Learning Curves in Manufacturing

Large increases in productivity are typically realized as organizations gain experience in production. These "learning curves" have been found in many organizations. Organizations vary considerably in the rates at which they learn. Some organizations show remarkable productivity gains, whe...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1990-02, Vol.247 (4945), p.920-924
Main Authors: Argote, Linda, Epple, Dennis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Capital costs
Commercial production
Depreciation
Economies of scale
Experience curves
Labor productivity
Learning
Learning by doing
Learning curves
Learning rate
Management
Manufacturing industries
Manufacturing industry
Organizational behavior
Productivity
Unit costs
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
cited_by cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923
cites cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923
container_end_page 924
container_issue 4945
container_start_page 920
container_title Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
container_volume 247
creator Argote, Linda
Epple, Dennis
description Large increases in productivity are typically realized as organizations gain experience in production. These "learning curves" have been found in many organizations. Organizations vary considerably in the rates at which they learn. Some organizations show remarkable productivity gains, whereas others show little or no learning. Reasons for the variation observed in organizational learning curves include organizational "forgetting," employee turnover, transfer of knowledge from other products and other organizations, and economies of scale.
doi_str_mv 10.1126/science.247.4945.920
format article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>gale_proqu</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_743268082</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><galeid>A8967623</galeid><jstor_id>2873885</jstor_id><sourcerecordid>A8967623</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNqN0k2LEzEYB_Agilur32CR4mUP69S8vxzXstaFag8uXkOaeTJMmWbWZEb0229Ki67SQ5NDQvLLQ0L-CF0SPCeEyg_ZtxA9zClXc264mBuKn6EJwUZUZcqeownGTFYaK3GBXuW8xbjsGfYSXRCllOSCTNBsBS7FNjazxZh-Qp61cfbFxTE4P4yprL9GL4LrMrw5jlN0_-n2fvG5Wq2Xd4ubVeWVZEPlMSaOACUCnKpDUCCC1oxxabwUGJyWtcDSbLig0rB64zTXRoaabIg0lE3R1aHsQ-p_jJAHu2uzh65zEfoxW8UZlRrrMyRjFGPFcZHv_pPbfkyxvMJSwkRpeF_u-oAa14FtY-iH5HwDEZLr-gihLcs35apKUlb0-xO69Bp2rT_Br_7hRQzwa2jcmLO9-_b1XLn-fq78uDxT6uXqqbw-JX3fddCALR-9WD_V_KB96nNOEOxDancu_bYE23027TGbtmTT7rNp94GcorfH7xg3O6j_HjqGsYDLA9jmoU9_9qlWTGvBHgHiKuOx</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>213555502</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Learning Curves in Manufacturing</title><source>JSTOR Archival Journals and Primary Sources Collection</source><source>Social Science Premium Collection</source><source>Science Online《科学》周刊</source><source>Education Collection</source><creator>Argote, Linda ; Epple, Dennis</creator><creatorcontrib>Argote, Linda ; Epple, Dennis</creatorcontrib><description>Large increases in productivity are typically realized as organizations gain experience in production. These "learning curves" have been found in many organizations. Organizations vary considerably in the rates at which they learn. Some organizations show remarkable productivity gains, whereas others show little or no learning. Reasons for the variation observed in organizational learning curves include organizational "forgetting," employee turnover, transfer of knowledge from other products and other organizations, and economies of scale.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0036-8075</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1095-9203</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1126/science.247.4945.920</identifier><identifier>PMID: 17776451</identifier><identifier>CODEN: SCIEAS</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>United States: American Society for the Advancement of Science</publisher><subject>Capital costs ; Commercial production ; Depreciation ; Economies of scale ; Experience curves ; Labor productivity ; Learning ; Learning by doing ; Learning curves ; Learning rate ; Management ; Manufacturing industries ; Manufacturing industry ; Organizational behavior ; Productivity ; Unit costs</subject><ispartof>Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 1990-02, Vol.247 (4945), p.920-924</ispartof><rights>Copyright 1990 American Association for the Advancement of Science</rights><rights>COPYRIGHT 1990 American Association for the Advancement of Science</rights><rights>COPYRIGHT 1990 American Association for the Advancement of Science</rights><rights>Copyright American Association for the Advancement of Science Feb 23, 1990</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><oa>free_for_read</oa><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923</citedby><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktopdf>$$Uhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/213555502/fulltextPDF?pq-origsite=primo$$EPDF$$P50$$Gproquest$$H</linktopdf><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/213555502?pq-origsite=primo$$EHTML$$P50$$Gproquest$$H</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,778,782,2873,2874,21365,21381,27911,27912,33598,33599,33864,33865,43720,43867,58225,58458,73976,74152</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17776451$$D View this record in MEDLINE/PubMed$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><creatorcontrib>Argote, Linda</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Epple, Dennis</creatorcontrib><title>Learning Curves in Manufacturing</title><title>Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)</title><addtitle>Science</addtitle><description>Large increases in productivity are typically realized as organizations gain experience in production. These "learning curves" have been found in many organizations. Organizations vary considerably in the rates at which they learn. Some organizations show remarkable productivity gains, whereas others show little or no learning. Reasons for the variation observed in organizational learning curves include organizational "forgetting," employee turnover, transfer of knowledge from other products and other organizations, and economies of scale.</description><subject>Capital costs</subject><subject>Commercial production</subject><subject>Depreciation</subject><subject>Economies of scale</subject><subject>Experience curves</subject><subject>Labor productivity</subject><subject>Learning</subject><subject>Learning by doing</subject><subject>Learning curves</subject><subject>Learning rate</subject><subject>Management</subject><subject>Manufacturing industries</subject><subject>Manufacturing industry</subject><subject>Organizational behavior</subject><subject>Productivity</subject><subject>Unit costs</subject><issn>0036-8075</issn><issn>1095-9203</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>1990</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>ALSLI</sourceid><sourceid>CJNVE</sourceid><sourceid>M0P</sourceid><recordid>eNqN0k2LEzEYB_Agilur32CR4mUP69S8vxzXstaFag8uXkOaeTJMmWbWZEb0229Ki67SQ5NDQvLLQ0L-CF0SPCeEyg_ZtxA9zClXc264mBuKn6EJwUZUZcqeownGTFYaK3GBXuW8xbjsGfYSXRCllOSCTNBsBS7FNjazxZh-Qp61cfbFxTE4P4yprL9GL4LrMrw5jlN0_-n2fvG5Wq2Xd4ubVeWVZEPlMSaOACUCnKpDUCCC1oxxabwUGJyWtcDSbLig0rB64zTXRoaabIg0lE3R1aHsQ-p_jJAHu2uzh65zEfoxW8UZlRrrMyRjFGPFcZHv_pPbfkyxvMJSwkRpeF_u-oAa14FtY-iH5HwDEZLr-gihLcs35apKUlb0-xO69Bp2rT_Br_7hRQzwa2jcmLO9-_b1XLn-fq78uDxT6uXqqbw-JX3fddCALR-9WD_V_KB96nNOEOxDancu_bYE23027TGbtmTT7rNp94GcorfH7xg3O6j_HjqGsYDLA9jmoU9_9qlWTGvBHgHiKuOx</recordid><startdate>19900223</startdate><enddate>19900223</enddate><creator>Argote, Linda</creator><creator>Epple, Dennis</creator><general>American Society for the Advancement of Science</general><general>American Association for the Advancement of Science</general><general>The American Association for the Advancement of Science</general><scope>NPM</scope><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>8GL</scope><scope>IBG</scope><scope>IOV</scope><scope>ISN</scope><scope>0-V</scope><scope>3V.</scope><scope>7QF</scope><scope>7QG</scope><scope>7QL</scope><scope>7QP</scope><scope>7QQ</scope><scope>7QR</scope><scope>7SC</scope><scope>7SE</scope><scope>7SN</scope><scope>7SP</scope><scope>7SR</scope><scope>7SS</scope><scope>7T7</scope><scope>7TA</scope><scope>7TB</scope><scope>7TK</scope><scope>7TM</scope><scope>7U5</scope><scope>7U9</scope><scope>7X2</scope><scope>7X7</scope><scope>7XB</scope><scope>88A</scope><scope>88B</scope><scope>88E</scope><scope>88I</scope><scope>8AF</scope><scope>8BQ</scope><scope>8FD</scope><scope>8FE</scope><scope>8FG</scope><scope>8FH</scope><scope>8FI</scope><scope>8FJ</scope><scope>8FK</scope><scope>8G5</scope><scope>ABJCF</scope><scope>ABUWG</scope><scope>AEUYN</scope><scope>AFKRA</scope><scope>ALSLI</scope><scope>ARAPS</scope><scope>ATCPS</scope><scope>AZQEC</scope><scope>BBNVY</scope><scope>BEC</scope><scope>BENPR</scope><scope>BGLVJ</scope><scope>BHPHI</scope><scope>BKSAR</scope><scope>C1K</scope><scope>CCPQU</scope><scope>CJNVE</scope><scope>D1I</scope><scope>DWQXO</scope><scope>F28</scope><scope>FR3</scope><scope>FYUFA</scope><scope>GHDGH</scope><scope>GNUQQ</scope><scope>GUQSH</scope><scope>H8D</scope><scope>H8G</scope><scope>H94</scope><scope>HCIFZ</scope><scope>JG9</scope><scope>JQ2</scope><scope>K9-</scope><scope>K9.</scope><scope>KB.</scope><scope>KR7</scope><scope>L6V</scope><scope>L7M</scope><scope>LK8</scope><scope>L~C</scope><scope>L~D</scope><scope>M0K</scope><scope>M0P</scope><scope>M0R</scope><scope>M0S</scope><scope>M1P</scope><scope>M2O</scope><scope>M2P</scope><scope>M7N</scope><scope>M7P</scope><scope>M7S</scope><scope>MBDVC</scope><scope>P5Z</scope><scope>P62</scope><scope>P64</scope><scope>PATMY</scope><scope>PCBAR</scope><scope>PDBOC</scope><scope>PQEDU</scope><scope>PQEST</scope><scope>PQQKQ</scope><scope>PQUKI</scope><scope>PRINS</scope><scope>PTHSS</scope><scope>PYCSY</scope><scope>Q9U</scope><scope>R05</scope><scope>RC3</scope><scope>7X8</scope></search><sort><creationdate>19900223</creationdate><title>Learning Curves in Manufacturing</title><author>Argote, Linda ; Epple, Dennis</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>1990</creationdate><topic>Capital costs</topic><topic>Commercial production</topic><topic>Depreciation</topic><topic>Economies of scale</topic><topic>Experience curves</topic><topic>Labor productivity</topic><topic>Learning</topic><topic>Learning by doing</topic><topic>Learning curves</topic><topic>Learning rate</topic><topic>Management</topic><topic>Manufacturing industries</topic><topic>Manufacturing industry</topic><topic>Organizational behavior</topic><topic>Productivity</topic><topic>Unit costs</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Argote, Linda</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Epple, Dennis</creatorcontrib><collection>PubMed</collection><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>Gale In Context: High School</collection><collection>Biography (Gale in Context)</collection><collection>Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints</collection><collection>Gale In Context: Canada</collection><collection>ProQuest Social Sciences Premium Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Corporate)</collection><collection>Aluminium Industry Abstracts</collection><collection>Animal Behavior Abstracts</collection><collection>Bacteriology Abstracts (Microbiology B)</collection><collection>Calcium &amp; Calcified Tissue Abstracts</collection><collection>Ceramic Abstracts</collection><collection>Chemoreception Abstracts</collection><collection>Computer and Information Systems Abstracts</collection><collection>Corrosion Abstracts</collection><collection>Ecology Abstracts</collection><collection>Electronics &amp; Communications Abstracts</collection><collection>Engineered Materials Abstracts</collection><collection>Entomology Abstracts (Full archive)</collection><collection>Industrial and Applied Microbiology Abstracts (Microbiology A)</collection><collection>Materials Business File</collection><collection>Mechanical &amp; Transportation Engineering Abstracts</collection><collection>Neurosciences Abstracts</collection><collection>Nucleic Acids Abstracts</collection><collection>Solid State and Superconductivity Abstracts</collection><collection>Virology and AIDS Abstracts</collection><collection>Agricultural Science Collection</collection><collection>Health &amp; Medical Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (purchase pre-March 2016)</collection><collection>Biology Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>Education Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>Medical Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>Science Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>STEM Database</collection><collection>METADEX</collection><collection>Technology Research Database</collection><collection>ProQuest SciTech Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Technology Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Natural Science Collection</collection><collection>Hospital Premium Collection</collection><collection>Hospital Premium Collection (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni) (purchase pre-March 2016)</collection><collection>Research Library (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>Materials Science &amp; Engineering Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Sustainability</collection><collection>ProQuest Central UK/Ireland</collection><collection>Social Science Premium Collection</collection><collection>Advanced Technologies &amp; Aerospace Collection</collection><collection>Agricultural &amp; Environmental Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Essentials</collection><collection>Biological Science Collection</collection><collection>eLibrary</collection><collection>ProQuest Databases</collection><collection>Technology Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Natural Science Collection</collection><collection>Earth, Atmospheric &amp; Aquatic Science Collection</collection><collection>Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management</collection><collection>ProQuest One Community College</collection><collection>Education Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Materials Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Korea</collection><collection>ANTE: Abstracts in New Technology &amp; Engineering</collection><collection>Engineering Research Database</collection><collection>Health Research Premium Collection</collection><collection>Health Research Premium Collection (Alumni)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Student</collection><collection>Research Library Prep</collection><collection>Aerospace Database</collection><collection>Copper Technical Reference Library</collection><collection>AIDS and Cancer Research Abstracts</collection><collection>SciTech Premium Collection</collection><collection>Materials Research Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Computer Science Collection</collection><collection>Consumer Health Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Health &amp; Medical Complete (Alumni)</collection><collection>Materials Science Database</collection><collection>Civil Engineering Abstracts</collection><collection>ProQuest Engineering Collection</collection><collection>Advanced Technologies Database with Aerospace</collection><collection>ProQuest Biological Science Collection</collection><collection>Computer and Information Systems Abstracts – Academic</collection><collection>Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Professional</collection><collection>Agriculture Science Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Education Journals</collection><collection>Consumer Health Database</collection><collection>Health &amp; Medical Collection (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>PML(ProQuest Medical Library)</collection><collection>ProQuest research library</collection><collection>ProQuest Science Journals</collection><collection>Algology Mycology and Protozoology Abstracts (Microbiology C)</collection><collection>ProQuest Biological Science Journals</collection><collection>Engineering Database</collection><collection>Research Library (Corporate)</collection><collection>Advanced Technologies &amp; Aerospace Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Advanced Technologies &amp; Aerospace Collection</collection><collection>Biotechnology and BioEngineering Abstracts</collection><collection>Environmental Science Database</collection><collection>Earth, Atmospheric &amp; Aquatic Science Database</collection><collection>Materials science collection</collection><collection>ProQuest One Education</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic Eastern Edition (DO NOT USE)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic UKI Edition</collection><collection>ProQuest Central China</collection><collection>Engineering collection</collection><collection>Environmental Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Basic</collection><collection>University of Michigan</collection><collection>Genetics Abstracts</collection><collection>MEDLINE - Academic</collection><jtitle>Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Argote, Linda</au><au>Epple, Dennis</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Learning Curves in Manufacturing</atitle><jtitle>Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)</jtitle><addtitle>Science</addtitle><date>1990-02-23</date><risdate>1990</risdate><volume>247</volume><issue>4945</issue><spage>920</spage><epage>924</epage><pages>920-924</pages><issn>0036-8075</issn><eissn>1095-9203</eissn><coden>SCIEAS</coden><abstract>Large increases in productivity are typically realized as organizations gain experience in production. These "learning curves" have been found in many organizations. Organizations vary considerably in the rates at which they learn. Some organizations show remarkable productivity gains, whereas others show little or no learning. Reasons for the variation observed in organizational learning curves include organizational "forgetting," employee turnover, transfer of knowledge from other products and other organizations, and economies of scale.</abstract><cop>United States</cop><pub>American Society for the Advancement of Science</pub><pmid>17776451</pmid><doi>10.1126/science.247.4945.920</doi><tpages>5</tpages><oa>free_for_read</oa></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 0036-8075
ispartof Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 1990-02, Vol.247 (4945), p.920-924
issn 0036-8075
1095-9203
language eng
recordid cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_743268082
source JSTOR Archival Journals and Primary Sources Collection; Social Science Premium Collection; Science Online《科学》周刊; Education Collection
subjects Capital costs
Commercial production
Depreciation
Economies of scale
Experience curves
Labor productivity
Learning
Learning by doing
Learning curves
Learning rate
Management
Manufacturing industries
Manufacturing industry
Organizational behavior
Productivity
Unit costs
title Learning Curves in Manufacturing
url http://sfxeu10.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/loughborough?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-01-16T02%3A00%3A36IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-gale_proqu&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Learning%20Curves%20in%20Manufacturing&rft.jtitle=Science%20(American%20Association%20for%20the%20Advancement%20of%20Science)&rft.au=Argote,%20Linda&rft.date=1990-02-23&rft.volume=247&rft.issue=4945&rft.spage=920&rft.epage=924&rft.pages=920-924&rft.issn=0036-8075&rft.eissn=1095-9203&rft.coden=SCIEAS&rft_id=info:doi/10.1126/science.247.4945.920&rft_dat=%3Cgale_proqu%3EA8967623%3C/gale_proqu%3E%3Cgrp_id%3Ecdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c763t-c001a1e215ea7dff7e5f8833469c650ea86d5069b452693dba84896fd1b16923%3C/grp_id%3E%3Coa%3E%3C/oa%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=213555502&rft_id=info:pmid/17776451&rft_galeid=A8967623&rft_jstor_id=2873885&rfr_iscdi=true