The role of control charts in promoting organisational learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical interface between statistical thinking, the statistical method of the control chart, and contemporary theories of organisational learning in regard to processes and their improvement.Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical discussion results in an integrated model showing how statistical thinking and methods relate to organisational learning. This is supported by findings from a food industry research project following a design of: exploration (stage 1); theory development (stage 2); and theory testing/refinement (stage 3) incorporating surveys, case studies and key informant interviews.Findings – Empirical evidence shows that statistical techniques such as the control chart can be of benefit to organisations for creating process improvement and organisational learning, providing the charts are utilised to actively convert the data they contain into information and knowledge about the process. Four distinct categories of use of control ch...