Learning from Complexity: Effects of Prior Accidents and Incidents on Airlines' Learning
研究了美国商业航空公司从1983至1997年间的事故和事件数据，发现错误原因的异质性比同质性更有利于降低后续事故率，但这种好处主要适用于专业型航空公司，而通用型航空公司更多从外部经验中学习。
Using data on accidents and incidents experienced by U.S. commercial airlines from 1983 to 1997, we investigated variation in firm learning by examining whether firms learn more from errors with heterogeneous or homogeneous causes. We measured learning by a reduction in airline accident and incident rates, while controlling for other factors related to accidents and incidents. Our results show that heterogeneity is generally better for learning, as prior heterogeneity in the causes of errors decreases subsequent accident rates, producing a deeper, broader search for causality than simple explanations like “blame the pilot.” The benefits of heterogeneity, however, apply mainly to specialist airlines. Generalist airlines learn, instead, from outside factors such as the experience of others and general improvements in technology. These results suggest a theory of learning across organizational forms: complex forms benefit from simple information, and simple forms benefit from complex information. The implications of our study for learning theories and work on organizational errors are discussed.