Automation at Workplaces

Electronic mail (e-mail)

Step 1: The chapter lists major functional components of an automated office. Step 2: These include word processing, information storage and retrieval, electronic mail, decision support systems, and computerised teleconferencing. Step 3: Electronic mail (e-mail) is clearly one of these components. Step 4: Options B, C, and D (manual filing, chalkboard, hand-written letters) are all manual processes – the opposite of automation. Step 5: Hence, Option A is correct.

Mechanisation saves human muscle effort; automation saves human judgement and mental labour

Step 1: The chapter clearly distinguishes mechanisation and automation by their function. Step 2: Mechanisation displaces human physical effort – it saves muscle power. Step 3: Automation goes a step further and displaces human judgement – it saves mental labour too. Step 4: Option A correctly states this distinction. Step 5: Option B reverses the roles, which is incorrect. Options C and D are also incorrect as they ignore the mental labour aspect of automation.

Traditional stage

Step 1: The chapter describes four stages of evolution from mechanisation to automation. Step 2: The four stages in order are: (1) Traditional stage, (2) Mechanisation stage, (3) Automation stage, (4) Futuristic stage. Step 3: The Traditional stage came first – before the Industrial Revolution, when people did everything by hand. Step 4: Mechanisation stage came second with the Industrial Revolution. Step 5: Therefore, Option A (Traditional stage) is the correct first stage.

Futuristic stage

Step 1: The chapter describes the Futuristic stage as the next stage of evolution beyond automation. Step 2: In this stage, technology takes over almost all work, with humans only supervising. Step 3: Examples include driverless cars, GPS-guided tractors, and factories run by robots. Step 4: Option A (Futuristic stage) is correct. Step 5: The other options (Traditional, Mechanisation) are earlier stages with no such technology. 'Agricultural stage' is not even one of the four stages.