Summarize and analyze the case answering questions. Case responses must be detailed, please present a unique answer, do not copy from other sources

Social Media and MOOCs at PayPal

PayPals digital payment platform gives its over 200 million active account holders in markets around the world the confidence to connect and transact in new ways online, on a mobile device, using an app, or in person. The PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo, and Xoom, allows consumers and businesses to receive money, withdraw funds, and hold balances in many different monetary currencies. Although PayPal is considered state-of-the art when it comes to using technology to digitize how we pay for products and services, it was not considered cutting edge in using technology for training. However, that has changed as PayPal has infused learning technology into its employee training programs. PayPal decided to incorporate social media into its training because it is easy to use and its over 5,000 employees are familiar with it. PayPal created a private Facebook group where employees can connect with each other and invited experts to ask questions and gain (and share) knowledge. PayPal also encourages workers to use Twitters video service to watch short training modules. PayPal provides employees with access to Udemy for Business, a supplier of massive open online courses (MOOCs). Employees can access 1,600 courses on a variety of topics and have complete control over when to complete them. They can bookmark important tutorials or save the lecture for future reference. As a result of incorporating technology into its training, PayPal has found that the number of employees who complete two training courses every six months (or who they refer to as active learners) has doubled. Also, the company realized a 25% savings in training costs.

QUESTIONS

1. Is PayPals approach to training strategic? Why or why not?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of PayPals use of social media and MOOCs for its training programs?