A manufacturer produces plain cardboard storage boxes. At present, teams make complete boxes. Under a proposed method, one group of workers would cut the cardboard sheets, another would fold and join the boxes, and another would pack them. The same number of workers would be employed under either method, and the manufacturer has enough orders to keep them occupied throughout the working day.
Table 1
| Measure | Current method | Proposed method |
|---|---|---|
| Daily output | 1,200 boxes | 1,560 boxes |
How many additional boxes could the manufacturer produce each day using the proposed method?
State two reasons why dividing production into separate stages may increase output per worker.
State one possible disadvantage for a worker of the proposed method.
84 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Economics 1.2 Resource allocation, covering 1.2.1a Markets, 1.2.1b Allocation of resources, 1.2.1c Factor and product markets, 1.2.2a Primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, 1.2.2b Goods and services, 1.2.3a Specialisation and the division of labour, 1.2.3b How and why producers specialise, and 1.2.3c Costs and benefits of the division of labour. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.