... production, and compare and contrast it with flexible specialization. However, before dwelling into the aforementioned aspects it is essential to study the classical view which throws light on mass production as a historical necessity. The core of the classical theory of economic development as seen through the writings of Smith and Marx is the idea that increases in productivity depend on increasingly specialized or product specific use of resources. For Adam Smith, the crucial source of increased productivity was the division of labour that led to the concentration of a narrower range of activities and allowed specialists to perfect their skills more rapidly, wasting less time switching operations. He recognized the need to design and use man-machine systems for the production of items in large quantities. For Marx, specialization of manual work was also important for the increase of industrial productivity because it led to the introduction of special purpose ...

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