Discussion Questions
I.
1. How might the following business specialists use learning curves: accountants, marketers, financial analysts, personnel managers, and computer programmers?
2. What relationship is there between learning curves and productivity measurement?
3. What relationship is there between learning curves and capacity analysis?
4. Do you think learning curve analysis has an application in a service business like a restaurant? Why or why not?
II.
1. As shown in the chapter, the effect of learning in a given system eventually flattens out over time. At that point in the life of a system, learning still exists, though its effect continues to diminish. Beyond that point, is it impossible to significantly reduce the time to produce a unit? What would it take to do that?
2. The learning curve phenomenon has been shown in practice to be widely applicable. Once a company has established a learning rate for a process, they can use it to predict future system performance. Would there be any reason to reevaluate the process's learning rate once it has been initially established?
3. As a manager, which learning percentage would you prefer (other things being equal), 110 percent or 60 percent? Explain.
III.
1. Will the Human Resource Management (HRM) policies of a firm have much of an effect on the learning rates the firm may be able to achieve?
2. One manufacturer has seen a typical learning percentage of 90 percent in the firm. It has recently found out that a competitor has a percentage of 85 percent. What do you think about this?
3. What difference does it make if a customer wants a 10,000-unit order produced and delivered all at one time or in 2,500-unit batches?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.