A population of learners: A new way to measure organizational learning

Abstract In this paper we describe an approach that enables managers to systematically describe patterns of skill learning in large populations of front-line workers. The method fits individualized learning curves to the work performance histories of every member of a population. The resulting set of `best-fit' parameter estimates represents a parsimonious summary of the many learning behaviors that are taking place. A case study demonstrated the descriptive power of the model using electronically collected data on 3874 episodes of individual learning in a large US manufacturing firm.