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How Much Did the Liberty Shipbuilders Learn? New Evidence for an Old Case Study

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Author Info
Peter Thompson (University of Houston)

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Abstract

This paper uses previously unavailable historical records to show that several assumptions central to a learning by doing explanation of productivity growth in the construction of Liberty ships during World War II are mistaken. Impressive increases in output per worker recorded at one of the largest shipyards in the program, Calship, are shown to be strongly associated with increases in capital intensity and with a reduction in quality, where the latter is measured by the probability of a ship developing serious fractures that threatened the lives of its crew. Capital deepening and quality change, in conjunction with changes in production technologies and capacity utilization, account for virtually all the increase in labor productivity.

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File URL: http://129.3.20.41/eps/dev/papers/9712/9712001.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by EconWPA in its series Development and Comp Systems with number 9712001.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length: 30 pages
Date of creation: 11 Dec 1997
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:9712001

Note: Type of Document - Acrobat; prepared on IBM PC; to print on HP; pages: 30; figures: included
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Web page: http://129.3.20.41

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Related research
Keywords: Economic Growth Learning by doing; Liberty ships;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
N6 - Economic History - - Manufacturing and Construction
O3 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. A. M. Spence, 1981. "The Learning Curve and Competition," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(1), pages 49-70, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Drew Fudenberg & Jean Tirole, 1983. "Learning-by-Doing and Market Performance," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 522-530, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Besanko, David & Doraszelski, Ulrich & Kryukov, Yaroslav & Satterthwaite, Mark, 2007. "Learning-by-Doing, Organizational Forgetting and Industry Dynamics," CEPR Discussion Papers 6160, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Mihaela Pintea & Peter Thompson, 2005. "Technological Complexity and Economic Growth," Working Papers 0502, Florida International University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Coulomb, L. & Neuhoff, K., 2006. "Learning curves and changing product attributes: the case of wind turbines," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0618, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge. [Downloadable!]
  4. Ferreira, Pedro Cavalcanti Gomes, 2005. "Sobre a Inexistente Relação entre Política Industrial e Comércio Exterior," Economics Working Papers (Ensaios Economicos da EPGE) 601, Graduate School of Economics, Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil). [Downloadable!]
  5. Sumit Agarwal & John C. Driscoll & Xavier Gabaix & David Laibson, 2008. "Learning in the Credit Card Market," NBER Working Papers 13822, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Peter Thompson, 2003. "How Much Did The Liberty Shipbuilders Forget?," Working Papers 0301, Florida International University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. Peter Thompson, 2008. "Learning by Doing," Working Papers 0806, Florida International University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  8. Adnrew J. Clarke & Alok Johri, 2008. "Pro-cyclical Solow Residuals without Technology Shocks," Department of Economics Working Papers 2008-02, McMaster University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Andrew Clarke, 2008. "Learning-by-Doing and Productivity Dynamics in Manufacturing Industries," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 1032, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
  10. Tracy R. Lewis & Huseyin Yildirim, 2002. "Managing Dynamic Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 779-797, September. [Downloadable!]
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