Research on Learning in Industrial Settings: Persistence, Turnover, and Transfer

学习曲线的存在已经在许多行业中得到了证明。然而，关于学习为什么会发生，学习是否会持续，以及如何迁移，我们知之甚少。该奖项经验性地调查了组织内学习的持久性和组织间学习的转移。此外，还考察了周转在学习中的作用及其持续性。这些分析基于从航空航天行业一家生产先进喷气式飞机的公司和同一公司生产轻型卡车的三家工厂收集的记录数据。首席调查员将估计包括变量在内的生产函数，以评估持久性、转移和劳动力周转在影响生产过程效率方面的重要性。除了测试学习是否持续，是否迁移，以及离职是否与学习速度有关，本研究旨在开发一个组织学习的理论模型，整合并解释实证研究结果。这项研究将促进关于学习为什么发生在组织中，以及学习是否持续和转移的科学知识。这些信息将使组织能够提高其生产力，从而更有效地竞争。这些信息还将导致改进预测。

The presence of a learning curve has been documented in many industries. Yet little is known about why learning occurs, whether it persists, and how to transfer it. This award empirically investigates the persistence of learning within organizations and the transfer of learning across organizations. The role of turnover in learning and its persistence are also examined. The analyses are based on records data collected from one firm in the aerospace industry producing an advanced jet and from three plants of the same firm in the automotive industry producing a light truck. The principal investigator will estimate production functions with variables included to assess the importance of persistence, transfer and labor turnover in affecting the efficiency of the production process. In addition to testing whether learning persists, whether it transfers, and whether turnover is related to the rate of learning, the research aims to develop a theoretical model of learning in organizations that integrates and explains the empirical findings. The research will advance scientific knowledge about why learning occurs in organizations and whether it persists and transfers. This information will enable organizations to improve their productivity and hence, compete more effectively. The information will also lead to improved forecasting.