Virtualizing face-2-face trainings for training senior professionals: a comparative case study on financial auditors

Traditionally, professional learning for senior professionals is organized around face-2-face trainings. Virtual trainings seem to offer an opportunity to reduce costs related to travel and travel time. In this paper we present a comparative case study that investigates the differences between traditional face-2-face trainings in physical reality, and virtual trainings via WebEx. Our goal is to identify how the way of communication impacts interaction between trainees, between trainees and trainers, and how it impacts interruptions. We present qualitative results from observations and interviews of three cases in different setups (traditional classroom, web-based with all participants co-located, web-based with all participants at different locations) and with overall 25 training participants and three trainers. The study is set within one of the Big Four global auditing companies, with advanced senior auditors as learning cohort.