CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Economics and Management · Means of Production
Which of the following is a recognised disadvantage of extreme division of labour within a firm?
A recognised disadvantage is monotony: repeating one narrow task can bore workers and reduce their versatility and interest. Specialisation actually saves time otherwise lost switching jobs, usually raises output per worker, and makes machinery easier to use, so the other statements are incorrect.
- AMonotony of repetitive work may reduce a worker's interest and versatilityCorrect
- BOutput per worker invariably falls as tasks become narrower
- CTime lost in moving between different jobs increases
- DUse of machinery becomes impossible
Explanation
Doing one narrow task repeatedly causes boredom and loss of all-round skill, a standard drawback. Specialisation reduces, not increases, the time lost changing between jobs. Output generally rises, and machinery use is in fact encouraged by task simplification.
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