4 Case Study: Technology and the Resistant Learner CUR 516 March 2, 2020 Dr. Deborah Hornsby Case Study: Resistance to Technology in the E-Business Course At Northwest Community College there is a business course titled BUS 267: e-Business. Throughout this course, the learners will understand how to conduct business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions electronically. The topics the learners will discuss throughout the course are how to conduct business electronically, how to utilize technology to enhance their business, the unique characteristics of e-marketing, and how to legally, ethically, and regulatory ways to conduct business through e-transactions (Course Catalog: Business, n.d.). Overall, this course teaches the learner the best ways to utilize technology to conduct business. The E-Business’s target audience is adult learners. Adult learners are normally over the age of 25 and have chosen to postpone their education after high school. Adult learners typically have family’s and are working either full time or part time. Some of the learners may have prior college experience and may have been derailed from pursuing their education due to other obligations. The adult learners generally have more life experience than most students who attend school immediately after high school. They are also more motivated to complete courses in order to obtain a certification or degree that will help further their career or change careers. These learners must manage their school time with work and family obligations. The learners have family, they also must manage their household finance and their educational financial obligations. There is quite a bit of technology that will be introduced and included in this course. Most e-commerce website utilize Shopify to manage their online orders. Through the course, students will learn how Shopify can be used as a tool for order and inventory management. Shipstation is another tool that compliments Shopify. Students will learn the importance of Shiptstaion regarding shipments, negotiating shipping rates with shippers and then transferring those agreed upon rates into the system, and the importance of fulfilling items in a timely manner. Students will also learn the importance of Google Analytics. The way an ecommerce website is designed is critical to bring traffic and ensure consumers purchase your product. During the course, learners will understand conversion rates and what makes them decrease or increase. Students will also learn the importance of Google and Facebook ads, and how these ads bring traffic to ecommerce websites based on consumer likes and interests There are many behaviors that indicate why learners are resistant to technology in their training. The first reason is, the student is doing the minimum and going through the motions to get a degree because it is required for their employment, but they do not value the learning because it .

1. 4
Case Study: Technology and the Resistant Learner
CUR 516
March 2, 2020
Dr. Deborah Hornsby

2. Case Study: Resistance to Technology in the E-Business
Course
At Northwest Community College there is a business
course titled BUS 267: e-Business. Throughout this course, the
learners will understand how to conduct business-to-business
and business-to-consumer transactions electronically. The
topics the learners will discuss throughout the course are how to
conduct business electronically, how to utilize technology to
enhance their business, the unique characteristics of e-
marketing, and how to legally, ethically, and regulatory ways to
conduct business through e-transactions (Course Catalog:
Business, n.d.). Overall, this course teaches the learner the best
ways to utilize technology to conduct business.
The E-Business’s target audience is adult learners. Adult
learners are normally over the age of 25 and have chosen to
postpone their education after high school. Adult learners
typically have family’s and are working either full time or part
time. Some of the learners may have prior college experience
and may have been derailed from pursuing their education due
to other obligations. The adult learners generally have more life
experience than most students who attend school immediately
after high school. They are also more motivated to complete
courses in order to obtain a certification or degree that will help
further their career or change careers. These learners must
manage their school time with work and family obligations.
The learners have family, they also must manage their
household finance and their educational financial obligations.
There is quite a bit of technology that will be introduced and
included in this course. Most e-commerce website utilize

3. Shopify to manage their online orders. Through the course,
students will learn how Shopify can be used as a tool for order
and inventory management. Shipstation is another tool that
compliments Shopify. Students will learn the importance of
Shiptstaion regarding shipments, negotiating shipping rates with
shippers and then transferring those agreed upon rates into the
system, and the importance of fulfilling items in a timely
manner. Students will also learn the importance of Google
Analytics. The way an ecommerce website is designed is critical
to bring traffic and ensure consumers purchase your product.
During the course, learners will understand conversion rates and
what makes them decrease or increase. Students will also learn
the importance of Google and Facebook ads, and how these ads
bring traffic to ecommerce websites based on consumer likes
and interests
There are many behaviors that indicate why learners are
resistant to technology in their training. The first reason is, the
student is doing the minimum and going through the motions to
get a degree because it is required for their employment, but
they do not value the learning because it is unnecessary and not
relevant. They do not care about technology or how it can
benefit them in their learning. The second reason is, adult
learners returning to school feel intimidated using technology as
it is new, and they do not understand it. They did not have these
advancements when they previously attended school and they
are seen as excessive. The third reason is the learner is not
actively engaged in the learning and are attempting to stay
below the radar by pretending to take notes. They do not ask
any questions and try to avoid using the technology because
they don’t want to learn how to use it. They may disagree with
the instructor but prefer to keep their opinions to themselves.
The fourth reason is, some tend to be very vocal and ask
numerous questions but not necessarily to enhance their
understanding. These learners are attempting to find
inconsistencies with how the technology is being presented and
catch the presenter. They may attempt to convince the instructor

4. that they can do the assignment without the need of the
technology. The last reason is, other learners will be more
confrontational in their interactions. They will challenge the
content and identify how it does not match with the real-world
applications. They attempt to bring the technology into doubt
with the other learners so that they do not have to use it
(Kasworm, 2008).
In conclusion, there are many people who are resistant to
technology when they are taking classes in their adult life.
These people may not be engaged in the learning or feel
resistant to technology. Business is a field where technology is
being utilized in a big way. We need to make sure we are
teaching to those who are resistant to technology and make them
see that they need to incorporate it into their business.

5. References
Course Catalog: Business. (n.d.). In Northwest Community
College.
Kasworm, C. (2008). What Are They Thinking? Adult
Undergraduate Learners Who Resist
Learning. Journal of research in Innovative Teaching, 1(1).
MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
3. Appraise how leadership behaviors and situational factors can
affect leadership success.

6. 3.1 Evaluate motivational techniques and empowerment tools.
3.2 Discuss situational factors that affect leadership, such as
size, structure, environment, and
geographic location.
Course/Unit
Learning Outcomes
Learning Activity
3.1
Unit Lesson
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Unit III Essay
3.2
Unit Lesson
Unit III Essay
Reading Assignment
In addition to a physical copy of the textbook, each unit
contains the eTextbook version of the assigned
reading chapters. If preferred, click on Unit III in the course
navigation menu to access the online version of
the assigned chapters.
Chapter 8: Motivation and Empowerment, pp. 227–250
Chapter 9: Leadership Communication, pp. 261–283

7. Unit Lesson
As you learned in previous units, leadership is based on the
personal experiences of a leader and his or
her ability to focus on and develop the skills, behaviors, and
relationships of followers. Leaders need to
be aware of the differences in their human capital and the fact
that their followers vary in expectations,
values, beliefs, and learning styles. Once leaders have made the
attempt to establish and maintain a
relationship with their followers, they must also cultivate the
motivation and empowerment of those they
lead. As you have learned, what motivates one person may not
motivate another. Skillful leaders will
hone in on the strengths and weaknesses of their followers and
adjust their leadership techniques
accordingly.
This unit’s lesson focuses on the leader as a relationship builder
and the factors that affect the leader’s ability
to cultivate those relationships. One true essence of a leader is
to motivate others, bring out the best in them,
encourage them, and nurture them. Motivation, like leadership,
is an ongoing practice, and the challenge is
not only how to motivate followers but also to determine the
means of motivation. For example, every day
John gets up, goes to work, goes to the gym, then goes home to
cook and eat dinner. Each task John
completes leads to a specific type of an outcome. For example,
John goes to work in order to receive a
paycheck. John goes to the gym in order to stay healthy. John
cooks and eats dinner in order to nourish his
body. This may sound simple, but even in our daily routine, we
are either intrinsically or extrinsically rewarded

8. by our actions.
We know that leaders focus on the organizational tasks and
goals set for them. However, great leaders show
flexibility in how they might address both organizational goals
and their own personal goals, which might be
UNIT III STUDY GUIDE
Motivation and Empowerment
MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 2
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
very different. Leaders typically cannot just say, “Let’s do
this!” and motivate and empower their workers.
Leaders need to understand that one single type of motivation or
empowerment will not apply to all of their
employees. Why? Because just like leadership, individuals will
have different methods and styles of doing
things. It is likely that if leaders focus on a single way to either
motivate or empower workers then they will not
be truly successful. Think of what specifically motivates and
empowers you. Is it exactly the same as what
motivates your coworkers?
Many leaders still use fear or penalty to motivate. However, this

9. is not a true motivator. You may have seen
leaders use organizational policy and rules to attempt to
motivate their workers. While this might be
somewhat effective, that leader really is not using motivation or
empowerment to its full potential. We can
reflect back to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ability to be
a motivational leader. Instead of focusing on
fear, Dr. King focused on the right of freedom, even if that right
of freedom came with a strong price. Dr.
King’s followers were motivated and empowered to the point of
marching, facing jail time, and/or abuse, but
they still followed and supported their leader. Leaders need to
understand the true motivation and
empowerment of their followers.
Similar to our personal routine, our professional activities are
also based on the outcome of a reward. Daft
(2018) defines intrinsic rewards as an “internal satisfaction and
enjoyment a person receives in the process of
performing a particular action” (p. 229). Intrinsic rewards are
typically internal, and the individual receives
satisfaction and fulfillment from an accomplishment. The task is
a behavior that satisfies the higher need of an
individual. On the opposite side of the spectrum are extrinsic
rewards. Extrinsic rewards satisfy the lower
needs such as basic safety, security, and comfort, and they “are
given by another person, typically a
supervisor, and include promotions and pay increases” (Daft,
2018, p. 229). Leaders approach each reward
as a motivational tool to meet the needs of the organization with
a primary focus of meeting the higher needs
of employees.
There are numerous theories relevant to motivation with each
having a focus on needs—in particular, needs
that motivate individuals. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory

10. “proposes that humans are motivated by
multiple needs and those needs exist in a hierarchical order”
(Daft, 2018, p. 233).
Maslow’s order, commonly referred to as a five-stage model,
begins with basic, physiological needs (food,
water, sleep), followed by safety needs (security and stability),
then love and belongingness from work, family,
and friends. Next, are the esteem needs (achievement, status,
and self-respect), and last are self-
actualization needs (self-fulfillment). Daft (2018) shares that,
within an organization, these needs are reflected
as follows:
(Pytyczech, n.d.)
MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 3
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
s: Heat, air, and base salary
supervisors

11. increased responsibilities
Self-actualization needs: Opportunities for advancement,
autonomy, growth, and creativity (p. 233)
Maslow’s theory is predicated on the idea that one must satisfy
the lower-level needs before progressing to a
higher level. Successful leaders realize and support the
capability of those that seek to attain the highest
level, yet they realize that obstacles and challenges may prevent
them from progressing from one lower need
to a higher need.
Complementing Maslow’s theory is Frederick Herzberg’s two-
factor theory. Daft (2018) states that there are
some job factors that result in satisfaction while there are other
job factors that prevent dissatisfaction (p.
234). Daft classifies the two factors as hygiene and motivators.
Hygiene factors include pay, policies, benefits,
working conditions, status, interpersonal relations, and job
security. Each factor symbolizes physiological
needs. Inherent to intrinsic rewards are the motivational factors,
which include recognition, achievement,
growth opportunities, responsibility, meaningful work, and
performance. Herzberg’s theory implies that
leaders need to utilize employees’ skills and competence, and
work needs to be stimulating and rewarding,
improving overall work quality.
Each theory is important to employee motivation, but what
about empowerment? Daft (2018) states that
“empowerment refers to power sharing, the delegation of power
or authority to subordinates in the
organization” (p. 243). Empowerment is a motivation enhancer

12. that satisfies the higher needs of employees.
The following factors are necessary for employees to be truly
empowered and perform their jobs effectively:
ions,
Motivating employees is a critical component of leadership, but
it is equally important that the messages
transmitted by leaders (i.e., communication) are deciphered by
their followers. Communication is a process
where a sender transmits information and a receiver receives
and interprets the message sent. How leaders
communicate with others can influence as well as motivate
individuals to perform, attain, and accomplish their
goals and objectives. Daft speaks of leaders being
communication champions whose primary role is to build
trust and commitment among individuals in meeting an
organization’s vision and strategy. Keep in mind a
leader’s communication should be purpose driven, directing
“everyone’s attention toward the vision, values,
and desired outcomes of the group” (Daft, 2018, p. 265). A
communication champion leader is open-minded,
has a willingness to actively listen, uses candor, is a good story
teller, asks inquisitive questions, and is a
strategic communicator.

13. Listening is the key to effective communication. Leaders use
listening as a relationship builder and
understand that listening is a communication process that leads
to the receiver of the message accurately
Listen actively
Keep an open
mind
Resist
distractions
Capitalize on the
fact that thought
is faster than
speech
Seek
understanding
Judge content,
not delivery
Hold one's fire Listen for ideas Work at listening Show respect
Ten keys to effective listening
(Daft, 2018, p. 269)

14. MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 4
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
receiving and interpreting the message. When we listen, we
foster the skill in others by acting as a model for
positive and effective communication.
We can apply one or more of the steps above to be a better
listener. Followers can also continuously improve
and become the best listeners possible. Successful leaders and
their followers strive to pay close attention to
the message being stated, keep eye contact on the speaker at all
times, ask questions, paraphrase the
message, and remain positive throughout the communication
process to enhance the relationship among one
another and become a more effective listener and
communicator.
The last note to focus on is that leadership is a process, not a
job title. As such, situational factors affect the
outcome of the leadership process. Situational factors that can
influence a leader’s ability to lead include the
structure of the organization (sole proprietorship, partnership,
corporation), the size of the company (small,
medium, large), the work environment (culture,
social/psychological climate, employment patterns) and even
the geographic location of the organization. According to Daft
(2018), leaders will often need to “adjust their
leadership style depending on a variety of factors in the
situations they face” (p. 66). For example, a leader in
a small organization may be able to successfully lead his or her
employees in a decentralized informal

15. manner, whereas a leader in a large organization will likely find
that he or she needs a more complex,
formalized approach to be successful. The specific culture of an
organization will also dictate the type of
approach a leader should take to lead the team. The level of
formality at an organization can impact the
communication, decision-making, and the performance of the
leader. Leaders need to understand the various
situational factors that can influence their ability to lead and
adjust their approach accordingly.
As we conclude this unit, think about your encounters with
leaders—both good and bad. Consider those
leaders you would classify as good leaders; what are some of
those skills they conveyed? How were they
able to motivate and inspire others? Were they honest?
Compassionate? Good communicators? Consider
leaders you would label as bad leaders; did they lack empathy?
Did they seem to devalue their employees?
Were they poor listeners? As an employee, think about what
factors motivate you to excel at your job and
how these motivators change as your situation changes.
Consider how you will incorporate the motivational
techniques and empowerment tools you learned in this unit to
enhance your leadership skills. Your process
will continue to evolve, and those leaders who are able to adapt
their skills to these changes will stand out as
leaders in the future.
References
Daft, R. L. (with Lane, P. G.). (2018). The leadership
experience (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

16. Pytyczech. (n.d.). Maslow’s pyramid of needs. Diagram, person
(ID 65741575) [Image]. Retrieved from
dreamstime.com
Learning Activities (Nongraded)
Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in
their course of study. You are not required to
submit these to your instructor but are encouraged to keep a
copy for your personal files. If you have
questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and
information.
Apply the Concepts: Take the Self-Assessment!
There is no question that leaders should be relationship
builders, but there are many factors that affect a
leader’s ability to create these relationships. Have the leaders in
your life met your needs? What impact do
others have on your approach to motivating others? Chapters 8
and 9 focus on these very topics. To take the
self-assessments associated with these chapters, click on Unit
III in the course navigation menu, and then
click on Nongraded Learning Activities.
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IIIReading AssignmentUnit
LessonMotivation and EmpowermentLearning Activities
(Nongraded)Apply the Concepts: Take the Self-Assessment!