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

学习曲线的存在在许多行业都有记载。然而，人们对学习为什么会发生、是否会持续以及如何转移学习知之甚少。该奖项实证调查了组织内学习的持久性和跨组织学习的转移。更替在学习中的作用及其持续性也进行了研究。这些分析是基于从一家生产先进喷气式飞机的航空航天业公司和同一家生产轻型卡车的汽车工业公司的三个工厂收集的记录数据。主要研究者将估算包含变量的生产函数，以评估持久性、转移和劳动力流动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，是否转移，以及离职是否与学习速度有关外，本研究旨在建立一个整合并解释实证结果的组织学习理论模型。这项研究将推动关于学习为什么会在组织中发生以及它是否会持续和转移的科学知识。这些信息将使组织能够提高他们的生产力，从而更有效地竞争。这些信息还将有助于改进预报。

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.