Final answer:
Segregation of duties in a business context involves assigning related tasks to two or more individuals, which helps minimize risks. Using a restaurant as an example, while roles such as chefs and servers have clear tasks, there may be times when flexibility is beneficial for efficiency and workflow.
Step-by-step explanation:
Segregation of duties is a key concept in business management, specifically in the field of internal control procedures. This principle ensures that responsibilities for related activities are assigned to two or more individuals to minimize the risk of error or fraud. In short, it aims to prevent any single individual from having complete control over all aspects of any critical business transaction or operation.
Using a restaurant as an example, the division of labor is clear. Specific roles like top chef, sous chefs, servers, and greeters each have their specialized tasks. While a clear division of labor is crucial, in certain situations workload and efficiency must be balanced. If the kitchen is backed up and a hostess is free, it may be efficient for her to help deliver food despite this not being her primary role. This could demonstrate flexibility within the structured division of labor, provided it doesn't compromise the system's integrity or the staffer's core responsibilities.
On a larger scale, complex businesses like manufacturing factories or hospitals have even more defined and specialized job classifications, making segregation of duties even more critical to their operation.