The Relationship between Unit Cost and Cumulative Quantity and the Evidence for Organizational Learning-by-Doing

摘要

In this paper, we have attempted to offer a cautionary note about the thesis of organizational learning-by-doing. In the standard formulation of organizational learning, cost reductions are obtained as a predictable by-product of accumulated production volume, through a process of learning that continues without limit. The reliability of these assumptions matters, because much of our understanding of the economic and strategic implications of organizational learning is built upon models that use the standard formulation.