THE ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT RELEVANCE TO ADOPT AN INNOVATION: THE E-LEARNING USE BY EMPLOYEES

摘要

The challenge of creating and maintaining competitive advantage in a globalized and competitive environment requires the adoption of distinguish strategies and practices, such as employees' continuous development. Therefore, e-learning is an innovative strategy capable of responding to the organization needs for developing a changing and geographically dispersed workforce, contributing to cost reduction, team development and the establishment of a learning culture, benefits that depend upon employees adoption and use. The purpose of this study is to analyze the organizational environment variables that influence the e-learning adoption by employees. The study methodology combines a literature review about innovation adoption and e-learning implementation and an empirical research in a telecommunication company. The data obtained with 312 survey responses, 5 interviews and document analysis were analyzed through a triangulation approach. Research results indicate the most relevant organizational environment factors that influenced the adoption of the chosen innovation (e-learning): immediate supervisor support, top management support, favorable organizational culture, success of incentive campaign and, social influence. Also, the results confirm a difference in perceptions of e-learning adopters and not adopters, indicating a tendency of those employees that adopted e-learning demonstrate a favorable perception of the organizational environment variables. The study contributed to identify actions with potential to increase employee adoption of e-learning, such as: increase of leadership involvement, support to e-learning participation during working hours, and enhance e-learning communication.