Final answer:
The design of machines for specific tasks resulted in the deskilling of workers, repetitive unskilled labor, and in many cases, poor working conditions, but also led to increased industrial efficiency and productivity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The result from machines being designed to perform specific tasks led to significant changes in labor practices. Assembly lines and the mechanization of the manufacturing process meant that factory work largely became unskilled, with laborers performing repetitive tasks. This increased efficiency but led to a process of deskilling, making workers easily replaceable and diminishing their sense of contribution. The transition also resulted in challenging working conditions, where jobs could be dirty, dangerous, and detrimental to health.
The movement from home-based production to factory work facilitated massive industrialization, changing how laborers lived and worked. More goods could be manufactured with greater efficiency and speed, yet this came at the cost of workers' well-being. The focus on productivity sometimes led to poor ergonomic practices until later improvements by Taylor and Gilbreth, which began considering the human-machine fit.