Effect of e-learning on employees at Vodacom.
Abstract
Human capital forms an integral part of any business and has led businesses to invest heavily
in training and development programmes not only to maintain an up to date workforce but
also to garner a competitive advantage. Following the explosion of technology, e-learning has
come to the fore as one of the premiere training methods of the future. E-learning has a
plethora of benefits which include providing training anytime and anywhere as well as being
a cost-effective alternative to traditional learning. This has prompted many businesses to
choose this method of training, none more so than South African mobile service provider,
Vodacom. The effectiveness of e-learning in increasing productivity, motivation and skill at
Vodacom was unclear and therefore prompted the question “how effective are e-learning
programmes at Vodacom?”
The aim of this study was to determine how effective the e-learning programmes at Vodacom
were. Furthermore, the study sought to establish if these programmes had increased
productivity and motivation of the employees as well as avoiding the barriers that are
common to e-learning. To be able to attain this holistic view of e-learning at Vodacom and to
study its effects, it was deemed necessary to survey all employees of Vodacom. Due to the
large number of employees, a quantitative study was conducted which provided the vehicle
for which the objectives of the study could be achieved.
The data, once analysed, collectively led to the conclusion that the e-learning programmes at
Vodacom were indeed effective; they avoided the barriers of e-learning like lack of manager
support and employees’ attitude towards e-learning and they resulted in increased
productivity and motivation of employees. However, the analysis highlighted areas in the e-learning
programmes that needed improvement to provide further benefits. The findings
resulted in the following recommendations: ensuring relevance of training to job; using
gamification to enhance user engagement, etc. The recommendations also highlighted key
areas, like extending the study to include contractors of Vodacom as well exploring the
relationship between productivity and retention of training material, for future development
of e-learning that will elevate the e-learning programmes at Vodacom to new heights.