Specialisation and the division of labour - CCEA

What does this article on specialisation and division of labour cover?

Specialisation means focusing on a limited range of products to become an expert, like a bakery making only cakes.

Division of labour splits production into specific tasks, like workers installing wheels in a car factory.

What is specialisation?

Specialisation occurs when a business or individual focuses on producing a limited range of products or services or a specific part of the production process. This allows them to become experts in that particular area. For example:

• a bakery focusing only on making cakes and not other baked goods like bread or pastries.

• a technology company that only develops software for educational purposes, rather than for multiple industries

What is division of labour?

The division of labour is the process of splitting the production process into different stages or tasks, with each worker or group of workers responsible for a specific task. This allows workers to concentrate on one task and become more skilled and efficient in that area. For example:

• in a car manufacturing plant, one group of workers might only install the wheels, while another group installs the engine

• in a small café, one staff member might be responsible for making coffee, while another handles customer orders

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