When a worker specializes in one task, he focuses on that one function in the pr

Question

When a worker specializes in one task, he focuses on that one function in the production process, ignoring the whole system. This is likely to: A. increase the cross-training costs. B. eliminate trade-offs since only one task is undertaken by each employee. C. lead to greater complementarity between one task and another. D. result in functional myopia that reduces overall productivity.

Two tasks are said to be ______ if performing more of one task increases the benefit or reduces the cost of performing another task. A. substitutes B. complements C. bundled D. flexible

Explanation / Answer

A work is usually divided ito different subparts. A person is not expected to be expert in all such subparts. He can be specialist, in one area of work. By doing that, he can contribute to the organization. However it does not mean that he cannot do other areas of activities. He may be able to do few other activities as well, but may not be as effeciently as he was doing his specialization area. So it is inapporpriate to say that cross training cost will rise. Perhaps a litlle sharpening of skills in other job through training will make him equally effecient in second job also. Thus statement A in general is not true.

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If each workers are made specialist in one area of job only, then it is very difficult to make suitable job rotation. This facility is required to make orgaization more flexible to adjust to the current sceario. Thus statement B appears to be true.

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Complementary will mean two or work moves together, If a person is specialist in an area of work, then he is expected to do many other work, which has a link with that area of specialization. In that case betterment in one job will make other related job to perform better. If a production specialist is an expert in maitaining his production related records in a systematic manner, then it will defiitely improve the quality of work of costing department. As most of the sub parts are linked with others, their performances can be rightly found as complementary in nature. So statement C is true.

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D. If a person is allowed to do his specialization area of work on regular basis, initially productivity as well as quality of work will improve. But workers will gradually loss interest, as the work is repetitive without any variation. If it happens he became fatgue and may loss interest. This functional miopia will reduce productivity. Thus statement may be true in many cases. For removing them, job rotation is required.

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When two tasks are complementary in nature, performance of one task in a better way also improves the performance of other tasks which is coplimenting it. Substitutes is just opposite. Here inefficiency of oe is substituted by another efficient task. Budling is done between one strong job with another not so strong job. In that case strong job can cover up weakness of bundled job. Thus complements ( option B) should be the best alternative.

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