"The division of labour is the separation of the tasks in any economic system or organisation so that participants may specialize (specialisation)."
The specialization of tasks within a community, which emerged during the Neolithic period along with the rise of agriculture and the development of settlements.
Hunter-Gatherer Society: The lifestyle of early human societies that relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering for survival.
Division of Labor and Specialization: How early societies divided labor based on gender, age, and ability to ensure efficient resource management.
Agriculture: The shift from hunting and gathering to cultivation of crops and domestication of animals, leading to a more complex division of labor.
Feudalism: The medieval social, economic, and political system based on division of labor between lords, knights, and peasants.
Industrial Revolution: The period of significant technological advancement and changes in economic and social organization that transformed the labor force.
Adam Smith's Theory of Division of Labor: The concept of specialization and its impact on productivity and economic growth.
Karl Marx's Critique of Division of Labor: The negative consequences of division of labor on individual workers, society, and class conflict.
Scientific Management: The ideas and theories of Frederick Winslow Taylor regarding efficiency, standardization, and specialization in the workplace.
Globalization: The modern economic process of division of labor on a global scale, leading to the outsourcing of labor to lower-cost countries.
Automation and Robotics: The increasing use of machines and automated systems to replace human labor in various industries.
"Either form combinations or trade to take advantage of the capabilities of others in addition to their own."
"Specialized capabilities may include equipment or natural resources as well as skills."
"Training and combinations of equipment and other assets acting together are often important."
"The division of labour is the motive for trade and the source of economic interdependence."
"An increasing division of labour is associated with the growth of total output and trade, the rise of capitalism, and the increasing complexity of industrialized processes."
"The concept and implementation of division of labour has been observed in ancient Sumerian (Mesopotamian) culture."
"Division of labour generally also increases both producer and individual worker productivity."
"Pastoralism and agriculture led to more reliable and abundant food supplies, which increased the population and led to specialization of labour."
"New classes of artisans, warriors, and the development of elites."
"This specialization was furthered by the process of industrialization, and Industrial Revolution-era factories."
"Many classical economists as well as some mechanical engineers, such as Charles Babbage, were proponents of division of labour."
"Having workers perform single or limited tasks eliminated the long training period required to train craftsmen."
"They were replaced with less-paid but more productive unskilled workers."
"The division of labour, industrialization, and the increasing complexity of industrialized processes."
"Specialization allows participants to focus on their specific tasks, leading to increased efficiency and productivity."
"Specialized capabilities of individuals and organizations allow for trade and the utilization of the capabilities of others."
"The increasing division of labour is associated with the rise of capitalism, as it allows for greater efficiency and specialization in production."
"Pastoralism and agriculture led to more reliable and abundant food supplies, which increased the population and led to specialization of labour."
"The division of labour reduced the long training period required to train craftsmen, as workers could focus on single or limited tasks."