The role of work, play, and fun in microcomputer software training

A field study of MBA students enrolled in a microcomputer software training class was conducted. Trainees' expectations of the extent to which the training would be like work and play were collected prior to the training and their perceptions of the extent to which the training was like work and play were collected after the training. In addition, trainees' perceptions of the extent to which the training was fun were also measured. Results indicated that play perceptions operated as a suppressor variable. Post-training play perceptions had a marginally significant and negative effect on learning and increased the positive and significant effect of post-training fun perceptions on learning. Results also indicated that despite the fact that much of the training occurred on the computer, trainers influenced trainees' perceptions that the training seemed like work, play, and fun. Finally, learning was negatively affected when trainees with high pre-training play expectations perceived trainers to have a high work orientation in the training. These results suggest that play and fun perceptions have potentially important consequences for learning and that trainers play an important role in influencing these perceptions in microcomputer training.

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