Elearning In Management

Research clearly shows how the United States workforce is changing drastically. Millions are able to retire, but will choose to stay employed either part or full- time. Those who decide to do so will work next to a younger generation of individuals who train, communicate, and work in a new evolving world of technology. By blending the needs of both generations, business managers have implemented multiple options for training, employment, and communication by investing in the right technology. For the new business professional, E-learning is an evolving force of a successful organization. By incorporating the web into training, management is able to reach new heights in teaching anyone, anywhere. Management successfully manages to incorporate new learning style objectives, and have created an environment to support this new diverse workforce. In the growing field of business management, training has become increasingly complex as the available training options expand to meet the growing and divergent needs of organizations. For a start, the word "training" presents some difficulty, as it no longer covers the full range of learning and development activities that have evolved. Traditionally, training was something done to you or by you to increase your knowledge, skills and abilities. When people talked about training, they pictured some form of classroom setting with a "trainer" working with a group of participants, or alternatively, someone receiving skills training "on-the-job" from an "instructor". This vision has been significantly extended through the impact of new approaches such as E-learning.

There are many aspects of corporate training, but the essential activity involves determining factors: the requirements of the specific workforce, and. establishing the existing skill levels of the staff completing the work. In addition, determining the training gap (if any). The age of learning in isolation is over. Continuous training has become necessary in maintaining a productive workforce. Many companies have invested in a vast array of programs used to train employees. However, E-learning has revolutionized this process by fusing the Internet and learning, or Internet-enabled learning.

An efficient and effective business manager is the strategic and coherent approach to leading an organization's most valued assets - the people working there! These people individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the businesses objectives. As a result, the management of a company is a key component of the overall success of the company.

E-learning allows employees to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere. This emerging trend has revolutionized training practices creating communities of knowledge and linking learners with experts. E-learning is a new phenomenon delivering accountability, accessibility, and opportunity to allow people and organizations to keep up with the rapid changes that define the Internet world. This technological breakthrough creates a force that gives people and organizations the competitive edge in a rapidly changing global economy. According to Ziegler (2002), "The promise of delivering efficient and effective training is just what learners need, when and where they need it, while reducing associated financial and human resource requirements, holds appeal for small and large businesses alike."

E-learning can be a very effective tool for organizations wishing to develop staff, or provide training in new products and processes. The fact that it is technology based, and not labor intensive all companies can profit from the vast amounts of information at low incremental costs. E-learning can also greatly assist in compliance training, the training required by law, which ensures employees have the knowledge and skills they need to comply with relevant laws and regulations. Like most implementations in organizations, success comes from careful planning and execution.

Training programs should keep the people that it is designed for in mind. How do we learn? How do we acquire and retain skills and information to help us develop? How can we prepare our employees to be successful? Only when we address individual learning styles can the "e" in e-learning factor in. In order for E-Learning to be successful within companies, it is imperative that the diverse generations learning techniques are blended properly.

How can management utilize E-learning to help benefit employees? Case in point, while working for the HR Department of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta, GA. E-learning served as a beneficial training tool. The Grand Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta, GA offers services to 5.2 million guests yearly. The company is well known for exceptional customer service, but their training course for new customer service phone representatives was not working. The HR department documented a high failure rate among trainees. We proposed a new e-learning training program for our employees. Changes occurred in record time. We collaborated with the corporate training team to produce highly detailed and effective new Internet based program for phone representatives. The course encouraged active learning, allowing trainees to practice and repeat key tasks. The results were amazing! The E-learning program's collaborative approach allowed us to adopt the client's highly structured process, and develop training consistent with our internal policies and procedures. The course was so successful that trainees out-performed experienced representatives in internal competitions.

Although E-learning can deliver undeniable economic and educational benefits, companies must also evaluate the cons of implementing a program of this magnitude.