Reducing employee learning and development costs: the use of massive open online courses (MOOC)

摘要

Corporate training is part and parcel of talent development in organizations. However, the escalating cost of doing business and economic uncertainties surrounding global markets are forcing some companies to reduce costs to maintain their bottom line. As expenses relating to employee training and development rarely have an immediate impact on business operations, executive management often see such expense as one that can be reduced substantially if the need arises. From the employees' perspective, a reduction in training budget is seen as a blow to staff benefits. It can also be taken as a signal of deteriorating business conditions and can reduce employee morale. Longenecker and Fink (2014) pointed out that talented managers are more likely to leave an organization if training and development opportunities for growth are lacking. One way that organizations can offer a greater level of development opportunities at lower cost is through the use of online learning platforms. There is increasing interest in the use of massive open online courses (MOOCs), which are, in general, web-based courses that can be targeted to an unlimited number of participants. These courses can be designed by anyone and made available to the public or designated audiences on dedicated MOOC providers' websites.