Introduction
Employees are considered to be the most important asset in an organization. They provide the labor necessary for achieving the organizational goals and objectives. The manner in which labor is provided by the workers differs from organization to organization. For many large organizations workers provide specialized labor in the process known as division of labor is very popular. This paper will describe what is meant by this term and explain the advantages and disadvantages associated with division of labor.
Definition
Division of labor refers to the extent to which the tasks done in an organization can be separated into different jobs. These different jobs can then be undertaken by different people. The division of labor can also be referred to as specialization. Division of labor is more popular in large organizations where the workers have task differentiation. This process is favored since it leads to some favorable outcomes.
Advantages
There are a number of significant advantages attributed to division of labor. To begin with, it results in the efficient utilization of the organizational labor. Through division of labor, the individual worker is able to specialize in a particular task and perform it in the most effective and efficient manner. This high efficiency leads to greater organizational productivity. In addition to this, it results in reduced training costs as each worker only has to engage in a specialized task.
Training new staff is therefore simplified since the employees do not have to learn many skills. Division of labor also leads to increased expertise since the worker engages in the same task over and over. Due to the repetition of tasks, the individual worker gains more proficiency in performing his work. Finally, division of labor increases the quality assurance of the organization. It does this by increasing the level of standardization and uniformity of the outputs produced through the work process.
Disadvantages
However, division of labor leads to some marked disadvantages. The first significant demerit is that it leads to boredom due to the routine and repetitive nature of the jobs. The increased specialization also causes reduced job satisfaction as the worker engages in repetitive work. There is little creativity required from the worker and this leads to lower satisfaction since the tasks are engaged in a mechanical manner.
Another disadvantage is that it leads to decreased worker involvement and commitment to the job. The low level of commitment arises due to the lack of innovation or focus on employee initiative. Division of labor also causes worker alienation as worker work in isolation. Due to specialization, there is reduced interaction among the various workers in the organization. This causes alienation as the workers do not get to interact with each other as each is confined to his/her work area.
Conclusion
This paper set out to describe the division of labor process and provide its merits and demerits. It began by explaining that division of labor entails dividing the organization’s work into independent parts that can be done by different workers. It then highlighted the major advantages of this process including the increases efficiency and added expertise due to repetition.
In addition to this, the paper has recognized that this process has major demerits including worker boredom and the decreased involvement and commitment of employees. However, many organizations continue to use the division of labor due to the significant benefits it brings to the organization.