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E-learning in small and medium-sized enterprises in Greece

Ntriva, Effrosyni (2018) E-learning in small and medium-sized enterprises in Greece.

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Abstract:In the corporate sector, there is an ongoing growth of technology and a constant need for learning and development. In order to stay competitive and up-to-date with the innovations in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) companies invest in employees’ growth via e-learning. Even though in Europe, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) experience the benefits of e-learning and its applications, in Greece the picture of e-learning is still unclear. In particular, Greece is one of the countries with a low level of investment in Information Technology (IT), which is a major drawback for ICT integration and consequently influences the e-learning adoption. This study aimed to identify the position of Greek SMEs towards e-learning by examining their characteristics, the use of ITC, the attitudes of owner-managers towards learning and development and the attitudes of owner-managers towards e-learning. In order to examine all these factors, mixed method approach was used combining the findings from a survey with the findings from interviews. The survey was descriptively analysed and the interviews were coded based on the data driven from them. The results from the interviews revealed and demonstrated comprehensive insights supporting the results from the survey. The overall results showed that certain characteristics, resources and attitudes within the SMEs affect negatively the adoption of e-learning. The major reason why Greek SMEs cannot fully implement e-learning techniques in their learning processes is the poor technology infrastructure. However, even though the overall picture of e-learning in Greek SMEs is quite discouraging, there is an ongoing increase in informal types of e-learning which are based on communication and knowledge-sharing. The findings in this research could serve as a basis for further investigation on e-learning in SMEs in the context of Greece.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:70 social sciences in general, 81 education, teaching
Programme:Educational Science and Technology MSc (60023)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/75098
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