February 26, 2001

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More Than Technology: User Attitudes Make A Difference

By Sandra Swanson   (sswanson@cmp.com)

s with any E-transformation, technology isn't the only stumbling block; user attitudes create significant problems as well. That's a lesson learned by Joe Lejander, a training consultant at the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court in Maricopa County, Ariz., the fifth-largest county in the state with a population of nearly 3 million. Lejander hasn't implemented an E-learning initiative yet, but when he tried to take a step in that direction by creating online registration for the office's classroom-based training, things didn't quite go as planned. All previous course catalogs for about 500 office workers--half of whom lack college degrees--were on paper, so when Lejander posted the class registration Web site in January, he created an online form that strongly resembled the old paper form. Still, the reaction wasn't what he had hoped.

Instead of hitting the "Send" button, about 20% of the users filled out the form, printed it, and sent it through interoffice mail. About 30% refused to access the site at all. The resistance reinforced Lejander's belief in the need for organizational changes. "We can't just throw the technology at them and say, 'This is better, use it.' They have to be prepared to use it, and they have to learn to become comfortable with it." It's a slow process, but Lejander says he expects to roll out an E-learning program in the next two years.

Air Canada also faced the challenge of getting computer novices to accept E-learning. "What's a mouse?" was a question that arose more than once. To help employees get better acquainted with technology, Air Canada, in Montreal, held "open houses," serving coffee and doughnuts in the same area where the computers were set up. In that setting, employees were encouraged to explore the computers on their own. Mentoring came into play as well: The younger employees who surf the Net at home became E-learning champions and peer coaches.

John Deere & Co. had similar hurdles regarding user adoption. "Our dealers said, 'You've got all this [online] courseware coming out, and that's great. Except our people don't know how to open files or point and click,'" says Tony Loyd, manager of learning technology for John Deere's Moline, Ill., construction equipment division. One solution used by numerous dealers: Require technicians to play computer games for a half-hour every day for a certain period of time. Employees have fun, and clicking becomes second nature.

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Illustration by Lorraine Tuson

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