Labor and work are concepts. Labor concept

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

Basic concepts about work.………………………..…………………...4
Types and boundaries of division of labor...................................................6
Working conditions……………………………………………………………9
Subject of labor economics……………………………………………………………...12
Relationship between labor economics and other sciences…………………………..16
Conclusion……………………………………………………………20
References……………………………………………………...21

Introduction

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

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

Labor economics as a science studies the patterns of social organization of 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 work

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

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

Specific work activity expresses people’s attitude towards nature, the degree of their dominance over the forces of nature. It is necessary to distinguish between labor as a creator of material wealth and the social form of labor.

In the production process, people necessarily enter into certain relationships not only with nature, but also with each other. The relationships between people that develop regarding their participation in social labor constitute a social form of labor.

The expedient, systematic labor activity of people presupposes their organization. The organization of labor in general terms is understood as the establishment of rational connections and relationships between participants in production, ensuring the achievement of its goals based on the most effective use of collective labor. Moreover, those connections and relationships that develop between 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 relationships between production participants that are determined by joint participation and social labor express the social side of the organization of labor. The relations between people in the labor process or the social structure of labor are determined by the prevailing relations of production.

The social form of labor organization does not exist outside of man’s relationship to nature, outside of certain technical working conditions. At the same time, the technical organization of labor also experiences 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 theoretical analysis can they be identified and considered separately, taking into account some of the specifics of their independent development.

2. Types and boundaries of 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 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 by individual industries and sub-sectors. Thus, in the manufacturing industry, mechanical engineering is distinguished, which, in turn, is structured according to the types of manufactured machines, instruments and apparatus. Modern enterprises can be either diversified, i.e., produce a wide range of products, or specialized in individual products or services. Large enterprises have a complex structure, characterized by a division of labor between production departments and personnel groups.

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

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

Technological division of labor due to the identification of stages of the 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.

Subject division of labor involves the specialization of production departments and employees in the manufacture of certain types of products (products, components, parts).

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

Profession characterized by the knowledge and skills necessary to perform a certain type of work. 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 past 20-30 years, the greatest impact on the professional structure of personnel has been the use of computer technology and new physical and chemical processing methods.

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

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 greater the opportunity for specialization of equipment and personnel to perform certain types of work. When choosing the most effective level of differentiation in the production process, consideration should be given to technical, psychological, social and economic boundaries of the division of labor.

Technical boundaries are determined by the capabilities of equipment, tools, devices, and requirements for consumer quality of products.

Psychological boundaries determined by the capabilities of the human body, the requirements for maintaining health and performance. The need to take into account psychophysiological boundaries is due to the fact that a high degree of specialization causes monotony of work, which leads to adverse consequences for workers. As a result of research, it was established that the duration of repeatedly repeated elements of work should not be less than 45 seconds; 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 are determined by the requirements for the content of work, its necessary diversity, and opportunities for the development of professional knowledge and skills.

Economic boundaries characterize the influence 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 country’s economy and the world economy as a whole. At an enterprise, the most significant problems of labor cooperation are related to the organization brigades.

In relation to the work mode of the brigade, there may be mixed and through (daily).

Depending on the professional and qualification composition, they distinguish specialized and complex brigades. In the first case, workers of the same profession are united (turners, mechanics, etc.); 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 brigade also provides better economic indicators.

3. Working conditions

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

The characteristics of the production process are determined by the equipment used, objects and products of labor, technology, and workplace service system.

The production environment is primarily characterized by sanitary and hygienic working conditions (temperature, noise, lighting, dust, gas contamination, vibration, etc.), occupational safety, work and rest schedules, as well as relationships between employees of the enterprise.

Thus, working conditions can be considered in technical, organizational, psychophysiological, social, legal and other aspects.

The design of working conditions should be carried out taking into account the differences between employees of the enterprise by gender, age, health, qualifications, psychological and social characteristics. Systems of recommendations and normative materials of varying degrees of generality and binding have been developed (recommendations of the International Labor Organization, national, industry, regional, factory standards), which should be used when designing working conditions.

In particular, it is necessary to take into account restrictions on the participation of women in a number of industries with hazardous working conditions (metallurgical, chemical, mining enterprises), on the maximum weight of transported goods (for men and women), on permissible levels of radioactivity, dust, gas contamination, noise, vibrations, etc.

The main policy documents regulating working conditions are sanitary standards for the design of enterprises, building codes and regulations (SNiP), GOSTs, safety and labor protection requirements.

The sanitary standards for the design of industrial enterprises establish maximum permissible concentrations (MAC) for the content of harmful substances in the work area. To ensure normal working conditions, it is necessary to improve technology, seal and automate equipment, and ventilate production premises.

Labor intensity characterizes the amount of labor expended per unit of working time and is the most important component of the severity of labor, determining the total impact of all factors of the labor process on the body of workers. The relationship between the concepts of intensity and severity of labor is the subject of debate.

The main factors influencing labor intensity include:

the degree of employment of the employee during the working day;
rate of labor, i.e. the number of working movements per unit of time;
the efforts required to perform the work, which depend on the mass of the objects being moved, the characteristics of the equipment, and the organization of work;
number of serviced objects (machines, workplaces, etc.);
sizes of objects of labor;
size of batches of blanks;
workplace specialization;
sanitary and hygienic working conditions;
forms of relationships in production teams.

Measuring the intensity and severity of labor is a very complex problem that still does not have a satisfactory solution.

Methods for assessing the intensity and severity of work take into account:

energy costs of workers;
pace of work;
workers' opinions about the degree of fatigue;
psychophysiological characteristics of fatigue.

These indicators should be applied taking into account the characteristics of the work being analyzed. In particular, measuring energy expenditure and work tempo cannot be used to assess the intensity of mental work. When analyzing the severity of work, it is advisable to proceed from the degree of fatigue of workers, assessed both subjectively (based on staff surveys) and objectively (based on an analysis of psychophysiological characteristics). It is also necessary to take into account factors whose influence does not appear immediately (radioactive radiation, carcinogens, etc.).

4. Subject of labor economics

Labor economics as a science studies not the relationship of man to nature in itself, not the material and material side of specific labor, but the laws of the social organization of labor in connection with its technical organization.

At each stage of development of human society, its own specific social form of labor is created. Although the social organization of labor changes under the influence of social conditions, some constant common elements can be found in it, due to the very nature of human labor.

In order for the labor process to take place, it is necessary to combine labor power with the means of labor. The methods of connecting labor power with the means of labor change under the influence of production relations. But no matter how these methods change, attracting people to work remains an absolutely necessary element in the organization of social labor.

In order to produce material goods, people enter into certain social and labor relations. These connections (division, cooperation of labor, labor discipline, etc.) are carried out by their own special methods in each socio-economic formation, but no matter how these methods change, the need for mutual cooperation of people in one form or another always remains.

In order for production, which is based on labor, to be carried out constantly, continuous reproduction of labor power is necessary. We are talking here about both the reproduction of an individual worker - the bearer of labor power, and the reproduction of collective labor power. This is related to both the specific nature and forms of distribution of the social product. No matter how the forms and methods of reproduction of labor power and distribution of the social product change, they always remain a moment of the social organization of labor. Each socio-economic formation is characterized by its own methods of implementing these requirements of the social organization of labor, and these methods themselves are determined by the action of objective economic laws.

Thus, labor economics studies the manifestation of economic laws in the field of social organization of labor, distribution of social product, reproduction of labor power and determines methods of their use in practical activities to ensure a steady increase in the productivity of social labor in order to improve the standard of living of workers and comprehensive human development.

The separation of labor economics into an independent scientific discipline is determined by the needs of theory and economic practice. Running a household is impossible without knowledge and use of the laws that determine the scientifically based organization and planning of labor both on the scale of the national economy and in an individual enterprise. Labor economics is designed to theoretically generalize phenomena and processes in the field of social labor and equip practice with scientific methods of using economic laws and the advantages of socialism in specific conditions of economic activity.

Labor economics studies issues of social organization of labor as a special phenomenon in the system of a single complex social organism. Therefore, the patterns studied by labor economics can only be understood in connection with knowledge of the general mechanism of action of the laws of social production, which is revealed more politically. It is political economy that will provide the most generalized and complete understanding of economic patterns. At the same time, an isolated study of issues of social organization of labor helps to gain a deeper understanding of the connections and patterns of social production as a whole.

The methodological basis of labor economics as a science is dialectical materialism. This means that all studied phenomena and processes in the field of social organization of labor must be considered historically, that is, in development, taking into account changing social and production conditions. This approach, first of all, allows us to correctly establish significant differences in the organization of work and determine advantages in this area.

Considering the social organization of labor in development, it is easy to detect remnants of the past, features of the present and germs of the future. A historical approach to the study of the development of forms of labor involves taking into account features in the organization of work. Only under this condition is it possible to understand and explain the historical conditionality of individual phenomena in the field of social organization of labor.

At the same time, the study of processes occurring in the field of social organization of labor cannot take place without taking into account and connection with other phenomena and processes of economic life. For example, changes in the division of labor cannot be understood without connection with the development of technology and the organization of production.

All this allows us to correctly evaluate certain phenomena and draw informed conclusions for practical activities in the future.

These methodological requirements of scientific research are carried out using a number of means and methods that are common to economic sciences. These include methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis, comparative analysis and evaluation, and the balance method. Recently, the experimental method has begun to be increasingly used, making it possible to verify the correctness of certain theoretical conclusions and scientific recommendations on a limited range of economic objects.

5. Relationship between labor economics and other sciences

Due to its importance and versatility, labor is studied by many sciences. Of course, each of them has its own specific subject of study. All labor sciences can be, with a certain degree of convention, classified as follows: socio-economic - labor economics, sociology of labor, labor statistics, labor regulation; biological - occupational physiology, occupational hygiene, occupational psychology; legal - labor law, labor protection.

There is a certain connection between labor economics and these sciences, which is based on a single object of study - labor.

The sociology of labor examines the labor process in its relationship with social conditions and factors. The labor activity of workers, their production activity depends not only on specific production and technical conditions, but also largely on the relationships between members of the production team, managers and subordinates, and a number of other factors that lie outside production and technical relations. Taking these factors into account is a necessary condition for the correct organization of labor and its gradual transformation into the first vital need.

In its research, labor economics widely uses statistical data characterizing mass phenomena and processes in the field of social organization of labor, as well as statistical techniques and methods for studying economic phenomena: groupings, averages, indices, etc. It is clear that labor statistics itself uses conclusions labor economics on the patterns of development of the social organization of labor. The close relationship of these sciences is especially clearly revealed in labor planning. In this case, statistical groupings of reporting data are widely used in planning labor productivity, number of employees, wages, etc. In turn, indicators developed by labor economics for setting a labor plan also determine the range of corresponding indicators for statistical reporting on labor.

Labor economics is closely related to labor regulation as a scientific discipline and practical activity. The objective need for labor rationing follows from the needs of a socialist planned economy and is determined by the requirements of labor organization and the socialist principle of payment according to the quantity and quality of labor. Labor standards are the starting point for planning labor productivity, the number of employees, improving forms of labor organization in an enterprise, as well as for determining remuneration for labor. At the same time, rationing workers, when establishing labor standards and remuneration, rely on the conclusions of labor economics, which determine the economic feasibility and feasibility of rationing measures.

Despite the decisive importance of the socio-economic factor in the organization of work, one cannot underestimate the biological, natural side of labor activity and its role in the organization of work. The labor process, taken as a psychophysiological process of influencing the forces of nature, is studied by a series of biological sciences: hygiene, physiology, psychology. These sciences equip the economist with natural science methods for assessing and improving the organization of labor and the labor process. Naturally, they themselves coordinate their conclusions and proposals with the requirements of labor economics.

A special place is occupied by legal measures, united by the general term “labor protection”. They are aimed at ensuring a normal and safe working environment. Compliance with labor protection and safety standards and requirements, determined by special government bodies, is a prerequisite for proper organization and improvement of labor efficiency.

All of these social and natural sciences study individual aspects of labor. Labor economics synthesizes and uses the findings of these sciences to develop specific methods of economic policy in the field of labor.

Labor economics is closely related to a number of economic sciences. What labor economics and these sciences have in common is a common object of study - expanded reproduction and a single theoretical basis - political economy. Functional and sectoral economic sciences also deal with labor issues, but only in connection with the main issues of their sciences.

Labor economics, using and generalizing the experience of individual sectors of the national economy, reveals the general aspects and uniqueness of the mechanism of action and the form of manifestation of the laws of social organization of labor. In a systematically organized economy there must be a unified methodological approach to solving labor issues, which is developed on the basis of scientific and practical recommendations of labor economics. However, labor economics not only “serves” other economic sciences in its specific field, but also itself uses their conclusions. For example, when planning labor, they use the general methodological recommendations established by such a science as economic planning.

When studying labor problems, it is extremely important to use the findings of the sciences that determine the paths of technical progress in the national economy. Only by having a good understanding of the main trends in the development of production technology, by anticipating and correctly assessing the prospects for technical progress, can one find the right solution to the most important labor issues (labor productivity, labor organization and wages, training of qualified personnel).

Thus, the study of general patterns of social organization of labor and the development of scientific recommendations on labor problems cannot be successful on the basis of labor economics alone. This requires broad universal knowledge, because labor is an extremely complex multifaceted phenomenon, labor is inseparable from man, and the problem of man in society is the most important and central problem of both social and natural sciences.

Conclusion

Now, knowing what labor is, what types of labor there are, what labor economics studies, what connection it has with other sciences, we can determine what place labor economics occupies in the life of one person and the entire state.

The main task of “Labor Economics” is the knowledge of economic laws that determine the development of labor organization. The economic laws that organize the work of millions of workers are consciously applied by the state. From the economic policy of the state and the creative experience of workers, labor economics draws rich materials for its research and scientific developments. At the same time, labor economics as a science equips practice with scientifically based recommendations for improving the organization and increasing the efficiency of social labor. Decisions that summarize the labor successes of the people and determine the tasks and paths of social and economic development of the country are of enormous ideological, theoretical and practical importance.

One of the most important tasks of labor economics is to identify and show the advantages of labor organization in order to make the best use of these advantages.

As for the satisfaction received from the labor process, it significantly depends on the share of creativity in this type of activity, its goals, conditions of implementation, as well as on the individual characteristics of the person. The more satisfaction a person receives from the labor process, the greater the benefit to both the enterprise and society under normal social conditions.

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Bulgakov S.N. Philosophy of farming. M., 1990.
Lampert H. Social market economy. M., 1994.
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Genkin B.M. Economics and sociology of labor. M., 1997.
Mill J. C. Fundamentals of political economy. M. 1980.
Personnel management of an organization: Textbook edited by A.Ya. Kibanova. M., 1997.
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Bobkov V. Quality of life. // Man and labor. 1996.
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Labor Economics. Ed. N. A. Ivanova and
G.I. Mechkovsky. Textbook for universities. M. 1976.

It is believed that it was labor that predetermined the development of human civilization and distinguished it from the animal world. It is the tendency to conscious activity that helps people become creators of their own destiny and seriously influence the world around them, changing it at their own discretion. In everyday life, we identify the concepts of work and labor, considering them synonymous. Are these categories really similar to each other, or are there differences between them?

Definition

Work– conscious activity of living beings aimed at transforming matter, satisfying physical and spiritual needs. In the process of labor, raw materials acquire new properties, old ideas acquire new content. In economics, this term is an integral part of the factors of production and consists of objects and means of labor.

Job is a purposeful human activity, a natural and inalienable right, which consists in the production of material goods, the provision of services, and the completion of tasks. Efforts are made precisely in order to obtain a tangible result, which can either be calculated (production, construction, agriculture) or assessed speculatively (law, programming, journalism).

Comparison

Both work and labor can be carried out on a voluntary basis or paid. It all depends on the status of the subject of legal relations and the conditions in which he finds himself. At the same time, forced labor is prohibited, as well as forced labor, and criminal liability is provided for the exploitation of a person. Participants in legal relations are endowed with freedom of self-realization, which manifests itself in conscious choice.

However, there are also differences between these categories. Firstly, the concept of “labor” is much broader: it includes, among other things, work. It can be paid or carried out on a voluntary (compulsory) basis. Secondly, the word “labor” is most often used in a positive sense, in opposition to routine processes. Work can have a negative meaning as a monotonous, daily task that must be completed no matter what.

Work is not always finished: it can continue indefinitely. This is eloquently evidenced by the myth of Sisyphus, who was punished by the gods to eternally lift a stone up a mountain. At the same time, the work is aimed at a result, which must be either measurable or speculative. The word "work" is used exclusively in relation to a person. The concept of “labor” is also used to describe other representatives of the animal world (bees, monkeys, plants).

Conclusions website

Scope of concepts. The meaning of the category “labor” is broader than the concept of “work”.
Final result. Work is always aimed at obtaining a specific benefit, while labor can be realized precisely through a process (“Sisyphean labor”).
Personification. The concept of “labor,” as a rule, can be applied to any living beings (bee labor - collecting honey), while work can only be applied to humans.
Emotional coloring. In the mass consciousness, work is usually called routine actions that take a lot of time, and work acts as creation, development, and the realization of goals and aspirations.
Availability/absence of payment. As a rule, work is carried out on a paid basis and is synonymous with the position or vacancy held. Labor can be performed both involuntarily (slave, convict) and free of charge (socially useful, volunteer).

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RELATIONSHIP OF THE CONCEPTS “LABOR” AND “WORK”

It is known that the successful development of production in modern conditions largely depends on the competitiveness of personnel. And it is achieved by constant training of the workforce, improving its qualifications, strategically determining the number of workers and professional guidance at a given moment and in a given production. Traditionally, in the domestic economic literature, the term “labor force” is understood as the ability to work of a certain quality.

Labor power is the physical and spiritual abilities of a person, which are used by him in the labor process to create goods or provide services. Labor power represents the potential ability to work, and labor itself is the functioning labor force (functioning ability).

The content of work largely determines the degree of a person’s satisfaction with his work and, as a consequence of this, often acts as one of the leading factors in the stability of production teams. The study of labor functions from the point of view of their content, creative richness, and variety of tasks to be solved assumes that the worker as a participant in the labor process acts as a carrier of information.

The continuous development of production and the introduction of the achievements of modern science cause a rapid growth in the need for qualified workers, increase the requirements for the quality of training of workers, and require additional costs. Now is the time when it is necessary to pay closer attention to systematic training, and especially to the retraining of qualified specialists. This will allow us to respond more quickly and effectively to socio-economic changes in the country.

Without a doubt, the issue of human resources is of a strategic nature for both large successful and small firms. At the same time, the personnel management system at most enterprises does not correspond to the strategy of market reforms, which significantly hinders the ability to implement programs of sustainable stabilization, revitalization of production and structural restructuring of the economy, improving the quality and competitiveness of Russian products. Domestic entrepreneurs need to learn that the organization’s personnel represent the main value, and this is the main thing in understanding the process of managing an organization.

Let us analyze the main aspects of the content of the concept “business organization”. The concept of “organization” can be defined as “a systematic, conscious association of people’s actions, pursuing the achievement of certain goals.” An organization cannot exist on its own, since its existence depends on the surrounding external environment, which influences everything that happens within the organization.

A business organization is an organization whose activities are aimed at creating added value through the production and sale of a product needed in the market. The success and financial condition of the organization depend on the quality of work of each person included in the organization, since the totality of the results obtained in the work forms the product that the organization provides to the external environment and on the quality of which the effective existence of the entire organization as a whole depends. Not a single organization will be able to form, much less exist, if its purpose is not defined - that for which it exists.

The definition of purpose can be given in two ways - for external observers, users of the organization's products and for employees involved in the functioning process. The main task of human resource management is the most effective use of employee abilities in accordance with the goals of the enterprise and society. The role of human resources in ensuring successful operations, competitiveness of the enterprise and products is extremely high. Thus, the quality of the product directly depends on both personnel and management. Product quality today is the most important condition for the competitiveness of an enterprise. By quality of work, the authors understand activities aimed at obtaining a high-quality result. Therefore, the quality of work is a process that occurs at the individual level, i.e. actions performed by a person to achieve goals in an organization.

To better understand the essence of the quality of work in an organization, let’s consider its content, organization and implementation. It should be noted that this study is limited to studying the content of work quality as a set of tasks and actions performed by an employee to achieve a quality result in his work.

The receipt by an organization of a certain product (result of activity) depends on many conditions. One of the main things is that each person in the organization performs certain work as an activity aimed at obtaining results. In addition, much depends on the chosen personnel management system and the personal qualities, experience and knowledge of managers. If management is carried out ineffectively, then even the most qualified personnel will not work with full efficiency, they will be used ineffectively.

The authors believe that the concept of “quality of work” should be separated from the concept of “function”. The function describes mainly the content side of the activity being performed. Work, in turn, includes not only the content, but also the executive side of the activity, as well as the organizational one. Actions, depending on the type of resource, can be combined under the concept of “function”. A function is a specific type of activity required to transform an individual resource into a total final product. In order for functions to be performed, they must be shared among people in the organization. Function means a specific action performed by a person or organization within the division of labor in society. Depending on the organization, its interaction with the external environment, the complexity and dynamism of the external environment, the number of functions may change. A. Fayol believed that any business organization is characterized by the presence of certain types of activities - functions. In total, he identified six functions: commercial, technical, security, financial, accounting and administrative.

The actions to create a specific product can be combined under the concept of “process”. There is another understanding of the process: a set of activities in which one or more types of resources are used as input, and as a result of this activity a product is created that is valuable to the consumer. In addition, the process is determined by a set of actions and operations aimed at obtaining results and is supported by the organization’s information system. Work in an organization combines the concepts of “function” and “process”; it can be represented as a set of tasks and operations that a person needs to perform to transform available resources into a created product. To create this product, the organization must transform existing resources. Activities for transforming resources - functions - can be divided into tasks depending on the product being created. In turn, the process of creating a product is divided into operations depending on the resources used. The totality of tasks and operations performed in an organization constitutes the work of the entire organization, which is divided among workers, taking into account the horizontal and vertical division of work. Thus, the content side of the work of an individual employee in an organization represents a certain set of tasks and operations. Let's look at the fundamental differences between labor and work.

1. The work is aimed at obtaining results. The result of the work is measurable and objective. The value of the work performed is determined by people in market relations. Labor is associated with the efforts made in the process of human activity. The assessment of these efforts is subjective.
2. The work has different characteristics (in terms of content) of the beginning and end of the cycle. In addition to the performers in the work, there is a source of work and recipients of the result. Work is divided according to goals, tasks, operations, the implementation of which leads to results. Labor as a process is homogeneous and has a detailed division into operations, techniques and movements. The source of labor is human activity, and the recipient of labor is the performer.
3. The process of performing work involves the use of equipment and technology to perform operations, solve problems and achieve goals. Labor is associated with human actions using available technology, precise and clear descriptions of what and where to do, actions are subject to the technological process and require mental and physical stress.
4. The human qualities required in work are determined by the specifics of the tasks being solved and the goals set. To perform the job, the employee’s actions must contain effort, perseverance, diligence, conscientiousness, direction, and initiative. Labor is associated with precise actions, movements and techniques in time.
5. The relationship between an employee and an organization is based on the exchange of results obtained in work - wages and products produced.
6. Work management includes the design of work, the construction of work relationships, the division of powers and responsibilities. Labor management is associated with costs, the need to compensate for efforts and the integrity of employees. Labor management at the organizational level comes down to its division and rationing, and the creation of working conditions. Labor organization allows you to save human and raw material resources and eliminate time wastage.

Labor management is of little use in a business organization due to the problem of its objective measurement and the lack of a direct relationship between labor and a specific result. But some of the results of work research, such as techniques and methods, may be useful to individual workers, since their use will improve individual productivity.

Thus, we can conclude that work is objectively measurable actions aimed at achieving a set goal. The concept of “labor” is associated with subjective judgments about the efforts expended by an individual in one direction or another. Work in the organization is very diverse in content. In this regard, it is advisable to consider various types of work and their classification according to the regulations for execution, the direction and comparability of the result, and the interaction of workers.

1. According to the work regulations. In regulated work, the employee’s actions are determined by the instructions given by the technology. When performing regulated work, an employee does not introduce elements of novelty and personal contribution into it. The results of regulated work are measured in quantitative terms and depend not so much on the individual abilities of the employee, but on the possibility of realizing these abilities in the existing regulations.

In innovative work, the employee’s actions are aimed at creating a new product, a previously unknown item, or developing a new production method. In this case, the obtained work result depends on the personality and professional potential of the employee and is manifested when he is used in the activities of the organization. Obtaining the result of innovative work is determined by creative abilities and depends on the employee himself.

2. According to the direction of the result. The results of the work are aimed at creating a product by the organization intended for a consumer or client outside the organization. Linear departments participate in the creation of a product: supply, production, sales, marketing, R&D. The results of the work are aimed at creating a product needed within the organization and are assessed based on changes in the organization’s activities. Results related to administration and organizational development are aimed at ensuring the activities of the organization.
3. By comparability and repeatability of the result. Functional work is associated with solving tasks of similar content, achieving identical goals and performing similar actions. The results obtained in the work have a time periodicity and are comparable to each other. Project work is associated with the execution and implementation of actions and tasks of different content aimed at achieving results. The content of the work changes significantly after each execution, there is no clear time periodicity, and the results are difficult to compare.
4. On the interaction of workers when performing work. Individual work is performed with a minimum degree of interaction between workers and high autonomy of their activities. Autonomy describes the extent to which a job provides the employee with freedom and independence in determining the work schedule and actions used to achieve the desired result. The amount of autonomy depends on the person.

Group work is carried out with the maximum degree of interdependence between workers. Obtaining results depends on the interaction of workers during the work process.

Obviously, the classification features reveal the substantive side of the work. The content of the work is a set of tasks and actions that must be performed to obtain results in the work. Differences between types of work show its qualitative characteristics and leave an imprint on the execution process. From the above it follows that the concept of “work” contains some duality. On the one hand, work has a substantive side - a set of tasks and actions. On the other hand, work as an activity aimed at obtaining a result is a process in which this result is created and the individual personal abilities and skills of the employee are manifested.

Let's consider work as a process to create a product. The entire process of performing work can be divided into separate stages performed by each employee, but at the same time, each stage of the work must preserve the type of process. This means that the worker receives the work, completes it, and passes it on down the chain. The performance of work in an organization by an individual employee is a process of transforming a resource into a product through the implementation of certain actions, the use of technology and the necessary methods.

Work can also be represented as an action that a worker needs to perform to complete it. In any work, even monotonous and manual work, it is possible to identify a cycle of actions during which an action is performed and work is performed.

Thus, the activities of performing work have a beginning, the actual execution of the work, and the completion of the work. The process of performing work, as a rule, is observable, and the actions of starting and completing it are hidden from observation, but, like the process of execution, they require internal effort and attention from the employee. In addition, work can be viewed as actions to create a result.

To create a result at work, the employee is required to take actions that are different in content and focus: preparing for work, performing the work and maintaining the result. It is a mistake to reduce work only to functional activities, since organizational activities are equally important. At the preparatory stage, the quality of work and productivity are laid down, and neglect to preserve and transfer the result of the work leads to its loss.

The work of every employee in an organization must include organizational mechanisms that promote coordination and interaction among workers. In the content of the work, three interrelated types of relationship building can be noted: authority, responsibility and control.

Authority consists of the employee's right to demand all necessary resources to perform the job. Responsibility lies in the actions that an employee performs to perform the job. Control is expressed in reporting on performance results and achievement of intended goals. Work as an object of management is the place where the united and coordinated efforts of three categories of workers are applied: performer, specialist and manager.

A contractor is a direct employee who ensures that specific work is performed and results are obtained. The specialist ensures the functionality and use of technology, and the connection of work into a single process. The manager divides the work between employees and coordinates the processes during their implementation.

Work is the result of the division of tasks available in the organization. Based on the nature of actions and required qualities, tasks in an organization are divided into three groups:

1) tasks, the implementation of which requires action according to the plan;
2) tasks related to solving problems and actions to prevent their occurrence;
3) tasks aimed at developing and improving the process of performing work and the result obtained.

For a systematic understanding of work and its content, it is necessary to consider the place of work in the organization. Based on the idea of work as a process, the authors proposed diagrams of relationships between employees in an organization. The process of performing work occurs through the interaction of workers and managers who provide it. Work in an organization is a directed process from received resources to the final product. For a worker, this means there are two threads:

input (resources needed to complete the work);
output (obtained work results).

The actions necessary to perform the job become the basis for the requirements for the employee. The main document regulating the powers and actions of an employee, his relationships at work, is the job description. Relationships at work, in turn, are a necessary tool for solving problems that arise during the performance of work, as well as an element of organizational development.

The manager performs the following set of management functions:

ensures the performance of work through managerial interaction with the employee;
establishes rules and norms of behavior;
provides the employee with authority and controls the performance of the work.

The job includes the actions of the worker, the tools used, and the methods used. From the point of view of the content of work, actions determine its executive side, tools reflect the technical side, and methods reflect the organizational side.

From the perspective of performing work, the employee’s actions are a reflection of his motivation, the tool used reflects his skills, and the methods reflect his existing knowledge. When performing work, it is important to distinguish the product from the result. The result of work is, as a rule, the very fact of a change in the state of any thing or group of objects, and a product should be understood as any object whose change in state was due to the actions of the worker. The result obtained in the work is a measure of the achievement of the goal set in the work. Another important aspect of an employee’s activity is that all work, activity and behavior in general are made up of specific actions that lead to a result. The reason for the employee’s impulses and actions is the goal he has conceived and set, his interest in doing his job.

In connection with the development of technology, the field of knowledge, and the increasing pace of changes in the external environment, work management becomes especially relevant. In order for an organization to achieve its goals and produce a product that is competitive in the market, each employee must have and perform a certain job. In order for work performance to lead the organization to its goals, management must manage the work in the organization.

To manage work, a certain set of methods is used that allow:

create new works;
know, measure and evaluate the existing state of work;
influence the content and organizational side of the work;
control the work process;
get an idea of the activities of each employee;
have a document regulating the performance of work;
know what qualities are needed to do the job. The founder of scientific management F. Taylor at the beginning of the 20th century. pointed to division of labor and work design as elements of the administration function, along with planning and distribution of responsibilities. Taylor's work is a task that must be completed by a worker or by the combined efforts of workers and management. The task explains in detail what must be done and how, and indicates the exact time for completing the work. Task plans are designed to ensure good and thorough work.

Among foreign researchers of the work, it is necessary to note F. Gilbert and L. Gilbert, who expanded the study of the work to the performer, his movements and the time spent. This made it possible to design rational methods of performing work and establish standards for working time. The first to raise the question of effective performance of work in an organization was G. Emerson. To increase productivity, he proposed twelve principles of work organization, some of which directly relate to the performance of work by the employee. One of the founders of the study of work in our country was A.K. Gastev. He viewed the work from the perspective of designing and organizing the workplace, learning to use new methods of doing work.

A revolutionary view of work as a result of activity was the concept of management by objectives by P. Drucker. Work is presented in the form of actions aimed at achieving goals, and “... a goal is nothing more than a declaration of the required result.” The logic of management by objectives requires:

clear definition of goals or desired results of work;
formation of real programs to achieve them;
systems for assessing work parameters by measuring specific

results by stages of achieving the goals.

However, in this concept the actions to achieve goals and the employee’s motivation when performing work were not disclosed.

The modern way of presenting work in the form of a project is a concentration of advanced management concepts and theories, and the presence of the main attributes of work - goals, actions and results - shows the validity of such a comparison. Financial independence, time dependence, client assessment of quality, and flexibility make presenting work in the form of a project a promising direction for designing work in modern organizations. Work management is one of the important functions of management and takes into account not only the need to perform work, but also the capabilities of workers. The basic tools of job management include the following: analysis, design, description, specification, redesign, job value assessment and job description.

Job analysis is a procedure for objectively describing the job, its content, the employee's responsibilities and working conditions. Job analysis allows you to obtain information about existing work, assess its adequacy to the goals and objectives of the organization, and identify the reasons for the low level of work performance and potential. The work analysis is based on the following information:

description of the work performed;
requirements for actions and behavior at work;
equipment and technologies used;
working conditions, financial and non-financial incentives;
knowledge, skills, personal qualities necessary to perform the job.

When analyzing work you must:

1) take into account the organizational level of work performance;
2) compare jobs with each other, with other jobs and their place in the organizational structure;
3) compare data with organizational aspects on issues of subordination and interaction in the work process;
4) monitor the continuity of the technological process of the work in question using the technological map.

The result of the job analysis is the basis for the following actions:

drawing up requirements for the employee;
justification of job responsibilities;
determination of compensation, wages and bonuses;
identifying organizational problems in performing work;
justification for the need to redesign the work. Job design is the process of creating a specification

tasks for a specific employee in an organization, including the sequence of their solution, taking into account work relationships, interdependence with other tasks and the required result. Job design is one of the management tasks, the purpose of which is to design work in such a way that its implementation will lead to the achievement of the organization's goals. Design is aimed at creating work from a set of tasks and operations, the solution and implementation of which is necessary for the organization.

There are two main approaches to designing work in an organization. The first, the most common, is that based on the goals and functions of the organization, a job is first designed, and a person is selected for an already known and defined job. In the second approach, a person, his personal qualities and abilities are the basis for designing work. Depending on the approach to designing the work, the content and organizational side of the work will be different, but the structure of the work will retain the fundamental points.

Job evaluation is relative in nature because the job is evaluated in comparison with other jobs in the organization. The result of this process is a clear definition of the hierarchy of payment for work performed. Formal, systematic evaluation of a job determines its relative value in the organization and its corresponding reward. Personnel performance assessment has been and remains one of the most important areas of personnel management. It is designed to help identify ways to improve the performance of people working in an organization.

Currently, there is no single systematic approach to the interpretation of the concept of personnel assessment, its essence and meaning. Performance appraisal can be defined as the process of collecting and analyzing information about how employees perform their assigned functions and determining the extent to which their work behavior, performance and individual characteristics meet the requirements of the organization and management. Performance appraisal is also a process that involves identifying and communicating to the employee how he is performing and, ideally, developing a plan to improve his performance.

Research shows that regular and systematic personnel assessment has a positive effect on employee motivation, professional development and growth. At the same time, assessment results are an important element of human resource management, since they provide the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding remuneration, promotion, dismissal of employees, their training and development. There are several methods for evaluating work. For example, the factorial method: an objective assessment of the work is carried out for each factor, and the further summary assessment of the factors gives an overall rating of the work, which allows you to choose the appropriate tariff, an acceptable and fair amount of payment for the work performed.

A job description is the main document regulating the relationship between an employee and an organization. It is intended to inform the person holding the position about the tasks, distribution of rights and responsibilities, interaction with other people working in the organization, etc. Thus, a job description serves as an auxiliary means of managing people in an organization and regulates not only actions related to the performance of work, but also attitudes towards work. The job description must take into account the organizational structure, determine the employee’s purpose in the organization and thereby contribute to the building of management relations in the organization.

Thus, there are certain methods of managing work in an organization, with the help of which you can change not only the content of the work, but also its organizational side, and therefore the actions, responsibilities and interactions of employees at work. This will make it possible to achieve better compliance of the work performed in the organization with its goals.

Having properly designed work and selecting workers with the appropriate level of knowledge and skills, selected according to job requirements, does not guarantee the organization's success in achieving its goals. It is necessary to ensure that every employee in the organization gets the job done and gets the desired results. The work can be achieved economically, i.e. exchanging work results for monetary reward (piecework form of payment). Another way to ensure work is completed is for the employee to receive monetary compensation for the time spent on work. This form of ensuring work is performed is a variable form of payment.

There are certain standards for performing work and obtaining results. Completing work and obtaining a result are made up entirely of the employee’s actions, and the nature and sequence of these actions depend on the person, his plans and motivation. The process of obtaining results begins with the desires and needs of the employee, since the tool and technologies used only guide his activities and allow him to achieve greater success in his work.

According to V. Vroom's expectancy theory, work for a person is a means, an instrument for satisfying needs. From the standpoint of ensuring the fulfillment of work in the organization and obtaining high results, work should be a goal for the employee, which requires motivation of the employee by the work itself, especially since the characteristics of behavior that he needs to display are determined by the work and its content.

The role of the job execution manager in this case is not only to recruit the necessary people and motivate them, but also to make the work interesting for the employee and develop the qualities important for its performance. To do this, it is necessary to know and understand the needs and desires of the employee, what motivates him to action and what he strives for.

In relation to the activities of an employee in an organization, the characteristics of actions become important, but not in themselves, but in connection with the result obtained in the work. In other words, the employee must be interested in the result itself. At the same time, the work can be structured in such a way that the employee will try to do it better and achieve higher results, using existing knowledge, skills, and individual abilities.

The employee's direct interest in the result contributes to achieving a better result, and the ability to perform the work will form the necessary attitude and interest in it. As a rule, during the work process, only part of the employee’s capabilities is used, and not only the skills and experience, but also the employee’s needs change. As technology advances, the nature of work changes, requiring greater personal investment from the employee. Personal contribution to work is not only the use of knowledge and skills, but also the solution of emerging problems, preventing their occurrence, it is also the creation of new things in work, product development and interpersonal interaction at work. Despite the development of modern technology, the performance of work and the achievement of results directly depend on the employee, and for personal contribution and obtaining high results in unregulated work, motivation is necessary as an internal driving force for improving the quality of the workforce.

Rofe A.I. Scientific organization of labor. - M.: MIC, 1998.

Vikhansky O.S., Naumov A.I. Management. - M.: Gardariki, 1998.
Taylor F. Scientific organization of labor // Management is a science and an art. - M.: Republic, 1992.
Morrisey J. Target management of an organization / Trans. from English; Edited by I.M. Vereshchagin. - M.: Sov. radio, 1979.
Peters T. Wow project // The Art of Management. 2000. No. 3. P. 44-57.

Science has proven that the essence and evolution of man is connected with activity. Activity is a universal way to satisfy needs through an active, transformative attitude towards the world. Activities aimed at the normal functioning of the human body in the surrounding nature are called life activities.

Human life is studied by a variety of sciences. However, the basis of people’s lives is economic activity, which goes through four stages: production – distribution – exchange – consumption of goods and services.

Production is the process of creating material and other goods, i.e. human influence on objects and forces of nature in order to adapt them to satisfy certain needs.

We study 4 factors of production: labor, capital, land, entrepreneurial ability, the most important of which is labor. Labor is one of the types of activity. According to K. Marx, labor is the process of creating consumer values, i.e. goods that satisfy a specific human need.

The sages of all times and peoples sang hymns to work and the working man.

Aristotle: “The purpose of man is in rational activity.”

Aesop: “The true treasure for people is the ability to work.”

Voltaire: “Work relieves us of three evils: boredom, vice and want.”

Leonardo da Vinci: "Glory is in the hands of labor."

Balzac: “Constant work is the law of both art and life.”

The main goals of human activity include:

Material goods;

Power and glory;

Spiritual perfection.

The set of qualitative personality traits that influence the result of activity reflects the concept of “labor potential” and its components:

Ability to create social contacts;

Abilities and tasks;

Rationality of labor behavior;

Availability of knowledge and skills;

Supply on the labor market.

The factors of an individual’s labor potential include: health, morality (work ethic), creativity, activity, education, professionalism, working time resources, etc.

Scientific research data indicate that indicators reflecting the state of the main components of labor activity in Russian society have decreased over the years of market reforms. There is a deterioration in the health of the nation, a decline in the moral core of society, and a lack of work ethic. Creative potential has decreased significantly. In terms of the number of inventions, publications, references in the scientific literature and, finally, the number of Nobel laureates, the situation is not in Russia’s favor. Of the total number of domestic inventions, less than 1% are patented abroad; in the USA this figure reached 30%, in Switzerland – 40%. The share of different countries in the global patent fund is: USA - 30%, Germany - 20%, Japan - 10%, France - 8%, Russia - 1.5%.

The level of Russia's creative potential is largely determined by the low activity of the labor force. It is interesting that the nature of activity was studied most deeply and consistently by L. N. Gumilyov. The scientist called a person’s desire for something new, to change the usual, traditional, “violation of inertia” passionarity (Latin passio - passion). L.N. Gumilyov emphasized that passionarity as a special energetic state of a person applies not only to individual individuals, but also to large groups. Based on the signs of passion and direction of interests, the author of this concept proposed a classification of people. He identified such types as “philistines, vagabonds, criminals, business people, scientists, adventurers, prophets...”.

Today, the decline in the activity of the country's population is explained by many reasons, including the lack of national ideas, shifting values, confusion of people in new conditions, disappointment with reforms and much more.

Problems and contradictions in education are noted. In this indicator, we are significantly behind the world level. Particularly impressive are the changes in the educational attainment of the American workforce. By the beginning of 2000, about 83% of all US adults aged 25 years and older had completed secondary education, and 24% had completed higher education. In 1996, 45,000 doctoral degrees and 406,000 master's of science degrees were awarded in the United States. By 2000, the average number of years of education for the working-age population reached 13 years, which is one year higher than the level of secondary school. Thus, by aggregate measures of educational attainment, the American workforce is one of the best prepared in the world. As for the professional and qualification structure of the labor force, by 2000 the share of those employed primarily in mental work (“white collar”) reached almost 60% of the economically active population in the United States. The share of people who work primarily in manual labor, which includes workers of all skill levels and the so-called “service workers” (cooks, waiters, medical personnel, etc.), is slowly but steadily declining.

The specialized literature most often reflects the quantitative aspect of our lag. But there is another side - differences in the degree of use of acquired knowledge in production. Until recently, only 10% of graduates of technical universities work in engineering specialties, and the rest work wherever necessary. This initially reduces the effectiveness of education.

Thus, the facts indicate that it is necessary to carry out targeted reforms that strengthen Russia’s labor potential. This applies to all forms of manifestation of labor potential.

This can be achieved only through efforts to motivate labor and stimulate active, creative, highly qualified labor.

An act of human activity includes elements:

Subject (individual or group);

Means of achieving the goal (tools, experience, etc.);

Subject (what the activity is aimed at);

Result

Thus, activity is a form of manifestation of the human being and the activity of the individual. An activity makes sense if it brings results or satisfies a particular need of people.

Definition

Comparison

Conclusions website

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