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1. Introduction
According to [40] Horton (2000), e-learning is one of the biggest changes in the way people conduct training since the invention of the chalkboard or perhaps the alphabet. Electronic learning (e-learning) is defined as education or training initiatives that takes place anytime a learner uses electronic means for gathering information acquired without the physical presence of an instructor on location ([35] Gustafson, 2002; [67] Swan, 2003). E-learning can be synchronous or live (i.e. an internet conference in which geographically separated instructors and students congregate in an online class-room) or asynchronous (i.e. self-paced training modules with pre-recorded presentations of the instructional content) ([35] Gustafson, 2002). E-learning is a rapidly growing application that can reduce a company's training costs, increase trainees' convenience, and provide a viable alternative to other forms of instruction ([14] Bray, 2002; [32] Erdem, 2004; [52] Little, 2001). According to a recent study by the Sloan Consortium ([3] Allen and Seaman, 2010), the demand for online courses has been growing, with 66 percent of institutions reporting increased demand for new courses, and 73 percent seeing increased demand for existing online courses in 2009.
Given these advantages, e-learning is increasingly used for soft skills training in the hospitality industry, especially in the hotel segment ([22] Cobanoglu et al. , 2006; [68] Swanson, 2000; [83] Weber et al. , 2009). Soft skills, such as being able to handle guest inquiries and maintaining professional and ethical standards in the work environment, are identified as the most fundamental competencies in the hotel workplace ([9] Baum, 1988; [73] Tas, 1988). In a transcontinental study, [21] Christou (2002) suggested that soft skills are perceived to be the most essential and desired traits for hospitality workers in both Europe and the USA. The hotel industry is well known for investing heavily in training. The reason for this substantial investment in hotel employee training is apparent: hotels are not only selling their core products (e.g. accommodations), but also the service experience that is created and provided by their employees ([60] Raleigh, 1999; [74] Teare and O'Hern, 2000).
Researchers have reported that e-learning has become a commonly used training tool for hotel operators ([42] Hu et al. , 2004). However, a decade ago some began to argue that e-learning may...