Defining motivation factors for travel agents eLearning practices

The next process has been undertaken in order to define motivations, which travel agents have on subscribing to the eLearning courses about tourism destinations. Content analysis within the preliminary benchmark study has suggested the list of hypothetical motivations travel agents might have on attending eLearning courses. The list was extracted from the websites of the DMOs that were promoting online training activities for travel trade partners (i.). These ten items were tested through the exploratory online questionnaire with travel agents globally, who have then ranked the items. Additionally, travel agents in the open-ended comments within the exploratory online questionnaire have suggested additional items (ii.). Then during phone interviews process (iii.), travel agents based in the United Kingdom, India and New Zealand were asked to specify motivations they have on attending eLearning courses about tourism destinations.

Thanks to it, 21 items were received including the new emerged ones. Additionally, academic literature on the motivational theories, technology acceptance and eLearning related topics was revised, and helped to define the final list of 32 variables (iv.), that were further tested with the online survey of the travel agents based in the United Kingdom, India and New Zealand. Motivational items received in every research step are presented and discussed further.

i.) Motivational items obtained from benchmarking study

The next motivational items were received during the benchmarking study of existing national eLearning portals about tourism destinations (sub-chapter 3.1). They were mapped from the official descriptions on the NTO eLearning websites and are presented in Table 31. According to NTOs, travel agents attend eLearning courses about tourism destinations in order to:

- access to special offers and discounts from the destination - acquire new knowledge about the destination

- be registered on the official travel agent list of the destination - better serve clients

- enrich curriculum

- get incentives and prizes from the destination (e.g. pens, maps, T-shirts) - receive an official certificate

- respond to manager’s requests - sell more and earn more

- win an educational and familiarization trip

Table 31. Motivational items received from the benchmarking study

ii.) Motivational items obtained from exploratory online questionnaire

Ten motivational items that were received from the benchmarking study were exposed to the travel agents globally within exploratory online questionnaire (sub-chapter 4.1) with the request to select three main reasons they have on attending eLearning courses about tourism destinations. The results of this step were presented in the sub-chapter 4.1.3.

Additionally to that, the category “other” was proposed to the travel agents, with an opportunity to suggest their reasoning on learning about tourism destinations they sell with the help of online training courses. Received responses are presented below in Table 32.

- because my colleagues do - because my manager does it - personal satisfaction and enrichment

- I am able to access training away from work (e.g. from home) - I am able to learn on my own without assistance

- I can study in the office (e.g. when there are no clients) - I feel more confident in serving clients

- it helps me to get a competitive advantage over other travel agents in my company/region - it’s free of charge

- it’s enjoyable

- it’s easy to learn and familiarize myself with the help of online training - to keep myself updated

Table 32. Motivational items received from the exploratory online questionnaire

iii.) Motivational items obtained from phone interviews

From the phone interviews (sub-chapter 4.3) with the travel agents based in the United Kingdom, India and New Zealand, the next twenty one items (Table 33.) were received.

Travel agents possess the next motivations on attending eLearning courses about tourism destinations besides using other available sources of knowledge upgrade:

- I am able to access training away from work (e.g. from home) - I can acquire new knowledge about the destination

- I can be registered on the official travel agent list of the destination - I can get access to special offers/ discounts from the destination - I can get information about destination I haven't been

- I can sell more and earn more

- I can study in the office (e.g. when there are no clients) - I can use logo for marketing

- I can win an educational and familiarization trip - I feel more confident in serving clients

- I receive an official certificate

- I receive some form of explicit compensation (e.g. salary, promotion)

- it helps me to get a competitive advantage over other travel agents in my company/region - it helps to better serve clients

- training content is relevant for my job, as it was created specifically for travel agents Table 33. Motivational items received from phone interviews

iv.) Framework on the travel agents’ motivations on attending destinational eLearning courses

The items that were received during preliminary studies, were then aligned with the next theoretical frameworks: Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989; Roca & Gagne, 2008); Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1980; Ryan & Connell, 1989; Amabile et al., 1976); Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986); work-related motivations (Slotte & Herbert, 2006); Organization and management support (Tracey et al., 1995, 2001); eLearning setting related motivations (Keller & Suzuki, 2004; Maldonado et al., 2011;

Wlodkowski, 2011). These items have created a new framework that will be used to analyze motivations travel agents have on attending eLearning courses about tourism destinations. The framework is presented below in Table 34.

Motivational items Theoretical frameworks

- it’s easy to learn and familiarize myself with the help of online training

TAM – Perceived ease of use (Davis, 1989; Roca & Gagne, 2008; Lee & Lee , 2008)

- I can acquire new knowledge about the destination - I feel more confident in serving clients

- it improves the quality of my learning - it is a useful tool

- it helps me to better serve clients - it helps me to keep my skills updated

TAM – Perceived usefulness (Davis,

- it gives me personal satisfaction and enrichment

SDT - Intrinsic motivation – enjoyment, interest and satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2000)

- I am interested in eLearning from a technical point of view (to see how it works)

- I am able to learn on my own without assistance Intrinsic motivations. Perceived autonomy (Ryan & Connell, 1989)

- it helps me to get a competitive advantage over other travel agents in my company/region

Extrinsic motivations. Introjected motivations (self-control; internal rewards)

- I can keep myself updated Extrinsic motivations. Integrated

(synthesis with self)

- it enriches my curriculum (CV) Extrinsic motivations. Identified (personal importance)

- I can be registered on the official travel agent list of the destination

- I can get access to special offers/ discounts from the destination

- I can sell more and earn more

- I can win an educational/familiarization trip

- I can win incentives and prizes from the destination (e.g. pens, maps, T-shirts)

- I receive an official certificate

- I receive some form of explicit compensation (e.g. salary, promotion)

- I am able to access training away from work (e.g. from home) - I can study at my own pace

- I can study in the office (e.g. when there are no clients) - it’s quick

- information is structured to suit the needs of a travel agent - it’s free of charge

- my learning is assessed

- training content is relevant for my job, as it was created specifically for travel agents

- eLearning setting related motivations (Keller &Suzuki, 2004; Maldonado et al., 2011; Wlodkowski, 2011)

Table 34. Framework on the travel agents’ motivations on attending destinational eLearning courses

4.5.4. Tested items on the motivations of travel agents on attending eLearning