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Toward an Understanding of Learning by Doing: Evidence from an Automobile Plant

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  • Steven Levitt
  • John List
  • Chad Syverson

Abstract

Productivity improvements within establishments (e.g., factories, mines, or retail stores) are an important source of aggregate productivity growth. Past research has documented that learning by doing-productivity improvements that occur in concert with production increases-is one source of such improvements. Yet little is known about the specific mechanisms through which such learning occurs. We address this question using extremely detailed data from an assembly plant of a major auto producer. Beyond showing that there is rapid learning by doing at the plant, we are able to pinpoint the processes by which these improvements have occurred.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Levitt & John List & Chad Syverson, 2012. "Toward an Understanding of Learning by Doing: Evidence from an Automobile Plant," Natural Field Experiments 00463, The Field Experiments Website.
  • Handle: RePEc:feb:natura:00463
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pan, Xiaojun & Li, Shoude, 2016. "Dynamic optimal control of process–product innovation with learning by doing," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 248(1), pages 136-145.
    3. Avdic, Daniel & Lundborg, Petter & Vikström, Johan, 2014. "Learning-by-Doing in a Highly Skilled Profession when Stakes are High: Evidence from Advanced Cancer Surgery," Working Paper Series, Center for Labor Studies 2014:9, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    4. Francine Lafontaine & Kathryn Shaw, 2016. "Serial Entrepreneurship: Learning by Doing?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(S2), pages 217-254.
    5. Weber, Henning, 2013. "Learning By Doing in New Firms and the Optimal Rate of Inflation," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79761, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Ferreira Sequeda, Maria & Künn, Annemarie & de Grip, Andries, 2016. "Work-related learning and skill development in Europe: Does initial skill mismatch matter?," Research Memorandum 027, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    7. Kondylis, Florence & Mueller, Valerie & Zhu, Jessica, 2017. "Seeing is believing? Evidence from an extension network experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 1-20.
    8. Peter Thompson, 2012. "The Relationship between Unit Cost and Cumulative Quantity and the Evidence for Organizational Learning-by-Doing," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(3), pages 203-224, Summer.
    9. Saeideh Fallah-Fini & Konstantinos Triantis & Andrew Johnson, 2014. "Reviewing the literature on non-parametric dynamic efficiency measurement: state-of-the-art," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 51-67, February.
    10. Pfeiffer, Sabine, 2018. "The "future of employment" on the shop floor: Why production jobs are less susceptible to computerization than assumed," International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET), European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), European Educational Research Association, vol. 5(3), pages 208-225.
    11. Pfeiffer, Sabine, 2016. "Robots, Industry 4.0 and humans, or why assembly work is more than routine work," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 6(2 (Articl), pages 1-26.
    12. Avdic, Daniel & Lundborg, Petter & Vikström, Johan, 2014. "Learning-by-Doing in a High-Skill Profession when Stakes are High: Evidence from Advanced Cancer Surgery," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100278, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    13. Weber, Henning, 2015. "Innovation and the Optimal Rate of Inflation," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113087, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    14. Sabine Pfeiffer, 2016. "Robots, Industry 4.0 and Humans, or Why Assembly Work Is More than Routine Work," Societies, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-26, May.

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