Theorizing e‐learning participation: a study of the HRD online communities in the USA

Purpose – This study sets out to investigate the e‐learning participation and completion phenomenon in the US corporate HRD online communities and to explore determinants of e‐learning completion.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the HRD Learning Participation Theory (LPT), this study takes a two‐stage approach. Stage one adopts an interview approach to selected e‐learning managers and to bridge the LPT with empirical data for stage two; stage two develops a survey questionnaire for collecting e‐learning completion related data. Statistical techniques are used for data analysis.Findings – The study finds that the e‐learning completion rate is significantly higher in the online HRD communities than those reported in the popular media. The results show that e‐learning completion is influenced by individual, organizational, and learning process factors and variables. Environmental factors also influence the completion rate to a certain degree.Research limitations/implications – The data were obtained fr...