Do emotions matter in technology training? Exploring their effects on individual perceptions and willingness to learn

Due to the growing importance of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in organizations today, many universities and corporate training programs now incorporate such systems into their curricula using novel tools, such as ERP simulation games. To improve the understanding of individuals' learning patterns, we extend prior cognition based models by incorporating emotions. Moreover, we highlight the role of perceived radicalness, which mediates the relationship between emotions and individuals' willingness to learn. The proposed research model draws from the appraisal tendency framework and includes four distinct classes of emotions: challenge, achievement, loss, and deterrence. The model was tested via a lab experiment in which participants (N = 145) played an ERP simulation game. The hypothesized links were tested using structural equation modeling. Anger and excitement were negatively associated with perceived radicalness. Anxiety was positively associated with perceived radicalness and the positive effect of happiness on perceived radicalness was insignificant. Finally, perceived radicalness was positively related to individuals' willingness to learn. Results indicate that perceived radicalness is an important mechanism via which classes of emotions impact students' ERP learning behaviors. In addition, negative emotions have greater effects on radicalness perceptions compared to positive emotions.