Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SECTION 5: PRODDUCTION
Production
The creation of goods and services to satisfy the needs and wants of consumers. It may
also be defined as changing inputs into outputs.
FACTORS OF PRODUCTION
1. Land
2. Labour
3. Capital
4. Enterprise/Entrepreneurship
1. LAND
This consists of all the natural resources on the earth including those in the sea and the
atmosphere around us. Each country in the Caribbean has various natural resources which
can be used in various industries to produce goods.
2. LABOUR
This includes all human resources which are needed to combine other factors of
production to produce goods and services. It refers to both physical and mental ability.
This factor is rewarded with wages, salaries and or profits. This factor is very important
since people are needed to operate equipment, program machinery, make decisions,
interact with clients etc. Without it, the other factors would be useless. Labour can be
divided into
Skilled (engineers, doctors, teachers, nurses architects etc)
Semi-skilled (driver, plumber, data entry operator etc)
Unskilled (watchman, vendor, labourer etc.)
Factors Affecting the Labour Supply
Wage rate
Hours of work
Size and structure of population
Age at which people enter and leave the labour force
Religious and cultural practices
Adequacy of health services
Mobility of labour
Quality of labour force
Government policies
Willingness of people to work
Migration patterns
The number of women who opt to remain at home
PRODUCTIVITY
This is the rate at which goods are produced (efficiency of production). It may also be the
relationship between the amount which is produced and all the inputs( raw materials,
money etc.) which have to be used to produce those goods.
Positive Effects
1. Workers send remittances in the form of money/goods to the families they left behind
2. It can ease the population pressure in a country with scarce resources.
3. It can increase the pool of labour which organisations have to choose from.
Negative Effects
1. “Brain drain”. This occurs where the skilled and professional persons leave the
community or country in search of better opportunities. This hinders development
(economic, social, intellectual) of the area from which the workers originated.
2. More money has to be spent on training new workers as others leave.
3. Overcrowding in the receiving area can lead to the creation of slums, health problems,
pressure on services such as schools, sanitation and recreational facilities.
4. Increase in the rate of unemployment.
5. Cultural and family life can be disrupted.
3. CAPITAL
Capital is the money and all other assets which are employed in the process of production.
Types of Capital
(Diagram to be drawn here)
1. Physical Capital
This consists of fixed and working capital.
2. Working Capital
Items required for the day to day operation of the business and which are continually being
used up e.g. raw materials, cash etc.
3. Fixed Capital
This usually refers to items which are long lasting and are used in the production of goods
and services e.g. buildings, machinery, tools etc.
4. Financial Capital
Money which is used to run the operations of the organisation. It consists of loan capital
and share capital
5. Social Capital
This takes the form of government expenditure on factories, machinery, roads, utilities etc.
The infrastructure is then used by organisations to assist in effective operations.
4. ENTERPRISE/ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This is the ability to coordinate and combine the various factors of production in an
effort to successfully run the organisation. The entrepreneur is often seen as the fourth
factor of production. This role is also carried out by the various managers within
businesses. Without it production is not possible. An entrepreneur can be seen as
someone who has the following functions:
1. Creation of ideas
2. Takes the initiative and risks
3. Raises finances to fund production
4. Determines what , for whom and how much to produce
5. Ensures that factors are used in the correct proportions
PRODUCTION LEVELS
1. Subsistence Production
This is the production of goods to satisfy one’s own personal needs. E.g. kitchen garden,
sewing one’s own clothing etc.
Benefits
It saves money
One of a kind items are created
Creativity can be explored
2. Domestic Production
The production of good/services for the local market
Benefits
Use of local inputs e.g. labour, capital, raw materials etc.
Provision of jobs
Reduces imports
Reduces the use of foreign exchange
Economy may become self-sufficient
TYPES OF PRODUCTION
1. Extractive/Primary Sector
This type of production involves the extraction of basic raw materials from the land e.g.
mining, agriculture, fishing, forestry. Some of these resources can be used directly or are
used as the raw materials of other industries to be converted to other goods.
2b Construction
This is also part of secondary sector and uses products from the manufacturing area e.g.
building
3. Service/Tertiary Sector
This is known as the service sector where no “tangible” goods are produced. It is divided
into direst services which are needed for their own sake (education, health etc.) and
indirect services which are needed in order to exchange goods (transportation,
communications, banking etc.)
4. Quaternary Sector
Exercise: For the following countries, give examples of primary, secondary and
tertiary production
BARBADOS
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Jamaica
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Trinidad
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Guyana
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
COTTAGE INDUSTRIES
These are industries which are usually carried out in the home. They usually require some
form of skill in order to manufacture goods. These industries are very important to rural
areas as they provide income, employment and provide goods and services which may
only have been available in the town which may be far away.
Characteristics
1. Work mainly carried out manually
2. Home based
3. Business carried out on a small scale.
4. Use of local raw materials.
5. Family members provide labour and in some cases help is hired.
Benefits
Problems
LINKAGE INDUSTRIES
Industries which are dependent on another’s output to produce goods and services. E.g. the
rum distillery is dependant on the sugar industry. Linkage may be:
Backward
Forward
Problems
1. Limited raw materials
2. Access to foreign market is not guaranteed
3. Shortage of capital
Disadvantages
1. Standardisation of products can lead to a reduction of choice
2. The union may become a problem for the firm in terms of wages/strikes etc.
3. Mass production may cause boredom in workers and thus reduced quality
4. It may become too complex to manage
Economies of Scale
This is the reduction in unit(average) costs of producing a product in proportion to the
increase in the size of operation of the firm. There are two types of economies of scale:
Internal
External
Internal Economies of Scale
These are those which are at the level of the individual plant or as a result of how the
firm is organised. They include:
Technical Economies of Scale- The use of equipment to its full capacity which will
increase output.
Financial Economies of Scale- Large firms can acquire capital (assets or
money)easier than small firms because borrowing is easier than small ones which
can then be used for expansion of operations.
Marketing Economies of Scale- Buying raw materials in bulk attracts discounts,
thus reducing cost. This leads to cheaper production and overall unit cost.
Managerial Economies of Scale- This involves the use of division of labour,
specialists can be hired for greater organisation and control of operations. This
leads to increase in the efficiency of operations. The division of the firm into various
departments can also lead to economies of scale unlike the sole trader who has to
accomplish all tasks on his/her own.
Risk-bearing Economies of Scale- A large firm can spread its risk by selling more
than one type of good. When one sells slowly, the other can pick up the slack.
Effects of Growth
In any organisation growth will have an effect on the following
1. Organisational structure
It may become more complex, affecting the chain of command and the span of control of
individuals. New departments may also be created. There is also implications for the
increase in the amount of communication within the firm. Authority may now be delegated
among a greater number of personnel whereas one or two persons may have held it.
2. Capital
More money is now required to finance operations. E.g. buying equipment, paying
workers, raw materials etc. In order to finance its operations the firm may now have to
increase its borrowing or issues shares where possible.
3. Labour
An increase in the number of workers usually occurs but the extent to which is does may
depend on if the
firm is labour or capital intensive. There may also be division of labour/specialisation
which increases output. Specialists may also be hired.
5. Scale of production
This will increase as long as inputs have increased and are being used efficiently. Various
economies of scale can occur as production expands
6. Use of Technology
There will be greater used of technology as long as it will lead to reductions in cost and
increases in output. In turn it may cause a reduction in labour
Labour intensive industries use large pools of human and animal labour e.g. garment
making. Employment is generated and the wage bill tend to be high. This method of
production is found mainly in developing countries.
N.B. In the Caribbean many jobs which were done manually are now seeing the
introduction of the use of machines e.g. in the past, sugar cane was cut by hand it is now
cut in many countries by the use of the combine harvesters which complete the job at a
quicker rate. In other areas such as pattern making and drafting, architecture, engineering
etc., CAD (Computer Aided Design) is becoming more common. It speeds up the process
and improves on quality and standardisation. CAI(Computer Aided Instruction) is also a
tool where the computer is used for the giving of instructions. It allows a person to move at
their own pace, offering methods of testing, feedbacks and remedial work until the learner
understands.
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT & ITS IMPLICATIONS
Mechanisation
The replacement of and animal labour by machines to perform tasks in the production
process
Automation
A process in which a number of tasks are performed by machines with minimal human
intervention. It takes mechanisation one step further.
Benefits of Technology
1. Reduction in labour cost and increase in profits
2. Errors are reduced and quality can be standardised
3. Reduction in per unit cost
4. Increase in production
5. Cost of products to consumers may be reduced
Problems of Technology
1. Increase in unemployment
2. Equipment may quickly become obsolete and have to be replaced thus increasing cost.
3. The required skilled labour to operate the equipment may be in short supply
4. Only standardised products can be provided which do not take into account the taste of
consumers.