Keeping Up with the Corporate University 157
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descriptive and analytical framework that is based upon knowledge manage-
ment, learning organizations, and organizational learning. Their “corporate
university wheel” focuses on two concepts. First, there are four key functions
a corporate university should perform:
• Knowledge Systems and Processes. This category recognizes the
rapidly growing number of computer-based tools that can help an
organization capture, organize, and disseminate knowledge — databases,
expert systems, and decision-making software. It also recognizes the
importance of finding ways to use these tools effectively.
• Networks and Partnerships. Partnerships that support learning include
connecting people or groups together within an organization, connecting
with experts in the broader community outside the organization, and
developing outsource relationships for training and development activities
where appropriate.
• Learning Processes. Most visibly, learning processes involve training
and education programs. However, the corporate university should also
be facilitating the creation of a culture of learning throughout the organi-
zation.
• People Processes. People processes include ways that people in the
organization have to learn and “build and reinforce shared meaning”
(Prince & Stewart, 2002, p. 807).
Secondly, the model emphasizes that the effectiveness of corporate universities
today is limited, not as much by the functioning of the four key functions, but on
the lack of sufficient integration, management, and nurturing of the four
functions as an interrelated system—a system that supports the organization’s
learning.
Barley’s (2002) corporate university design model clearly illustrates the
importance of strategic alignment between the corporate university and the

learning and e-HRM move from the experimental stage into becoming fully
integrated into the HR workplace and workplace learning activities (e.g.,
the evolution of the Chief Learning Officer); and
• how corporate universities develop and experience the expanding use of
outsource arrangements with suppliers of learning products and services.
In addition to research challenges, faculty who teach HRM and HRM practi-
tioners alike need a way to “keep up” with the speed with which corporate
universities are evolving. The next section provides a means to do just that,
largely through the extraordinary resources available on the Internet to dissemi-
nate information and connect people.
Keeping Up with the Corporate University 159
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permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.
Keeping Up
One thing is certain: Most of what we have recounted above is changing. As we
pointed out, corporate universities differ; yet, in whatever form they take, their
role in shaping organizational strategies, impacting knowledge management,
and utilizing e-learning is increasingly necessary to organizations that wish to
retain their best employees and remain competitive. For faculty, the challenge
is in keeping up with a phenomenon that’s evolving as rapidly as corporate
universities are and, in addition to incorporating relevant information into
courses, alerting our students that ongoing learning will, in the foreseeable
future, be a critical part of their organizational job requirements. For human
resources practitioners — especially for those designing, implementing, or
managing a corporate university — the challenge is to keep abreast of the best
and most current experience by colleagues and researchers in order to bring
that experience and wisdom to their own particular organization.
At the end of this chapter, we have provided several resources for management
and human resource faculty, with which they can stay connected to the
important and pervasive changes being brought about by corporate universi-

Further, human resource academic faculty and organizational practitioners will
play a critical role in introducing today’s — and tomorrow’s — corporate
university concepts to our business students and in applying these concepts in
organizations. Understanding the changing world of corporate universities will
keep our faculty, students, and practitioners correctly focused on the essential
ingredients for succeeding on the job, improving short- and long-term learning
initiatives in their organizations, tightening connections between human re-
source practices and organizational goals, and increasing the ability of an
organization to assess its learning initiatives.
Resources for Faculty
Corporate Universities
Books
Allen, M. (Ed.). (2002). The corporate university handbook: Designing,
managing and growing a successful program. New York: Amacom.
Jarvis, P. (2001). Universities and corporate universities: The higher
learning industry in global society. London: Kogan Page Limited.
Meister, J. (1998). Corporate universities: Lessons in building a world-
class work force (2
nd
ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Keeping Up with the Corporate University 161
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permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.
Reports
Corporate University Xchange Fifth Annual Benchmarking Report. (2002).
Available from Corporate University Exchange (http://www.corpu.com)
for $595. Looking at year-to-year trends, the report examines how
organizations shape their corporate universities based on building blocks
such as funding, organization, products/services, learning partners, and
technology.