Corporate universities: driving force of knowledge innovation

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to explain the rapid emergence of corporate universities on the basis of fundamental developments presently shaping the economy and society on a world‐wide scale.Design/methodology/approachFour key forms of innovation are identified and combined with the corporate university concept. The paper explains why corporate universities are emerging world‐wide as strategic weapons in the competitive battle among companies, countries and international economic power blocs.FindingsCompanies endorsing the importance of knowledge innovation cannot get around the corporate university concept as part of their strategy. Three major corporate university types are identified and linked to their strategic role as the driving force of knowledge innovation.Originality/valueHelps to explain why corporate universities have evolved as an answer to the challenge of competing in a knowledge‐driven economy.

System perspective of knowledge management, organizational learning, and organizational innovation

“…Facing this rapid change, enterprises should adapt and update its knowledge to maintain its competitive advantages (Rademakers, 2005). However, past research showed the issues of knowledge management (KM) are complicated.…”

Relevance or ‘relevate’? How university business schools can add value through reflexively learning from strategic partnerships with business

“…From the perspective of large corporations, the perceived lack of relevance of the traditional business school curriculum has resulted in a noticeable rise in the number of corporate universities in which a company-instigated training initiative is set up and used as a strategic tool intended to assist its parent organisation in achieving its goals by conducting educational and developmental activities that help foster individual and organisational learning, knowledge and competence (Nixon and Helms, 2002;Rademakers, 2005). Corporate universities are undoubtedly a growing trend and to date there are over 2000 of them, mainly in the United States but increasingly in Europe (Campbell and Dealtry, 2003).…”

The antecedents of e-learning adoption within Italian corporate universities: a comparative case study

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