Which of the following statements is true regarding work specialization?

Which of the following statements is true regarding work specialization?

A. Work specialization indicates to what degree will there be rules and formalized regulations to direct employees and managers.

B. Work specialization decreases the time spent in changing tasks.

C. Work specialization increases the cost of finding and training workers to do specific and repetitive tasks.

D. Work specialization decreases efficiency and productivity.

E. Work specialization hinders efficient use of employee skills.

Answer: B. Work specialization decreases the time spent in changing tasks.

Organization structure refers to the work specialization, also commonly referred to as division of labour implying the extent to which tasks are divided into jobs. This idea is one of the core concepts in the field of organizational design and Its consequences for efficiency are intense. When on a production line, one can spend considerable time in tool or task changing, a fact offset by another advantage of work specialization, making option B correct.

This is because when specialization is carried out, it leads to greater proficiency in the particular tasks that are to be accomplished in the company. For instance, considering the car manufacturing plant, while in the traditional structure, there is a worker who is fully responsible for assembling the entire car, in this structure the whole process is divided into smaller tasks. It is possible, for instance, that one worker only works on fitting the car seats while another only attaches door. This specialization makes it possible for the workers to gain mastery in the kind of work they do so that if they are made to change they do not need so much time to do so.

Look at a fast-food restaurant as another example. The kitchen staff is often divided into specialized roles: one worker could be delegated with the task of barbecuing the burgers, another with preparing salads, and another one handling the fries’ fryer. This specialization helps each worker to work especially on a given task, thereby reducing the time that is taken to move from one activity in food preparation to another.

Division of work might enhance efficiency and speed of work because workers get to learn the particular job well and work faster. However, there is some risk connected with too much specialization, employees can easily get bored and it is for this reason many organizations work for the best balance of specialization and job enrichment.