Division of Labour

The "Dividion of Labour" is a very important concept. It was first documented in a book called "The Wealth of Nations" first published in 1776 and written by Adam Smith a Scotsman born in 1723. This book is usually still available and is definately worth reading. He wrote "The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of skill, dexterity, and judgement with which it is anywhere directed, or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of labour". Consider a complex task such as building an automobile. If we divide the work into small tasks, each of which can easily be learned and executed by one person who can become expert and very fast at the execution of the task, then the complex task can be completed mush faster than one person trying to learn and execute all the work. This is measured in terms of productivity which can be calculated as the total output divided by the number of people employed. With the aid of tools, mechanised tools (farm machinery, electric hand tools and complex "computer integrated manufacturing systems") it is now very easy to generate enormous productivity. Industrial systems like assembly lines which include robots maximise the effect of the "division of labour" and productivity. As technology and in particular computer systems and software applications have developed, it is no longer necessary for the production operator to understand the complex details of the production system. It is only necessary for him or her to learn the operating procedure. This can usually be learnt quickly by the average person and performed acurately and quickly, hence increasing productivity and reducing the cost of manufacture. However, these computers and complex manufacturing systems have to be designed by highly educated and competent people who may take many years of study before being employed in the design industry. So, we have the division of labour at many levels. Highly educated people specialising in a particular design industry and other people who are not required to be highly educated, who who must be able to learn moderately complex tasks quickly and using their dexterity, operate manufacturing machinery. This also applies to office-work and many design based systems which use computers to make the work simple and accurate. E.g. Authors don't use typewriters, they use "Word-Processors", so do journalists and many office based workers. Therefore the concept of the "Division of Labour" has many ramifications effecting our economy, two of which are: who do we educate and to what degree?