What concept is Adam Smith credited with promoting regarding work efficiency?

Adam Smith is credited with promoting the concept of the Division of Labor, which centers on breaking down the production process into smaller tasks that can be performed by specialized workers. This approach enhances efficiency because it allows workers to focus on a specific task, thereby improving their skills and speed in that area. As each worker becomes adept at their designated role, the overall productivity of the entire production process increases.

Smith illustrated this concept through the example of a pin factory, where he showed that assigning specific tasks to workers resulted in significantly greater output compared to having each worker complete the entire process alone. This principle laid the groundwork for modern manufacturing and economic theory, highlighting the benefits of specialization within the workforce.

In contrast, while the standardization of work, scientific management, and job rotation are all relevant concepts in the field of management and production efficiency, they originated later or focus on different aspects of work organization compared to the foundational idea of the division of labor introduced by Smith.