What is human labor. Labor as a kind of human activity. What tasks does the discipline solve

20.09.2019

Almost everyone works to secure and improve their lives. The work uses mental and physical abilities. Today at modern world labor activity is more extensive than it was before. How is the process and organization of work? What types are there? Why does a person refuse to work? Read more for answers...

The concept of labor activity

Work is the mental and physical effort applied to achieve a certain result. A person uses his abilities for consistent work and its conclusion. Human work is aimed at:

1. Raw materials (a person works with them to bring them to the final result).

2. Means of labor are transport, household equipment, tools and equipment (with their help, a person makes any product).

3. The cost of living labor, which is the salary of all personnel in production.

A person's work activity can be both complex and simple. For example, one plans and controls the entire process of work - this is mental ability. There are workers who write down the indicators on the counter every hour - this is physical work. However, it is not as difficult as the first one.

Labor efficiency will be improved only when a person has certain work skills. Therefore, they accept people for production not those who have just graduated from a university, but those who have experience and skill.

Why does a person need a job?

Why are we working? Why does a person need a job? Everything is very simple. To fulfill human needs. Most people think so, but not all.

There are people for whom work is self-realization. Often such work brings a minimum income, but thanks to it, a person does what he loves and develops. When people do things that they like, then the work is better. Career also refers to self-realization.

A woman who is completely dependent on her husband goes to work only in order not to degrade. Home life often “eats up” a person so much that you start to lose yourself. As a result, from an interesting and intelligent personality, you can turn into a home "hen". Surrounding such a person becomes uninteresting.

It turns out that the labor activity of the worker is the essence of the personality. Therefore, you need to evaluate your abilities and choose the work that not only brings income, but also pleasure.

Varieties of labor activity

As mentioned earlier, a person applies mental or physical abilities for work. About 10 types of labor activity were counted. All of them are varied.

Types of labor activity:

Physical labor includes:

manual;
mechanical;
conveyor labor (work on the conveyor along the chain);
work in production (automatic or semi-automatic).

Types of mental work include:

managerial;
operator;
creative;
educational (this also includes medical professions and students).

Physical work is the performance of labor with the use of muscle activity. They may be partially or completely involved. For example, a builder who carries a bag of cement (the muscles of the legs, arms, back, torso, etc. work). Or the operator records the readings in the document. The muscles of the hands and mental activity are involved here.

Mental work - reception, use, processing of information. This work requires attentiveness, memory, thinking.

Today, only mental or physical labor is a rarity. For example, they hired a builder to renovate the office. He will not only make repairs, but also calculate how much material is needed, what is its cost, how much work costs, etc. Both mental and physical abilities are involved. And so it is with every job. Even if a person works on a conveyor. This work is monotonous, the production is the same every day. If a person does not think, then he will not be able to perform right actions. And this can be said about any kind of work activity.

Motive of labor activity

What motivates a person to do a certain job? Of course, this is the financial side. The higher the salary, the better man trying to do his job. He understands that a poorly done task is worse paid.

Motivation of labor activity is not only in monetary terms, there are also intangible aspects. For example, many people will be happy to work if you create a friendly atmosphere for them in the team. Frequent staff turnover at work cannot create warmth among employees.

Some workers need social needs. That is, it is important for them to feel the support of leaders and colleagues.

There is a type of people who need attention and praise. They should feel that their work is in demand and they are not in vain putting their efforts into work.

Certain employees want to fulfill themselves through work. They are ready to work tirelessly, the main thing for them is to give impetus.

Therefore, it is necessary to find the right approach to each employee so that they have a motivation for work. Only then will the work be done quickly and efficiently. After all, every person needs to be encouraged to work.

Organization of labor activity

Each production or enterprise has a certain system, according to which the labor activity of a person is calculated. This is done so that the work does not go astray. The organization of labor activity is planned, then fixed in certain documents (schemes, instructions, etc.).

The work planning system specifies:

workplace workers, its lighting, equipment and activity plan (a person must have all the necessary materials for work);
division of labor activity;
methods of work (actions that are performed in the process);
acceptance of labor (determined by the method of work);
working hours (how long the employee should be at the workplace);
working conditions (what is the load of the worker);
labor process;
quality of work;
work discipline.

In order to have high productivity in the enterprise, it is necessary to adhere to a planned organization of work.

The labor process and its types

Each work is done with the help of a person. This is the labor process. It is divided into types:

by the nature of the object of labor (the work of employees - the subject of work is technology or the economy, the labor activity of ordinary workers is associated with materials or any details).
according to the functions of employees (workers help produce products or maintain equipment, managers monitor the correct work);
on the participation of workers in the level of mechanization.

The last option is:

The process of manual work (in labor activity no machines, machines or tools are used).
The process is in machine-manual work (labor activity is performed using a machine tool).
Machine process (labor activity occurs with the help of a machine, while the worker does not apply physical strength, but monitors the correct progress of the work).

Working conditions

People work in different fields. Working conditions are a number of factors that surround a person's workplace. They affect his work and health. They are divided into 4 types:

Optimal working conditions (1st class) - human health does not get worse. Managers help the employee to maintain high level labor.
Permissible working conditions (2nd class) - the employee's work is normal, but his health periodically deteriorates. True, by the next shift it is already normalized. According to the documents, the harmfulness is not exceeded.
Harmful working conditions (3rd class) - harmfulness is exceeded, and the employee's health deteriorates more and more. Hygiene standards exceeded.
Dangerous working conditions - with such work, a person runs the risk of getting very dangerous diseases.

For optimal conditions, the employee must breathe clean air, room humidity, constant air movement, room temperature should be normal, it is desirable to create natural lighting. If all the norms are not observed, then a person gradually receives harm for his body, which will affect his health over time.

Quality of work

This category is the most important for labor activity. After all, proper work affects the volume and quality of products. From work force professional skills, qualifications and experience are required. These qualities make it clear what kind of work a person is capable of. Very often, people are not fired at enterprises, but first they are trained, eventually improving their qualifications.

First of all, a person himself must be aware of responsibility in work and approach it qualitatively. If you show your literacy and professionalism, then the management will decide on advanced training and promotion. Thus, the quality of work is improved.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that a person needs to work for several reasons. It is advisable to choose a labor activity according to your abilities and sympathy. Only then will the work be done with dignity and quality. Be sure to pay attention to working conditions. Always remember what your health depends on. In the process of work, be very careful, as work-related injuries are not excluded, which entail not only problems for the employee, but also for the management. For successful, high performance, adhere to all the rules and regulations by which the enterprise operates. Always leave all the problems at home, and go to work with a smile, like on a holiday. If the day starts with Have a good mood, then it will also end.

^ 1. Labor is the main and indispensable condition of human existence. Thanks to labor, man stood out from the animal kingdom. Unlike animals, man creates his own world, and creates it with his own labor.

The environment created by man, the conditions of his existence are actually the result of joint labor.

In the process of labor, material and spiritual values are created, designed to meet the needs of members of society. This allows us to single out the satisfaction of needs as the first and most important social function of labor, with which the social existence of a person begins.

The economic development of society is based on the production of material values, which is possible only thanks to the purposeful creative activity of people. In the process of labor, a person, with the help of means of labor, causes pre-planned changes in the object of labor, i.e. living labor, materialized in the material, thereby changes this material. All three moments of the production process: material, instrument of labor and labor merge into a neutral result - the product of labor. Labor in such general view there is nothing but eternal natural condition human life. It is independent of any particular organization1. In any socio-economic formation and political structure society, labor retains its significance as a factor of social production.

Economic theory distinguishes three factors of production: land, labor and capital. Moreover, production as such is only possible if land and capital are united with labour. Only in the process of labor activity natural and material resources converted to material values. Without labor, land and capital lose their importance as factors of production.

Labor is recognized as the dominant factor and differs from the other two by the active nature of the impact on the material substance and the presence of a human, personal principle. Labor activity is carried out by people, and therefore labor bears the imprint of socio-historical conditions.

The improvement of production also occurs to a large extent due to labor, an increase in its productivity, and the complication of its content. Labor has a significant impact on the general performance indicators of organizations, including the level of profit. Ultimately, the well-being of the employer, the economy, society as a whole depends on the efficiency of labor.

Labor, forming social wealth, underlies all social development. As a result of labor activity, on the one hand, the market is saturated with goods, services, cultural values for which a certain need has already developed, on the other hand, the progress of science, technology, and production leads to the emergence of new needs and their subsequent satisfaction. In addition, scientific and technological progress ensures the growth of productivity and labor efficiency2.

The significance of labor is not limited to its role in social production. Spiritual values are also created in the process of labor. With the growth of social wealth, the needs of people become more complex, cultural values are created, and the level of education of the population grows. Thus, labor performs the function of one of the factors of social progress and the creator of society. Ultimately, it is thanks to the division of labor that the social strata of society and the foundations of their interaction are formed3.

Labor - a conscious purposeful activity to create material and spiritual benefits necessary to meet the needs of each individual and society as a whole - forms not only society, but also a person, encourages him to acquire knowledge and professional skills, to interact with other people, to complicate needs . In human nature itself, as researchers note, the need to work as a necessary and natural condition of existence was initially laid down. Many scientists adhere to the point of view that work in itself is a source of satisfaction5, which makes it possible to realize the aspirations inherent in a person for self-expression in work. The desire to work is often associated with an individual's awareness of belonging to a human community, participation in common life, in co-creating their environment.

Among the social functions of labor, freedom-creation is also singled out: labor manifests itself in society as “a force that paves the way for humanity to freedom (giving people the opportunity to take into account in advance the increasingly distant natural and social consequences of their actions, this function, as it were, summarizes all the previous ones, because it is in Through labor and through labor, society cognizes both the laws of its development and the laws of nature; therefore, other functions, as it were, “prepare” and make the free-creating function of labor, which is a function of the further unlimited development of mankind, really feasible)”6.

From an economic point of view, labor is the process of influencing natural and material resources.

Emphasizing the dynamic essence of this social phenomenon, they talk about living labor, labor activity, the main features of which are: conscious character; connection with the creation of wealth; rationality; purposefulness; public utility.

^ 2. Labor activity can be classified by type depending on the nature and content of labor; the subject and product of labor; means and methods of labor; working conditions.

According to the nature and content of labor, one can single out the labor of the owner of the means of production - independent and dependent labor - hired. This division, which takes into account the social nature of labor, due to the form of ownership of the means of production. In a certain sense, the social character of labor is reflected in the identification of its two organizational forms: individual and collective labor. The social nature of labor is manifested in the formation of ways to motivate labor (desire, perceived need, coercion)7. Accordingly, there are such types of labor as voluntary and forced.

The nature and content of labor can be considered in the structural aspect. From this point of view, two main parameters come first - the degree of intellectualization of labor and the qualification complexity of the labor function. In accordance with these parameters, it is possible to single out physical and mental labor, reproductive and creative, unskilled and skilled (highly skilled) or labor of varying degrees of complexity.

The second classification criterion - the subject and product of labor - takes into account the professional, functional and sectoral division of labor. On a professional basis, one can distinguish as many types of labor as there are professions (the work of a driver, engineer, teacher, etc.). Accounting for the functional division of labor involves the division of labor into types corresponding to the stages (stages) of production: entrepreneurial, innovative, reproductive and commercial. In accordance with the sectoral division of labor, such types are distinguished as industrial labor (mining and processing), agricultural, construction, transport, etc.

The classification of types of labor according to the means and methods used is reduced to the allocation of manual, mechanized and automated (computerized), low-, medium- and high-tech labor.

The division of labor into types, depending on the conditions in which it is carried out, makes it possible to single out labor carried out in normal, harmful and hazardous conditions. You can talk about work in stationary conditions and mobile, traveling work; light, moderate and heavy, unregulated (free), regulated and strictly regulated with a forced rhythm.

The use of all four groups of features makes it possible to formulate general characteristics any particular type of work.

^ 3. Labor, as can be seen from the above characteristics, is a complex social phenomenon. Considering labor as a subject for study, several aspects are usually distinguished, which include: economic, social, psychophysiological, technical and technological, legal.

The legal aspect exists when using almost any type of labor, but this does not mean that labor law is comprehensive. So when we are talking about independent work, i.e. labor of the owner of the means of production (farmer, individual entrepreneur, etc.), legal regulation it is not the labor process that is subjected, but social relations indirectly related to labor - relations for registering an individual entrepreneur (obtaining a license to carry out a particular type of activity), taxation, etc. Hired (non-self-employed) labor is also far from always regulated labor law: it can be carried out on the basis of civil labor contracts. In this case, the relations arising from the result of labor are subject to regulation.

Scope labor law is only that part of hired (non-independent) labor that is associated with a special kind of social relationship arising from the process of labor (labor activity) - the labor relationship.

Labor plays a huge role in the development of human society and man. According to F. Engels, labor created man himself.

Throughout life, a person works. To work in order to satisfy his needs for shelter, food, clothing, etc., as well as in work, he realizes his labor potential, fulfills himself and interacts with society.

Thanks to labor activity, a person creates various material and spiritual benefits that satisfy not only his individual needs, but also the needs of the whole society. Also, these benefits ensure the socio-economic development of the country as a whole.

In the process of labor, people enter into labor relations with each other, which cannot simply function and for which regulation and control are necessary. Basically, labor relations are regulated by the state, laws and regulations issued by it.

The concept of "labor" cannot be considered in a simplified way, since it includes not only economic, but also physiological, social and sociological components.

From an economic point of view, labor is any socially useful human activity; from a physiological point of view, labor activity is a neuromuscular process due to the accumulation in the body potential energy. Consequently, labor can be considered as a process taking place between man and nature, in which man, performing a certain activity, mediates, regulates and controls the metabolism between himself and nature.

Defining the goals, methods and results of labor, the commodity producer solves three main issues:

1) what products, in what quantity and when should be produced? (labor as a conscious activity);
2) how to produce these products, from what resources, with the help of what technology? (labor as an expedient, rational activity);
3) For whom should these products be produced? (labor as a socially useful activity).

So, in the most general form, labor can be defined as an objectively inherent sphere of purposeful useful activity for the transformation of natural, material and intellectual resources that he has into a product necessary for personal and social consumption.

Performing a certain type of activity involving the production of products or material services, a person interacts with other elements. labor process- objects and means of labor, as well as with the environment.

The objects of labor include the earth and its subsoil, flora and fauna, raw materials and materials, semi-finished products and components, objects of production and non-production work and services, energy, material and information flows.

Means of labor are machines, instruments and equipment, tools, fixtures and other types of technological equipment, means software, organizational equipment of workplaces. The interaction of a person with objects and means of labor is predetermined by a specific technology, the level of development of labor mechanization (machine, machine-manual and manual processes), automation and computerization of labor processes and production.

The environment and its state are considered from the point of view of labor microecology, i.e. ensuring labor safety and compliance with psycho-physiological, sanitary-hygienic, ergonomic and aesthetic requirements for working conditions, as well as taking into account socio-economic relations in the organization (at the enterprise, in the labor collective).

The product created in the process of labor as a commodity has physical (natural) and value (monetary) forms.

Physical (natural) form of various finished products industrial, agricultural, construction, transport and other industries, as well as all kinds of production and non-production work and services are expressed in various meters - pieces, tons, meters, etc.

In value (monetary) form, the product of labor can be expressed as income received or earnings as a result of the sale of the product of labor.

It is important to emphasize that labor is the basis of human life and development. The need to work as a necessary and natural condition for existence is inherent in human nature itself.

Throughout their lives, people learn ways to interact with nature, find more advanced forms of organizing production, and try to get a greater effect from their labor activity. At the same time, people themselves are constantly improving, increasing knowledge, experience, production skills. The dialectic of this process is as follows: first, people modify and improve the tools of labor, and then they change and improve themselves.

The process of human development consists in the continuous renewal and improvement of the tools of labor and the people themselves. Each generation transfers to the next a full stock of knowledge and production experience. This new generation, in turn, acquires new knowledge and experience and passes them on to the next generation. All this happens in an ascending line.

The development of objects and tools of labor is only a necessary condition for the implementation of the labor process itself, but the decisive element of this process is the person himself.

Labor is the basis of human life and development. In nature itself, it is laid down that a person should work as it is a necessary and natural condition for existence. Equally necessary and natural is labor in terms of its role in society.

In the process of producing material goods and services, people necessarily enter into certain relationships not only with material elements and natural environment but also with each other. Such relationships are called industrial relations.

Relations between people, which are conditioned by their participation in social labor, are public form labor.

It is necessary to understand that labor as such does not exist without a historically established social form, just as there can be no social form of labor without labor itself.

From the very first steps of humanity, labor acquires a social form corresponding to it. Look around you: clothes, shoes, furniture, food, cars, etc. - everything that we use is created by the joint labor of people.

Therefore, labor is the basis of life and activity not only of an individual, but of society as a whole.

The nature of work allows us to consider work from the point of view of social conditions production, it is determined by the forms and methods of attracting members of society to work, the type of social formation of labor, the attitude of workers to work, therefore, the nature of labor expresses something special that is inherent in social labor in every socio-economic formation and is predetermined by the type of production relations prevailing in society .

The modern cardinal economic reform organically brings all participants in production in society to market relations, radically changes production relations. First of all, this is a change in the form of ownership, the rejection of the systematic attraction and distribution of labor resources in the country and the transition to free enterprise based on various organizational and legal forms of ownership and on the free employment of labor through supply and demand in the labor market. In this regard, relations are changing along the entire chain of communication between people - from the labor process to the final consumption (appropriation) of the product of labor. The content of labor expresses the distribution of specific labor functions(executive, control and regulatory) at the workplace and is determined by the totality of operations performed. The basis of these functions is the development of tools of labor, the organization of labor, the level of social and professional division of labor, the skill of the worker himself The content of labor reflects the production and technical side of labor, shows the level of development of productive forces , technical ways of connecting personal and material elements of production, they reveal labor primarily as a process of human interaction with nature, means and objects of labor in the labor process. It should be emphasized that the content and nature of labor express two aspects of one and the same phenomenon—the essence and form of social labor. These two socio-economic categories are in a dialectical relationship, and a change in one of them inevitably has an impact in one form or another on a change in the other.

The essence and form of labor is expressed through the nature and content.

The nature of labor is its socio-economic side, expressing the type public body work and the attitude of employees towards it. It is determined by the system of production relations and depends on the degree of development of the material and technical base of a given production. The content and nature of labor are interconnected.

The first sign of the content of labor is complexity. It is clear that the work of a scientist is more difficult than the work of a turner, and the work of a store manager is the work of a cashier. But to justify the measure of payment various kinds labor requires their comparison. To compare complex and simple labor, the concept of "reduction of labor" is used. The reduction of labor is the process of reducing complex labor to simple labor in order to determine the measure of remuneration for labor of varying complexity. With the development of society, the share of complex labor increases, which is explained by an increase in the level of technical equipment of enterprises and the requirements for the education of workers.

Differences between complex work and simple work:

1) performance by the employee of such mental labor functions as planning, analysis, control and coordination of actions;
2) concentration of active thinking and purposeful concentration of the worker;
3) consistency in making decisions and actions;
4) accuracy and adequate reaction of the worker's body to external stimuli;
5) fast, dexterous and diverse labor movements;
6) responsibility for the results of labor.

The second sign of the content of labor is professional suitability. Its influence on the results of labor is due to the abilities of a person, the formation and development of his genetic inclinations, a successful choice of profession, conditions for the development and selection of personnel. play an important role in professional selection special methods determination of professional suitability.

The third sign of the content of labor - the degree of independence of the worker - depends both on external restrictions associated with the form of ownership, and internal, dictated by the scale and level of complexity of the work. Reducing restrictions on decision making while increasing the measure of responsibility means greater freedom of action, creativity and the possibility of an informal approach to solving problems. The independence of an employee is a criterion for the level of self-awareness of a developed personality, its measure of responsibility for the results of work.

material production

The labor activity of people material production process- is one of the forms human activity, aimed at transforming natural world and the creation of wealth. This is a necessary condition for the life of society, since without food, clothing, housing, electricity, medicines and a wide variety of items, the right people society cannot exist. A variety of services are just as necessary for human life, so it is impossible to imagine life, for example, without transport or household services. Bogolyubov, L.N. Man and society. Social science. Proc. for students. 10 cells / Ed. L.N. Bogolyubova, A.Yu. Lazebnikova. - M.: Enlightenment, 2002. - P.186.

When they say "material production" then they mean that there exists and non-material (spiritual) production. In the first case, this production of things, for example, televisions, appliances or paper are produced. In the second, this production of ideas(more precisely, spiritual values). - actors, directors created a TV show, a writer wrote a book, a scientist discovered something new in the world around him. The difference between them is in created product.

The result of material production - a variety of items and services. But this does not mean that human consciousness does not participate in material production. Any activity of people is carried out consciously. Both the hands and the head are involved in the process of material production. In modern production, the role of knowledge and qualifications is increasing significantly.

In finished form, nature gives us only very little, without labor it is impossible to collect even wild fruits and berries; without significant efforts it is impossible to take coal, oil, gas, wood from nature. In most cases, natural materials are subject to complex processing. In this way, production appears as a process of active transformation of nature by people (natural materials) in order to create the necessary material conditions for their existence. Ibid.- P.186.

For the production of any thing, three elements are necessary: an object of nature from which this thing can be made; means of labor with which this production is carried out; purposeful human activity, his work. Consequently, material production there is the process of labor activity of people, as a result of which material goods are created, aimed at satisfying human needs.

Labor as a type of human activity

The needs and interests of people are the basis that predetermines the purpose of labor activity. Aimless pursuits of anything have no meaning. Such work is shown in the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus. The gods doomed him to hard work - to roll a large stone up the mountain. As soon as the end of the path was close, the stone broke off and rolled down. And so again and again. Sisyphean labor is a symbol of meaningless work.

Work in the proper sense of the word occurs when human activity becomes meaningful when a consciously set goal is realized in it. The meaning of labor is in achieving certain results, in creation material and spiritual wealth.

To material wealth include food, clothing, housing, transport, equipment, services, etc. For spiritual blessings include the achievements of science, art, ideology, etc.

Labor is the main form of life of society and in this way, labor activity differs from educational activity, aimed at acquiring knowledge and mastering skills, and gaming activity, in which it is not so much the result that is important, but the process of the game itself. Performing labor functions, people interact, enter into relationships with each other, and it is labor that is the primary category that contains all the variety of specific social phenomena and relationships. Social work changes the situation various groups workers, their social qualities, which manifests the essence of labor as a basic social process. Most complete social entity labor is disclosed in the categories of "nature of labor" and "content of labor" (Appendix 1).

In the process of labor activity, constantly straining his physical and spiritual forces, overcoming the resistance of the forces of nature, solving more and more complex goals, the person himself is constantly developing. Thus, labor not only created man, but also constantly develops and improves him, i.e. Man is the subject and product of his labor activity.

Work activity is characterized by:

The use and manufacture of tools, their preservation for later use; purposefulness of labor processes.

The subordination of labor to the idea of the product of labor - the labor goal, which, like a law, determines the nature and method of labor actions.

The social nature of labor, its implementation in the conditions of joint activity.

The focus of labor on transformation outside world. The manufacture, use and preservation of labor tools, the division of labor contributed to the development of abstract thinking, speech, language, and the development of socio-historical relations between people.

Productive nature of labor activity; labor, carrying out the process of production, is imprinted in its product, i.e. there is a process of embodiment, objectification in the products of people's activity of their spiritual forces and abilities. Thus, the material, spiritual culture of mankind is an objective form of the embodiment of achievements mental development humanity.

To achieve the goal in labor activity, various means are used: technical devices required for production; energy and transport lines; other material objects, without which the labor process is impossible. All of them together make means of labor. During the production process, the impact on object of labor, i.e. on the materials being converted. For this, apply various ways, which are called technologies. For example, you can remove excess metal from a workpiece using metal-cutting equipment, but the use of an electric pulse method allows you to achieve a similar result 10 times faster. This means that labor productivity will increase 10 times. It is determined by the amount of time spent per unit of output.

So, in the structure of labor activity, elements are distinguished (Fig. 3): Ibid. - P.18.

1) consciously set goals - the production of certain products, the processing of natural materials, the creation of machines and mechanisms, etc.;

2) objects of labor - those materials (metal, clay, stone, plastic, etc.), the transformation of which is aimed at the activity of people;

3) means and tools of labor - all devices, devices, mechanisms, adaptations, energy systems, with the help of which objects of labor are subjected to transformation;

4) technologies used - techniques and methods used in the production process.

Figure 3 - The structure of labor activity

To characterize labor activity, the following parameters are used: Klimenko A.V. Social science: Proc. allowance for schoolchildren Art. class and entering universities”: / A.V. Klimenko, V.V. Rumynina. - M.: Bustard; 2004. - P.20.

1) labor productivity - the amount of products produced per unit of time;

2) labor efficiency -- the ratio of material and labor costs, on the one hand, and the results obtained, on the other;

3) the level of division of labor - the distribution of specific production functions between the participants in the labor process (on the scale of society and in specific labor processes).

In each specific type of labor activity, labor operations are performed, which are divided into labor techniques, actions and movements. Depending on the characteristics of a particular type of labor, due to the subject of labor, means of labor, the totality of operations performed by the employee, their correlation and interconnection, on the distribution of functions (executive, registration and control, observation and adjustment) in the workplace, we can talk about content of individual work. It includes the degree of diversity of labor functions, monotony, predetermination of actions, independence, the level of technical equipment, the ratio of performing and managerial functions, level of creative possibilities, etc. A change in the composition of labor functions and the time spent on their implementation means a change in the content of labor.

Figure 4 - Content of individual labor

Depending on the role of the employee in the production process, functions should be distinguished: Dikareva A.A. Sociology of labor / A.A. Dikareva, M.I. Mirskaya. - M.: graduate School, 1989. - P.110.

1) energy when the worker sets in motion the means of labor;

2) technological - observation and control over the movement of the subject and means of labor with the adjustment and regulation of equipment;

3)managerial associated with the preparation of production and management of performers

The main factor causing the change in labor functions is scientific and technical progress.

The role of labor in the development of society

The role of labor in the development of man and society is manifested in the fact that in the process of labor not only material and spiritual values \u200b\u200bare created to meet the needs of people, but also the workers themselves develop, acquire new skills, reveal their abilities, replenish and enrich knowledge. The creative nature of labor finds its expression in the birth of new ideas, the emergence of progressive technologies, more advanced and highly productive tools, new types of products, materials, energy, which, in turn, lead to the development of needs.

Thus, the consequence of labor activity is, on the one hand, the saturation of the market with goods, services, cultural values, on the other hand, the progress of production, the emergence of new needs and their subsequent satisfaction.

The development and improvement of production has a beneficial effect on the reproduction of the population, raising its material and cultural level. This is the ideal scheme of the impact of labor on a person and society, which is presented in Fig. 5.

Figure 5 - Schematic role of labor in the development of man and society

However, these processes are strongly influenced by politics, interstate and interethnic relations. But, nevertheless, the general trend in the development of human society is directed towards the progress of production, the growth of material well-being and the cultural level of people, the awareness of human rights as highest value on the ground.

What should be an employee corresponding to the character modern production? This question will be considered in the next chapter.

Ministry of Education of Russia

Far Eastern State Technical University

Institute of economics and management

abstract

Topic: Labor and labor activity of people. labor economics

Done: student

group U-220

Shatina Love

Checked by: senior

department teacher

economic theory

Chipovskaya I.S.

Vladivostok, 2002

Introduction…………………………………………………………………….……3

1. Basic concepts of labor.………………………..…………………...4

2. Types and boundaries of the division of labor ...…………………………………... 6

3. Working conditions………………………………………………………………9

4. The subject of labor economics……………………………………………...12

5. Connection of labor economics with other sciences…………………………..16

4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………20

5. References……………………………………………………...21

Introduction

Labor is the process of transforming natural resources into material, intellectual and spiritual goods, carried out and (or) controlled by a person, either under compulsion (administrative, economic), or by internal motivation, or both.

The labor activity of people presupposes their organization. Under the organization of labor - the establishment of links and relations between participants in production, ensuring the achievement of its goals on the basis of the most effective use of collective labor.

Labor economics as a science studies patterns public organization labor in connection with its technical organization and the manifestation of economic laws in the field of social organization of labor.

1. Basic concepts about labor

Labor plays a huge role in the development of human society and man. According to F. Engels, labor created man himself. The exceptional and many-sided significance of labor is enduring: it is addressed not only to the distant past of mankind, its true nature and the role is revealed with particular force under socialism with the emancipation of labor from exploitation and will manifest itself to an even greater extent under communism, when labor becomes the first vital need of every person.

Labor is a purposeful activity of a person to create material and spiritual benefits necessary for his life. Nature provides for this the source material, which in the process of labor turns into a good suitable for meeting people's needs. For such a transformation of the substances of nature, a person creates and uses tools of labor, determines the mode of their action.

Concrete labor activity expresses people's attitude to nature, the degree of their dominance over the forces of nature. It is necessary to distinguish between labor as the creator of material goods and the social form of labor.

In the process of production, people necessarily enter into certain relations not only with nature, but also with each other. Relationships between people that develop about their participation in social labor, and represent a social form of labor.

The expedient planned labor activity of people presupposes their organization. The organization of labor in general terms is understood as the establishment of rational connections and relations between the participants in production, ensuring the achievement of its goals on the basis of the most efficient use of collective labor. Moreover, those connections and relations that develop between the participants in production under the influence of technology and technology express themselves the technical side of labor organization. Labor is organized and divided differently, depending on what tools it has at its disposal.

Those connections and relations of participants in production, which are due to joint participation and social labor, express the social side of the organization of labor. The relations between people in the process of labor or the social structure of labor are determined by the prevailing relations of production.

The social form of labor organization does not exist outside the relationship of man to nature, outside certain technical conditions of work. At the same time, the technical organization of labor is also under the decisive influence of social conditions.

The technical organization of labor and its social form in reality are closely connected and interdependent and represent separate aspects of a single whole. Only in a theoretical analysis can they be singled out and considered separately, taking into account some specifics of their independent development.

2. Types and boundaries of the division of labor

Economic systems are based on the division of labor, that is, on the relative differentiation of activities. In one form or another, the division of labor exists at all levels: from the global economy to the workplace. The differentiation of types of activities in the country's economy is carried out by groups of industries: agriculture and forestry, mining, construction, manufacturing, transport, communications, trade, etc. Further differentiation occurs according to individual industries and sub-sectors. So, in the manufacturing industry, mechanical engineering stands out, which, in turn, is structured according to the types of manufactured machines, instruments and apparatus. Modern enterprises can be both diversified, i.e. produce wide range products, and specialized in individual products or services. Large enterprises have a complex structure, characterized by the division of labor between production units and groups of personnel.

According to the functions performed, four main groups of personnel are usually distinguished: managers, specialists (engineers, economists, lawyers, etc.), workers and students.

The main types of division of labor in the enterprise are : functional, technological, and subject .

Technological division of labor due to the allocation of stages production process and types of work. In accordance with the characteristics of the technology, workshops and sections of the enterprise (foundry, stamping, welding, etc.) can be created.

Substantive division of labor involves the specialization of production units and employees in the manufacture of certain types of products (products, assemblies, parts).

Based on the functional, technological and substantive division of labor, professions and skill levels are formed.

Profession characterized by the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out a certain kind works. The composition of professions is determined by the objects of production and technology. As a result of technological progress, there is a constant change in the list and structure of professions. Over the last 20-30 years greatest influence The professional structure of the staff was affected by the use of computer technology and new physical and chemical processing methods.

Qualification division of labor determined by the difference in the complexity of the work. This, in turn, determines the different terms for training personnel to perform the relevant functions. The complexity of the work performed is the most important factor in the differentiation of wages. To quantify the qualifications of personnel, the categories of a single tariff scale are usually used, which includes various countries 17-25 bits.

Professions and qualification groups can be considered as types of division of labor (professional and qualification).

The choice of forms of division of labor is determined primarily by the type of production. The closer production is to mass production, the more opportunities for specialization of equipment and personnel to perform certain types works. When choosing the most effective level of differentiation of the production process should be taken into account technical, psychological, social and economic boundaries of the division of labor .

Technical boundaries due to the capabilities of equipment, tools, fixtures, requirements for consumer product quality.

Psychological boundaries determined by opportunities human body, health and performance requirements. The need to take into account psychophysiological boundaries is due to the fact that high degree specialization causes the monotony of labor, which leads to adverse consequences for workers. As a result of the research, it was found that the duration of repeatedly repeating elements of work should not be less than 45 s; the work must be designed in such a way as to ensure the participation of at least five to six human muscle groups.

social boundaries due to the requirements for the content of labor, its necessary diversity, development opportunities professional knowledge and skills.

Economic boundaries characterize the impact of the division of labor on the economic results of production, in particular, on the total costs of labor and material resources.

The division of labor presupposes cooperation. It is carried out at all levels: from the workplace, where several workers can work, to the economy of the country and the world economy as a whole. At the enterprise, the most significant problems of labor cooperation are associated with the organization brigades .

In relation to the mode of operation of the brigades can be mixed and through (daily) .

Depending on the professional qualification composition, there are specialized and complex brigades. In the first case, workers of the same profession (turners, locksmiths, etc.) are united; in the second - different professions and skill levels. Integrated teams provide more opportunities for the development of each employee. As a rule, this type of brigades also provides the best economic performance.

3. Working conditions

Working conditions are the characteristics of the production process and the production environment that affect the employee of the enterprise.