Last Days of the Corporate Technophobe

Executives who are computer challenged often need a compelling reason to catch up. It could be an embarrassing episode, a new job that comes with expectations of proficiency, a realization that their children know more about computers than they do or not-so-subtle nudging from secretaries and others.

They often feel more comfortable receiving instruction in private, in part because they can openly acknowledge their deficiencies. One executive attending computer classes offered as part of the Wharton advanced-management program told classmates that she had lost her "Internet virginity" at the school, recalled Robert Mittelstaedt, vice dean for executive education. Another Wharton executive program offers tutoring by M.B.A. students.