The specialization of tasks within a system of production is referred to as the division of labor.
Definitions and BasicsDivision of Labor, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics Show
Division of Labor, from An Animal That Trades at AdamSmithWorks: Michael Munger takes a deeper dive into the history and significance of the division of labor in this three-part series at AdamSmithWorks:
Adam Smith, biography from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics
Explore the pin factory described by Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations at AdamSmithWorks.org. In the News and ExamplesDivision of labor and interdependence: I, Pencil, by Leonard Read.
I, Smartphone is a video based on the essay “I, Pencil,” created by the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. Division of labor and specialization in corporations: Corporations, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics
Specialization and Wealth, by Dwight Lee. At CommonSenseEconomics.com.
A Little History: Primary Sources and ReferencesThe Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market. Book I, Chapter 3 in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
See this overview of the first full chapter of Adam Smtih’s Wealth of Nations from Marginal Revolution University: Mike Munger on the Division of Labor. EconTalk podcast episode exploring what Smith actually meant by “the division of labor is limited by the extent of the market.” Includes printable Listening Guide.
Smith’s pin factory example: Of the Division of Labor. Book I, Chapter 1, in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
English Theories of Foreign Trade, Before Adam Smith: II: International Division of Labor in Chapter 2 of Studies in the Theory of International Trade by Jacob Viner
Advanced ResourcesPart 2, Chapter 8, Human Society in Human Action by Ludwig von Mises
Related TopicsEconomic Growth Markets and Prices Benefits of Trade and Comparative Advantage Trade, Exchange and Interdependence What is the division of labor and specialization?Specialization of labor, or division of labor, occurs when companies divide their production or service process into several set tasks. Employees repeat a single portion of the production process rather than performing multiple tasks themselves.
What is the meaning of division of labor?division of labour, the separation of a work process into a number of tasks, with each task performed by a separate person or group of persons.
What is an example of division of labour?A very basic example of division of labour could be seen in food gathering. In early societies, men would be the hunters, women and children would prepare the food and collect berries. The idea was that it was a very simple division of labour to enable the best use of different skill sets.
What is an example of division of labor in modern society?Division of Labor: An assembly line is a good example of a system that incorporates the division of labor; each worker is completing a discrete task to increase efficiency of overall production.
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