation of different types of labor activity.

In addition, the social division of labor includes 2 more subtypes: sectoral and territorial. Sectoral division of labor is predetermined by the production conditions, the nature of the raw materials used, technology, equipment and the manufactured product. Territorial division of labor is the spatial arrangement of various types of work activities. Its development is predetermined both by differences in natural and climatic conditions and by factors economic order.

Under geographical division of labor we understand the spatial form of the social division of labor. Prerequisite geographical division of labor is to different countries(or regions) worked for each other so that the result of labor was transported from one place to another, so that there was thus a gap between the place of production and the place of consumption.

In a commodity society, the geographical division of labor necessarily involves the transfer of products from farm to farm, i.e. exchange, trade, but exchange in these conditions is only a sign for “recognizing” the presence of a geographical division of labor, but not its “essence”.

There are 3 forms of social division of labor:

The general division of labor is characterized by the separation of large types (spheres) of activity, which differ from each other in the form of the product.

Private division of labor is the process of separating individual industries within large types of production.

A single division of labor characterizes the separation of the production of individual components of finished products, as well as the separation of individual technological operations.

Differentiation consists in the process of separating individual industries, determined by the specifics of the means of production, technology and labor used.

Specialization is based on differentiation, but it develops on the basis of concentrating efforts on a narrow range of products.

Universalization is the antithesis of specialization. It is based on the production and sale of a wide range of goods and services.

Diversification is the expansion of the range of products.

The first and main statement that A. Smith puts forward, which defines the greatest progress in the development of the productive power of labor and a significant share of the art, skill and intelligence with which it (progress) is directed and applied, is a consequence of the division of labor. The division of labor is the most important and unacceptable condition for the progress of the development of productive forces, the development of the economy of any state, any society. A. Smith gives the simplest example of the division of labor in small and large enterprises (manufacture in his contemporary society) - elementary production pins. A worker who is not trained in this production and does not know how to handle the machines used in it (the impetus for the invention of machines was given precisely by the division of labor) can hardly make one pin a day. When an organization exists in such production, it is necessary to divide the profession into a number of specialties, each of which is a separate occupation. One worker pulls the wire, another straightens it, the third cuts it, the fourth sharpens the end, the fifth grinds it to attach the head, the manufacture of which requires two or three more independent operations, in addition to its attachment, polishing the pin itself, packaging finished products. Thus, labor in the production of pins is divided into a multi-stage series of operations, and depending on the organization of production and the size of the enterprise, they can be performed each separately (one worker - one operation), or combined into 2 - 3 (one worker - 2 - 3 operations ). Using this simple example, A. Smith asserts the undoubted priority of such a division of labor over the work of a single worker. 10 workers produced 48,000 pins per day, while one could produce 20 pins at high voltage. The division of labor in any craft, no matter how large it is introduced, causes an increase in labor productivity. Further development(up to the present day) production in any sector of the economy was the clearest confirmation of the “discovery” of A. Smith.

Production is a public (social) process. The social nature of production means that all its participants work together, in close interaction and interdependence on each other. This is evident from how busy people are every day. certain types of work, having corresponding professions and specialties. Enterprises also differ in scope and type of activity. Moreover, the products of each manufacturer, as a rule, are consumed by another economic entity. For example, ore mined by miners goes to metallurgists and smelts metal, from which machine builders, in turn, make tower cranes, necessary for builders, etc. When this chain of production interdependencies is consistently continued, it turns out that we will include almost all the production results known to us, because both enterprises and their employees are consumers. Today it is impossible to find a person, unless, of course, one takes into account anomalous cases, who would be completely isolated from the social process of production. There are no enterprises that work solely to satisfy their own needs and the needs of their employees.

Interconnections and interdependencies of people in social production have as their economic basis the social division of labor.

Social division of labor- is the separation of various types of economic activity and their stable assignment to individuals and their groups in the form of specialization.

However, the social division of labor does not separate people as specialized producers, but also unites them. After all, the deeper the specialization of labor, the stronger the interdependence of specialized producers. This "invisible" side of the division of labor is called labor cooperation or production cooperation. V Labor cooperation(from lat. cooperation - cooperation) is a form of organization of labor and production in a separate enterprise, which is based on the specialization of workers. V Industrial cooperation- this is a form of long-term and stable relationships between economically independent enterprises (firms) engaged in the joint production of certain products based on the specialization of their production. Thus, the social division of labor is a form, mechanism or way of cooperation between people in economic life.

Theoretically, the phenomenon of social division of labor is objectively determined, again, by limited resources. This means that not a single economic entity can live normally on self-sufficiency, simply cannot create everything necessary for itself. Therefore, for reasons of common sense, everyone specializes in separate form activities where he feels comfortable regarding his existing knowledge, qualifications, and skills.

People have long learned that isolation, the production of products only for their own consumption, is irrational and unprofitable. A person who undertakes any task may be a jack of all trades, but her work will remain unproductive.

The division of labor arose in primitive society. It was, of course, natural then, since it took into account mainly the gender, age and physiological characteristics of people. For example, women were engaged in housework and children, and men were involved in obtaining food and building housing. The age and physical condition of a person, voice, hearing, intuition, courage and other natural abilities were also of no small importance in the distribution of work.

Over time, the division of labor becomes more and more stable. The history of mankind gives reason to distinguish three major stages in the isolation of social labor, or three major social divisions of labor:

1) separation of pastoral tribes from agricultural ones (occurred 10-12 thousand years ago);

2) separation of crafts from agriculture (took place 7-8 thousand years ago);

3) the emergence of layers of merchants as experts in exchange transactions (happened about 4.5 thousand years ago).

Having begun long ago from two industries (agriculture and cattle breeding), the development of the social division of labor has today led to the formation of hundreds of different, relatively independent types of economic activity. What our distant ancestors produced can be counted on one hand. Today, tens of millions of different types of products and services are manufactured in the world, and there are thousands of professions and types of work. Even when something seems small at first glance (for example, paper clips or matches), it is actually the result of the cooperative work of many specialized manufacturers.

Basic levels of social division of labor:

division of labor in enterprises. This is the specialization of workshops, departments, sections, workers;

division of labor between enterprises. This is the specialization of enterprises in the production of certain products, works, services (for example, a clothing factory, dairy, transport or Building company etc);

division of labor between industries. This is a selection of individual industries: mining (coal, gas, etc.), finishing (metallurgy, oil refining, textile, etc.), agriculture, trade, and others.

division of labor between regions of the country. This is the specialization of individual territories in a certain production (for example, Vinnytsia in Ukraine is famous as a sugar region, the Region is famous as a coal region, Crimea and the Carpathians are famous as resort regions).

division of labor between countries, or international division of labor. This is the specialization of entire countries in a certain production (for example, Japan is a world-recognized manufacturer of electronics and passenger cars; Switzerland - wristwatch, cheeses and chocolate; Brazil - coffee).

In modern industrial production noticeable three main types of specialization:

subject-specific or grocery (production of cars, shoes, medicines, etc.);

detailed (production of bearings, rubber, glue, etc.);

operating room, or technological (installation of engines or windows, painting, flour packaging, etc.).

The deepening specialization of labor knows no limits.

The main factors in the development of the social division of labor:

- individual abilities of people. Each individual looks for a job according to his own strengths and abilities. The problem of suitability of an applicant for a particular position is also dealt with by organizations and their specialists. personnel services. The more responsible the work, the more careful the choice of its performer. Thus, one of the important factors in selecting a worker is taking into account his psychological type, or the specifics of his temperament, since in this sense people are naturally divided into phlegmatic, melancholic, sanguine and choleric;

- natural and climatic conditions. The presence of certain mineral wealth, climatic conditions, geographical location, etc. - this is the important factor, which determines the direction of specialization of individual territories and entire countries;

- traditions (from lat. traditio - transmission). Mastery of a certain type of activity is passed on from generation to generation. Such original traditions, for example, in Ukraine have become pottery, wickerwork, embroidered shirts, etc. There are also family occupational traditions where family dynasties are formed;

- experience. When choosing a profession and place of work, people often rely on certain enterprises located near their place of residence, or on the information and advice available to them.

The social division of labor provides people and society great economic benefit namely:

contributes more rational use production resources. People who are busy with their work acquire mastery faster and more easily, and their work becomes of higher quality. In specialized production, equipment is used more fully, without losing time, as happens when changing one type of work to another. With the territorial division of labor, various kinds of local characteristics are more effectively used;

opens up wide opportunities for mechanization and automation of production. This is due to the fact that specialization simplifies technological operations as much as possible. It is unlikely that there is such a thing today universal machine, which could, for example, turn a tree trunk into a computer desk. When will this manufacturing process divided into separate specialized operations, then the use of appropriate mechanisms and even automatic machines becomes quite possible;

contributes to a significant increase in labor productivity. Let's consider the essence of this concept in more detail.

Labor productivity- the main indicator of effective organization of production. It is determined by the number of products produced per unit of working time, or the amount of time per unit of production: the more products, or the sooner one product is produced, the more productive the labor. Increased labor productivity creates savings opportunities labor resources to move them to other industries, reduce the cost of production of goods, and improve the well-being of the population. The main factors for increasing labor productivity are its specialization, technical equipment, qualifications and interest of the manufacturer.

The classic of political economy Adam Smith began his famous book “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” (1776) with the example of organizing the production of hairpins in an ordinary workshop, with which he showed that only through the introduction of specialization manual labor ten workers, production increased 240 times (!).

At the same time, the social division of labor creates considerable Problems, For example:

one-sided development of a person’s personality. By focusing on some kind of work activity and devoting the main part of his life to it, a person is forced to turn into a functionary (a function person, a partial worker);

monotony and unattractiveness of many types of work. This applies, first of all, physical work, when the worker often acts as a mechanical performer of movements specified by the machine. Conveyor technologies create particular tension in work. The monotony of work causes rapid fatigue of workers and, as a consequence, increased morbidity and occupational injuries;

complete dependence of producers on each other, which predetermines the need for their clear cooperation and the establishment of an uninterrupted exchange of activity results. Through it's excessive narrow specialization enterprises increases the risk of production failures with all the ensuing economic consequences.

And yet, the economic advantages of the social division of labor are more significant, and therefore society is interested in deepening the social division of labor and minimizing its negative consequences.

It should be noted that specialization of production has not only absolute, but also relative advantages. V The Absolute Benefits of Specialization- these are the clear advantages of a particular manufacturer (employee, enterprise, country) over others in terms of skill, labor productivity or production costs. V Relative, or comparative advantages of specialization are not so obvious because they are associated with opportunity costs. They lie in the fact that specialization in one, correctly chosen direction and rational cooperation (exchange) with other manufacturers always provide a greater economic effect.

Let us consider the essence of the relative advantages of the division of labor using a conditional example. Let's say that doctor Ivanenko is also an excellent carpenter, he needs a bookcase that fits the area of the wall of one of the rooms. Therefore, he had two production alternatives: making the cabinet himself or hiring a carpenter for a fee. Let us further assume that if Ivanenko personally undertook to make the cabinet and spent 20 hours on it, then he would have to sacrifice his medical practice and income from it for this time, for example, 800 hryvnia (the conditional cost of one doctor’s hour (40 UAH). ), multiplied by 20 hours). If he uses the second alternative - he hires a carpenter, then he will make the cabinet in 20 hours. and will demand 500 UAH for his work. (temporary rate of a carpenter - 25 UAH, multiplied by 20 hours). As we can see, it is more economically profitable for doctor Ivanenkova to hire a carpenter so as not to lose his 300 UAH. additional income (800 - 500).

The division of labor is a process that develops historically through the separation, change and consolidation of some. It is realized in society in the form of its members performing various jobs.

In ancient times, people were forced to provide everything for themselves. This was so ineffective and only contributed to the preservation of primitive life that even then the first social division of labor took place. It became possible thanks to the advent of trade. You can read more about this at the beginning of Adam Smith's treatise.

There is a distinction between social division of labor and international division. The last type is a way of organizing the economy in the world when each country specializes in the production of a specific type of services or goods and then exchanges them. And the social division of labor is when social functions distributed among members of society. First of all, two large groups can be distinguished: managerial work and productive work.

The basic principle of the division of labor is the combination of the specialization of a particular employee with an increase in his technical level, and therefore productivity.

The faster development occurs latest technologies, the more complex the processes become for the division of labor, which must correspond to them, not stand still, but also develop and deepen. This is due to the fact that its forms influence many aspects: the equipment of places to work, their maintenance, and specialization. The methods and methods of work and its norms also depend on them. Various forms of its division and cooperation ensure an even load on workers and synchronization of their work.

The essence of the division of labor is to identify those that do not represent the entire production process, but its individual parts and are assigned to specific workers. This is done so that it is possible to perform various operations in parallel. It also speeds up the acquisition of skills by workers.

At the same time, at an enterprise, the social division of labor can be carried out in the following forms: subject, technological, functional, program-targeted, qualification and professional.

When it is divided into separate technological operations, phases or stages, a technological division of labor occurs. It depends on the type of work and can be operational, substantive and detailed.

Functional division of labor occurs when a specific type of work is performed by a group of workers who specialize in performing certain functions.

The professional division of labor depends on the type of profession acquired by specialists. Workers perform in their places only the type of work that lies within the scope of their acquired profession.

The qualification division of labor is caused by differences in the level of knowledge and experience of workers.

The production of specific types of products by employees and departments in production causes a substantive division of labor. These could be, for example, parts, products, assemblies.

The essence of the linear division of labor (included in the functional division) is the establishment of managers at a certain facility (workshop, site). Their rights, roles and responsibilities are clearly delineated.

The formation of groups of workers in order to solve specific problems forms a program-targeted division of labor. In practice, this looks like recruiting teams (creative, labor) for a while.

The volume of products produced, its complexity and other factors influence which form of division of labor to choose. Such features, in turn, give rise to certain boundaries of labor.

Why division of labor and specialization promote advancement. Social division of labor. Definition of division of labor

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