Examining online learning platform characteristics and employee engagement relationship during Covid-19

Abstract

Purpose As work-from-home policies were being implemented during Covid-19, organizations have been migrating their learning and development programs to digital platforms. This study aims to understand the role of employees’ perceptions about four key attributes of online learning platforms (OLPs), namely, online environment, ease of use, online content (OC) and online engagement anchors in their levels of work engagement (WE). Further, it also investigates how the personality attributes of the employees and financial incentives for online learning influence this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Using the snowball sampling technique, online questionnaires were distributed to about 350 employees in four IT firms in India who were working from home during the Covid-19 period. The total number of valid responses was 306 and consisted of software developers, technical leads, process specialists, testers and managers. The analysis was done using Python software (V.3.7.4) packages and Process Macro (pyprocessmacro V.1.0.8) developed for Python. Findings Perceived OLP features significantly influence employee WE. OC and ease of use are significant influencers of employee WE. The perception of OLP features indirectly affects WE through the learner’s personality characteristics. Moreover, the financial incentive to learn online shares a negative interaction effect with OLP features to influence WE. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing literature on virtual knowledge management by identifying the driving factors that reinforce the acceptance of OLPs. Moreover, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to link online learning management system key characteristics with employee outcome as engagement. Most of the previous work has ignored exploring such a relationship in an organizational setting.

Increasing the effectiveness of online learning platforms

“…Heightened levels of interest and enjoyment can then increase the desire of individuals to immerse themselves in the learning activities. Ghosh et al (2022) believe the extent of employee engagement will be significantly influenced by their opinions of the above OLP attributes. In the present study, the authors focus specifically on the WE dimension of employee engagement.…”

“…To explore the issues further, Ghosh et al (2022) conducted a survey of employees at four Indian IT companies who were working from home. A total of 306 questionnaires were completed and analysis confirmed that all the online personality characteristics (OLPC) discussed above positively affect WE.…”

“…Ghosh et al (2022) believe the extent of employee engagement will be significantly influenced by their opinions of the above OLP attributes. In the present study, the authors focus specifically on the WE dimension of employee engagement.…”

The Critical Success Factors Influencing the Use of Mobile Learning and its Perceived Impacts in Students’ Education: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Moreover, mobile learning (ML), driven by technological advancements, has become essential in online education, offering flexibility and convenience in accessing learning materials. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted its significance as n-Learning rapidly replaced traditional classroom settings, demonstrating its ability to sustain education in challenging times and hinting at its potential to reshape future educational models [4][5][6].…”

“…Based on research, M-learning has a positive influence on the learning engagement, learning motivation, and learning outcomes of students [6][7][8]. This stems from the ability to access educational resources and interact with learning activities via a personal device, enabling students' learning autonomy and increasing their learning engagement and motivation.…”