THE RELEVANCE OF FIRM-LEARNING THEORIES TO THE DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF MANUFACTURING MODERNIZATION PROGRAMS

There is a need for rigorous definitional and empirical specification of what is meant by firm learning and the growing number of variants o n this important theme. Based on a review of the literature on firm le arning, the authors present a series of propositions about the state o f knowledge regarding organizations' learning behaviors and capabiliti es. These propositions are then rested through a survey of firms in th e plastics industries in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Vi rginia. Empirical results suggest that firms are limited in their abil ity to acquire and apply new information in the face of needed change.