Factors influencing the acceptance of online training and qualifications in IT Departments in KwaZulu-Natal.
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Date
2011
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Abstract
Online learning is one of the fastest growing internet resources in the world today and it is
expected to become the third most common use of the internet after email and searches.
However, whilst the spend on online learning is in the tens of billions of dollars in countries
like the United States and the United Kingdom, is this true in South Africa in general and in
KwaZulu-Natal in particular?
In order to understand the attitude and factors influencing the use of online learning in
KwaZulu-Natal, a sample of decision makers was selected from relevant companies in
KwaZulu-Natal to provide responses to an online questionnaire. Their responses helped to
understand the factors that affect the acceptability of online learning and qualifications in IT
departments in KwaZulu-Natal. Relevant companies were identified as those companies that
were of medium to large size and had a staff complement of at least one hundred people. The
size of the company relates to the total staff complement, not just the staff who make up the
IT department. Relevant respondents were also identified as those people who were decision
makers within their business with regards to the recruitment and training of IT staff.
As limited research has been conducted in KwaZulu-Natal this study was a pilot study using
a purposive sample of approximately fifty participants. Respondents were encouraged to
suggest other possible candidates to answer the questionnaire. All in all, invitations to
complete an online questionnaire were sent to fifty five participants.
Of the fifty five participants invited to take part in the study, forty five started the
questionnaire and thirty nine completed it. Although there were six people that did not
complete the questionnaire their answers to the questions they did answer were deemed
relevant to the study and were included in the result set.
In analysing the responses of the sample it is interesting to note that online learning is still
quite unknown in KwaZulu-Natal. In fact, although the respondents were all decision makers
in their organisations, some of them had not considered the use and benefits of online training
within their organisations. There also seems to be a systemic misunderstanding of what
online training is.
One of the main goals of this study was to ascertain what can be done to increase the
awareness and understanding of (not necessarily the use of) online training in KwaZulu-
Natal.
Description
Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.
Keywords
Information technology--KwaZulu-Natal., Education, Higher--Information technology--KwaZulu-Natal., Computer-assisted instruction--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Business administration.