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Despite the fact that billions of dollars are being spent annually on e-learning programs in the United States, little is being done to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of these programs. This reflects a decades-old pattern in the evaluation methods used in the training and performance improvement field. Some authors have suggested that the management decision-making literature may offer better ways to evaluate training initiatives than methods traditionally used by training and performance improvement professionals. This article reports on a study that explored the decision-making processes of executives with regard to e-learning programs. The executives were interviewed to identify what criteria they applied in evaluating programs delivered at a distance via e-learning. The results show how three decision-making orientations (normative, behavioural and naturalistic) were manifested in the executives' responses. A set of theoretical propositions and an evaluation process emerged from the analysis of the interview data.