IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v47y2001i12p1639-1653.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effects of Worker Learning, Forgetting, and Heterogeneity on Assembly Line Productivity

Author

Listed:
  • Scott M. Shafer

    (Babcock Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University, P.O. Box 7659, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109-7659)

  • David A. Nembhard

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1513 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1572)

  • Mustafa V. Uzumeri

    (Department of Management, Auburn University, 415 W. Magnolia Avenue, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5241)

Abstract

The authors investigate through several simulations how patterns of learning and forgetting affect the operating performance of an assembly line. A unique aspect of this study is that a distribution of learning/forgetting behavior based on an empirical population of workers is used rather than assuming the same learning pattern for all employees. The paper demonstrates that modeling only central tendency and not the variations across workers tends to systematically underestimate overall productivity. The data used to estimate the parameters for the distribution of learning curves were collected from an assembly line that produces car radios. Analysis of the models fit to a population of workers reveals that higher levels of previous experience are positively correlated with higher steady-state productivity levels and negatively correlated with the learning rate. To further motivate the study, a conceptual model with several factors hypothesized to influence assembly line productivity is presented. Among key factors included in the model are the rate of worker learning, the size of the worker pool, task tenure, and the magnitude of worker forgetting. In controlled computer simulation experiments, each of these factors was found to be statistically significant, as were a number of the two-way interaction terms.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott M. Shafer & David A. Nembhard & Mustafa V. Uzumeri, 2001. "The Effects of Worker Learning, Forgetting, and Heterogeneity on Assembly Line Productivity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(12), pages 1639-1653, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:47:y:2001:i:12:p:1639-1653
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.47.12.1639.10236
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.47.12.1639.10236
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.47.12.1639.10236?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. H V Kher, 2000. "Examination of flexibility acquisition policies in dual resource constrained job shops with simultaneous worker learning and forgetting effects," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 51(5), pages 592-601, May.
    2. Uzumeri, Mustafa & Sanderson, Susan, 1995. "A framework for model and product family competition," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 583-607, July.
    3. Charles D. Bailey, 1989. "Forgetting and the Learning Curve: A Laboratory Study," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(3), pages 340-352, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jaber, Mohamad Y. & Kher, Hemant V. & Davis, Darwin J., 2003. "Countering forgetting through training and deployment," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 33-46, July.
    2. Azizi, Nader & Zolfaghari, Saeed & Liang, Ming, 2010. "Modeling job rotation in manufacturing systems: The study of employee's boredom and skill variations," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 69-85, January.
    3. C. Lanier Benkard, 2000. "Learning and Forgetting: The Dynamics of Aircraft Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(4), pages 1034-1054, September.
    4. Pierre-Xavier Meschi & Emmanuel Métais, 2007. "Expérience, oubli organisationnel et motifs de désinvestissement des acquisitions internationales:le cas des acquisitions françaises aux États-Unis (1988-2004)," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 10(4), pages 73-109, December.
    5. Delasay, Mohammad & Ingolfsson, Armann & Kolfal, Bora & Schultz, Kenneth, 2019. "Load effect on service times," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 279(3), pages 673-686.
    6. Kher, Hemant V. & Malhotra, Manoj K. & Philipoom, Patrick R. & Fry, Timothy D., 1999. "Modeling simultaneous worker learning and forgetting in dual resource constrained systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 158-172, May.
    7. Xu, J. & Xu, X. & Xie, S.Q., 2011. "Recent developments in Dual Resource Constrained (DRC) system research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 215(2), pages 309-318, December.
    8. Ortego-Marti, Victor, 2017. "Loss of skill during unemployment and TFP differences across countries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 215-235.
    9. Zamiska, John R. & Jaber, Mohamad Y. & Kher, Hemant V., 2007. "Worker deployment in dual resource constrained systems with a task-type factor," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(3), pages 1507-1519, March.
    10. 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.
    11. Siyuan Yi & Qiguo Gong & Feng Dong & Hui Wang, 2020. "The Effect of Planned Breaks on Worker Productivity and the Moderate Role of Workload in a Manufacturing Environment," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 10(12), pages 1366-1383, December.
    12. Inés P. Murillo, 2011. "Human capital obsolescence: some evidence for Spain," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(4), pages 426-445, July.
    13. Geurtsen, M. & Didden, Jeroen B.H.C. & Adan, J. & Atan, Z. & Adan, I., 2023. "Production, maintenance and resource scheduling: A review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(2), pages 501-529.
    14. Jaber, M.Y. & Peltokorpi, J. & Glock, C.H. & Grosse, E.H. & Pusic, M., 2021. "Adjustment for cognitive interference enhances the predictability of the power learning curve," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    15. Ryan Boas & Bruce G. Cameron & Edward F. Crawley, 2013. "Divergence and lifecycle offsets in product families with commonality," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(2), pages 175-192, June.
    16. Jaber, Mohamad Y. & Sikstrom, Sverker, 2004. "A numerical comparison of three potential learning and forgetting models," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(3), pages 281-294, December.
    17. Jaber, Mohamad Y. & Guiffrida, Alfred L., 2004. "Learning curves for processes generating defects requiring reworks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(3), pages 663-672, December.
    18. Paul Jackson & Victor Ortego-Marti, 2020. "Skill Loss during Unemployment and the Scarring Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Working Papers 202020, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.
    19. Guy David & Tanguy Brachet, 2011. "On the Determinants of Organizational Forgetting," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(3), pages 100-123, August.
    20. Gagnon, Roger J. & Sheu, Chwen, 2000. "The impact of learning, forgetting and capacity profiles on the acquisition of advanced technology," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 51-76, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:47:y:2001:i:12:p:1639-1653. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.