Specialisation and Division of labour

• What is Division of Labour?

  When a job or task is broken down into separate tasks.
• What are the benefits of division of labour?


  • Quicker
  • More efficient
  • Cheaper to train an operative to perform the specific task
  • Specialists -> higher quality output
  • Shows individual performance
• What are the drawbacks of division of labour?


  • Very critical to perform tasks to meet dealines
  • Lots of pressure on the team
  • If 1 person gets something wrong, it affects the team and the end product
  • Very repetitive, may cause demotivation -> increasing staff turnover
  • Need skilled workers -> have to pay them more
• What is specialisation?


  You specialise in one certain product, this means they can become the best in their industry as they understand their market in greater detail, and demand increases as customers want your product because it is what the business is renowned for.
• Similarities of Division of Labour and Specialisation

  • High quality
  • Lower costs
  • Increased efficiency
• Difference of Division of Labour and Specialisation


  • Specialisation occurs on the business, but there may be division of labour when manufacturing the specialised product.