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SYNOPSIS
Nature of production and types of production?
Factors of production.(land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship)
Characteristics of each factor of production.
i) NATURE OF PRODUCTION.
Production implies the making of a commodity or the supplying of a
service.
It is very different form creation.
As the saying goes “God creates but man produces”
Creation implies the production of something out of nothing.
Production on the other hand refers to the making of a commodity or
service out of something else.
EG: Man takes out coal from the earth; the extraction of coal is
production. Man does not produce the coal as nature as produced it. A carpenter
produces a chair or a table from wood; but he does not make wood which is actually a
product of nature.
ii) TYPES OF PRODUCTION
Production as cultivation: Production may take the form of cultivation.
E.g.: the farmer plows, sows, irrigates, weeds and finally as the end harvests his crop
say wheat.
Production as extraction: Production may also take the form of taking out
certain goods which are already made by nature. E.g.: The coal from the earth and
fish from the sea.
Production as manufacturing: Production may take the form of changing
one commodity into another. E.g.: the production of a table from wood.
Production as distribution: Production takes place when a commodity is
stored over time or when it is shifted from one place to another till it reaches the
consumer.
i.) Land.
Ordinarily when we speak of land, we refer to the space upon which we
build our homes, farms and factories.
In economics we speak of land as a factor of production and hence we
refer to not only the soil but all the natural resources which we find on the ground,
beneath the ground in the water and in the air.
Land therefore refers to al natural resources- the materials and the forces
which nature gives freely for aid in land and water, in air, light and heat.
Natural resources may be defined as all those gifts of nature which man
uses to produce goods and services which satisfy his wants.
Land refers to the sea, lakes, river valleys, mountains plains etc. on which
depends the prosperity and wealth of the country.
Thus natural resources or land constitute an important factor production.
A country which is blessed with plenty of natural resources can become
rich and prosperous.
However one must realize that resources are useless unless man is
prepared to use them and has the necessary knowledge and ability to use them.
ii.) Labor
In ordinary language, labor refers to the work done manually or it refer to
the workers who use their hands and feet.
In economics the term labor refers to “ the inclusion of all efforts made by
mad to earn a living”
If a person uses his energy and exerts his mind and body with the motive
of getting an income, he is engaged in labor.
Hence labor is defined as
c. Labor is perishable.
If time flies, the laborer also fliers with it.
A day lost without work means a days work gone for ever.
That is why workers are compelled to accept even low wages rather than earn
nothing.
iii.) Capital
Generally when we speak of capital we refer to it as money but in
economics the term capital is used in a much wider sense.
It refers to all man made goods which are used in production.
They are also known as producer’s goods or capital goods.
Capital includes tools, equipments, machinery, buildings, transport
equipment, raw materials etc.
All these goods are regarded as wealth but they will be capital provided
that they are used in production.
Thus capital is wealth but wealth is not capital.
iv.) Entrepreneurship.
In the past production was carried on in the house of workers or in small
workshops.
The worker in olden times himself possessed the tools he required
supplied the capital he wanted, owned his own land or house, and planned the
operation himself.
He was the landlord, the worker, the capitalist and the organizer al rolled
in one.
But conditions of production and market have changed considerable these
days. Production is no more simple.
It is organized on a large scale and had become highly complex.
Besides factors of production are owned separately and sometime may
even lie scattered.
A cotton textile mill in Coimbatore engages over 5000 workers who come
from all over Tamil Naidu and Kerela, Its capital is supplied by shareholders, spread
over the whole of India but also in other countries.
Conclusion
In short he is the one who must take all the decisions
regarding the organization running and management of the firm.
In performing these functions the organizer assumes many
risks and bears a heavy responsibility.
The entrepreneur is not a paid manager. He is the one who
acts as boss and who decides as to how the business should be run; he is not paid any
fixed wages. \
The entrepreneur himself is not employed by anyone and is
not paid a fixed salary.