Livestock Economics, Marketing and Business Management

Merits and demerits of job specialisation - Labour efficiency

MERITS AND DEMERITS OF JOB SPECIALISATION - LABOUR EFFECIENCY

• The word specialization is frequently used with the division of labour and essentially both means the same.
• Both mean that each unit of the productive input - each person, each piece of land, and each machine - does only a part of the total production job.

Merits of Job Specialisation

• Employing high grade and experienced men for more specialised work is economical in the long run.
• Lightens the workload on each labourer - making him more physically and mentally acquainted with the job.
• Make the worker to be more skilled and increase his efficiency in the job he does.
• Streamlining the capital investment in labour by actually knowing the skill and specialization of the worker.
• Management is easier, so also the supervision.
• Increase in production is probably the most important advantage.
• Time saving .
• Doing the work more times make the worker to know the minutes detail which may instil new ideas for the modification of the product or the process.
• Helps to find out the job of ones taste.
• Possibility of employing the right man at the right place.
• Maximum exploitation of the skill is possible, enabling to produce good quality products/services.

Demerits of Job Specialisation

• Risk of unemployment
• Monotony of the work
• Monopoly of the power
• Brings stratification in the society, creating inequality among the individuals
• Profit is stipulated as one is concentrating on one product

Labour Efficiency (Qualitative aspect of labour)

• Efficiency means the ability to do work so that the productivity is increased with minimum cost.
• Efficiency of labour is a great national asset. The following are some important factors, which affect efficiency of labour.

Racial qualities

• Efficiency of labour depends on hereditary and racial stocks to which he belongs.
•  Punjabis work harder than other Indians.

Natural and climatic factors

• A cool bracing climate is more conducive to work hard than tropical climate.
• Hence a labourer in Europe will be more efficient than a labourer in Asia.

Education

• Education stimulates and strengthens the right type of instincts and builds up character.
• A technically trained man is naturally more efficient.

Personal qualities

• If a worker has a strong physique, is mentally alert and intelligent, his efficiency will be greater.
• Resourcefulness and initiative also increases efficiency.

Organisation and equipment

• Labour efficiency also depends on how labour is organised and what quality of machinery is placed at his disposal.
• First-rate work cannot be expected from a third-rate labourer using second-rate equipment.

Environment

• If the surroundings are depressing, labour efficiency is bound to low.
• On the other hand, cheerful and bright environments are conducive to better work.

Working hours:

• Workers must have sufficient intervals for relaxation.
• Long working hours with no suitable rest or recreation will reduce the efficiency of labour.

Fair and prompt payment

• A well-paid worker is generally contended and puts his heart and soul into his job.
• He must also be paid promptly.

Labour organisation:

• An organised effort is more effective.
• If labourers are properly organised both inside and outside the place of work in the form of strong trade union, their efficiency will undoubtedly go up.

Social and political factors:

• Social security scheme guaranteeing freedom from want and fear, and sympathetic state attitude towards labourer will go long way in improving labour efficiency.