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Introduction
Rapid technological advancement is one of the main reasons why today's business world rarely stands still. To remain competitive, firms must keep pace with such developments. Those that fail to do so are usually destined for a place among the also-rans.
E-learning in the workplace
Of course, technology comes in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Perhaps one of the more interesting to emerge is e-learning. The phenomenon was originally considered mainly with regard to higher education. Since then, it has also become firmly established in the workplace. An increasing number of organizations now view e-learning as a vital component of their training and development programs.
Among other things, e-learning is able to help companies:
* develop and improve skills and capabilities;
* gain easier access to knowledge;
* raise commitment and motivation levels; and
* lower costs.
And the positive impact in these and other areas obviously would not do the firm's overall performance any harm.
As the operating environment of businesses continues to evolve, the value attributed to work-related training rises accordingly. But e-learning does not come cheap though. Installing and operating such technologies demands considerable investment in money, time, and human resources.
Given these sizeable outlays, organizations should aim to find ways of maximizing the impact of e-learning initiatives. However, e-learning will ultimately only produce desired results if employees buy into its use. It is, therefore, critical to identify those factors that have the greatest influence on the acceptance and adoption of e-learning in the workplace.
Is age a key issue?
Any discussion about technology at work and the question of age usually enters the fray. And more often than...