Handbook of Corporate University Development: Managing Strategic Learning Initiatives in Public and Private Domains

Citation

Fourie, I. (2006), "Handbook of Corporate University Development: Managing Strategic Learning Initiatives in Public and Private Domains", The Electronic Library, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 283-284. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470610660468

The Editors of the Handbook of Corporate University Development can be congratulated on an excellent publication. It gives extensive coverage of a variety of aspects concerning corporate universities, which makes it both a good introductory text, as well as a must‐read for those who already are experienced in the business of corporate universities.

In the preface the Editors explain their interpretation of the term “corporate university”. According to them it encompasses a range of initiatives that carry cognate titles such as academy or institute. It includes initiatives such as universities wholly owned by a parent work organization, universities that have as their primary focus the provision of learning opportunities for employees of the parent organization, as well as initiatives “utilizing symbols and language from the educational sector”. (The latter seems to cover quite a wide scope, and I must admit that I am not quite sure how to interpret it.) They further explain that their focus is upon those strategic learning initiatives whose prime objective is the use of learning as a vehicle or corporate strategy targeted on a particular corporate or industrial constituency, whether located in the “public” or “private” sector.

Handbook of Corporate University Development is divided into four parts, namely:

1. 1.

   positioning the corporate university;

2. 2.

   organising and managing a corporate university;

3. 3.

   learning technologies and processes; and

4. 4.

   prospects and possibilities for corporate universities.

Within this spectrum the editors have drawn on extensive international expertise to explore issues such as the ownership of corporate universities, funding management, the alignment of corporate universities with business strategies, the deployment of resources, dealing with suppliers, partnering educational providers in a developing country, measuring the performance of a corporate university, assessment of learning and future prospects for corporate universities, the accreditation of corporate universities, networked learning and communities of value and increasing the business impact of learning. A number of case studies are also included, such as the Barclay's University, Aqua Universitas and the National Health Service University.

Although not all chapters include a list of references, they are mostly well researched and well written in a clear and easy‐to‐follow style. This hard copy publication is also well‐bounded and concluded with a good five‐page index. Although it is rather expensive at £90.00 I think it to be worth the expense. I can certainly agree with another reviewer, Professor Stephen Watson: “This book should be on the shelves of every dean of every business school engaged in executive education”. In fact, Handbook of Corporate University Development should be read by everybody involved in corporate universities, or who are interested in getting involved.