1979-11-03 — Page 20

育教儒堂與三第張五第一日四十月九年未已磨复

1980

中學會考試題預習專欄

經

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Economics (4)

Division of labour

1. Introduction.

Human being are

interdependent because we cannot live without the help of other members in the community. We all specialize in some sort of job in the Society in order to produce some useful commodities or services. In other words, we cannot produce all the goods and services we need for our survival. We can only take part of the production activities and create the need for exchange with others.

Therefore, specialization into carrer is essential..

For the same token, in modern economy, the produc tion operation are so complex that there is an increasing ust use of capital in production and the adoption of mass production system. Usually the production activities are divided into different processes and sub-processes in which every process is assigned to particular group of workers or individual. Therefore, only a small part of the work is undertaken by one person or a group, each of whom specializes in a single process.

By the same way, because of the existence of international trade system, different commodities are produced by different

countries, depending upon climate, oil, availability of raw materials and labour. It is also said to be a kind of specialization into different countries

2. Definition of

division of labour

A. In a narrower sense,

division of labour means that the manufacturing process is broken down into a series

of separate activities, each of which is performed by a separate operation carried out by particular person or particular group of workers. B. In a broader sense,

division of labour means the separation of production into different stages and

occupation, which are carried out by different firms in manufacturing industries such as the spinning sector, weaving sector, knitting sector, finishing sector and garment making sector. C. In the broadest sense,

division of labour may refer to inte rnational division of labour which is the origin of international trade. It means. that each country specializes in manufacturing on one product and exchanges it with the other countries through international markets. Consequently, each country would obtain comparative advantages from the exchange behavior.

3. Aims of

division of labour

The main aim of division of labour system is to increase output. In other words, it can increase the productivity by making full use of productive resources including labour, land, machinery and equipment so as to increase the quantity

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of the products and to improve the quality of products. As a result, through the division of labour, production becomes more efficient and effective.

4. Types of

division of labour.

A. Simple division of labour

It refers to the specialization of one trade and industry by a particular specialist or firm or manu- facturing unit. For instance, in the economy there is natural division of production performed by various firms and people such as engineers, bakers, shoemakers and carpenters, tec.

B. Complex division of labour

It refers to the specialization of more detailed process or sub-process by particular firm or production unit. It is the further divisionof of work into particular aspect. of a special trade. Usually, the production processes are more complex. The breaking. down of production process of car manufacturing is an example.

C. International division of

labour

It refers to the specialization of particular trade or industry by the

special country. Since modern technology has developed specialization so that the geographical specialization becomes possible. For example, each country would specialize in one product which is world famous. Scotch whisky, and Swiss watches are demanded everywhere.

5. Advantages of división

Tabour

increase output,

B. great skills of the workers

because of practicing,

C, a saving of time by

keeping to single process, D. make full use of

machinery and equipment, E. provide more employment

opportunities to the specialists,

༣

standardize the quality of

the products,

G. the workers would become less fatigue by maintaining the same pace in division of labour system,

H. reduce cost of production, I. For international.

specialization of labour, each country can fully utilize its productive resources and there are greater comparative advantages over them.

Disadvantages of division of labour Ch

A

monotony of the work,

B greater risk of

unemployment because of highly specialized employment,

loss of job satisfaction leads to decline of craftsmanship,

E. the

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problem that some goods are not in mass demand such as bacon cutters, ham slicers, etc. In other words, the markets demand of these goods may not need the mass production system. Some- times the manufacturing can be performed by sole producer to the best of his ability.

B. Technical impossibility

* Sometimes it is. difficult to subdivide a production process into a number of sub-processes. When each process has been reduced to a minimum activity. It is impossible.

to make further division of labour possible.

Greater risk in production

Because of the breaking down of production activity, the production of large output becomes more risky. Entrepreneurs will suffer from any economic declines such as inadequate monetary system, inflation

problem and unemployment problem.

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明德出版社胡磨亮提供資料 History (4)

D. if there is delay in

completing one part of work, the entire production schedule would be hindered, workers may suffer perform occupational disease, Limitations to division of labour

Although the division system is generally of cabon used in modern manufacturing industries, there are some limitation.

A. The extent of the market

Since division of labour allows mass production, the output of production is increased in large quantities. There is a

Philip Y. L. Woo

In 1911, a revolution broke out in China and succeeded in- overthrowing the ruling dynasty, the Ch'ing. This statement is of course a fact, but it is in Some ways inaccurate. The event was certainly a revolu- tion, as the form of government. was since then changed from monarchy to republic. But it is doubtful whether it was the revolution that pulled down the otherwise surviving dynasty or It was the declining dynasty that collapsed itself in the face of a slight challenge, a ma challenge that would have failed if the dynasty had been strong. In other words, was it the strength of revolutionaries like Sun Yat-sen, or the weakness of the Ching, that explained the 1911 success?

The easiest answer is thật it was both; the answer is also the truest. What else can be otherwise? And the same logic can be applied to other revolu- tions and historical events. Of course, there have got to be dedicated, strongwilled and brave people to work for. revolution, and any explanation of a revolution without paying proper regard for the efforts by revolutionaries is not complete, Even so, if the ruling dynasty is too strong to be overthrown, super revolutionaries can do nothing. to shake its foundation. Such.. a kind of reasoning is not history; it is just common. sense. But just as history is made up of both men and events, common sense of yesterday is that of today.

To come back to the causes of the 1911 Revolution, there can only be two kinds: the revolutionaries' strength and the Ch'ing's weakness. Now what are the different aspects of the strength and weakness? What can you say more on these two terms? Note the following: Internal Decline

of The Ch'ing Dynasty A. Political factors

i. Inefficient emperors ii. Lack of able Manchu

leadership.

Til, Downward spread of

administrative inefficiency in the government

Sale of government posts This worsened the quality of

六期星

日三月一十年九七九一歴公年八十六國民蟒中

government officials Corruption

vi. Political

vii.

decentralization - Since the mid-19th century, the Ch'ing government permitted the creation of regional armies for suppressing rebellions. These regional armies were locally based, financed by local money, and trained to obey local-provinced officials. Peking's control over them was ineffective. This factor partly explained why the provinces declared- independence in 1911. Growth of the scholar-gentry's local power - Lòcal men of influence safeguarded local interests. They organized their own military forces for self-defence (known as local militias, t'uanlien

B) and collected taxes themselves.

Political and

Social-economic factors responsible for the decline of the Ching dynasty.

Inefficient Emperors

Lack of able Manchu leadership

Administrative inefficiency

bale of government posts

Serious corruption

Malpractices

of local goverments

Population explosion, widening social Inequalitiea and land ad concentra- Ition

|Political-

provincial decentra-

zation

Growth of the gentry- Handlord's power

Social oppression

Social discontenti and hardship

Rebellions.) revolution

B. Social and economic

factors

1. Population growth and

social poverty Poor econimic

conditions of the government

C. Idelogical factors

Despite attempts at destroying anti-Manchu attitudes by the Ch'ing rulers, such attitudes were preserved at the lowest level of society (i.e. villages).

Military factors

The military forces that the Manchu dynasty depended on were of two kinds: the Manchu Eight-Banner Forces

( AMP ), with which the Manchus conquered China, and the Chinese Green

Standard Army (AE), which the Manchus recruited after entering China, By the 19th century, all these troops were no longer useful:

i. Administrative

inefficiency and the

lack of cooperation ii. Poverty of the

soldiers

ill. The Manchus1 loss of

fighting spirit

The "Vicious Circle"

of Social and Economic problems in late Ch'ing dynasty

Loss of taxation

Poor financial

conditions of

government

Increased government spending

Rebelions

Heavy taxation

Sale of government posts

Deepening social

suffering

Serious corruption":

in government

and probleme

External Threats

A

to The Ch'ing Dynasty Political factors

With the Ching government's defeat by the foreigners, unequal treaties were imposed on China.

11. Because of China's

weakness, the foreign powers succeeded in annexing many of the vassal-states that traditionally owed loyalty to China, like the Ryukyu Islands, Annam and Korea,

iii. At the height of foreign

imperialism in the late 19th century, Chinese territories were cut up into different spheres of influence.

Unequal treaties pugonasth

on China

2

Scramble for Concesslocis and-

•spheres of befr

Emport of chean dýrmign' goods

Activities fochi

Vikiusionaries Tyžbi Chišein, intarine

ANNAM

Man Formban milliary kvasion in wars Glemt batsman Chine and the Tonigh

powies

Foreign encroachment of Chiri ese casalsuetes or tentātories

POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC THREATS TO (CHDA BY THE FOREIGN POWERS BEFORE 1911 „;

Fotof political aria sociale etoriomic Imperialisik, în China

B. Social and economic

factors

i. Foreign economic

imperialism increased. social suffering in China.

Foreign missionary activities in China aroused much hatred and fear among the Chinese.

iii. As for the Ch'ing

dynasty, unfavourable balance of trade (imports exceeding exports) reduced the value of the country's currency, which which therefore further ate away the government's income.

Ideological factors

Foreign imperialism and the introduction of Western learning stimulated the rise of modern Chinese nationalism.

D. Military factors

In the Self-strenga. thening Movement (1862 -94), a modern army and navy were developed. However, they were destroyed in the Sino-Japanese War (1894 95). After 1896, a New Army was created. But as anti-Manchu nationalism spread among the New Army soldiers, they were not loyal to the dynasty.

(TO BE CONTINUED IN THE

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頁四第張五第一日四十月九年未己展夏 WAH KIU YAT PO