This study focuses on the prerequisites for successful communication and collaborative learning in a large multinational company as perceived by human resource development (HRD) practitioners who took part in a cross-cultural e-learning course. The participants were Finnish and Chinese employees (n=17) who used an asynchronous web-based tool to study adult education on a virtual university course. The study is based on the Web discussions conducted during the one-year university course. On the basis of a phenomenographic analysis, three main themes around communication and collaboration at work could be identified: 1) prerequisites for collaborative activities, 2) cultural differences, and 3) the role of the management. We discuss the implications of these factors for the development of e-learning solutions designed to promote professional and organisational development.