Configuring the corporate university – managing a portfolio of thinking schools

Abstract

Reflects on the journey so far into the exploration and understanding of the potential of the corporate university concept as a real‐time business development platform. Challenges whether the many and diverse “schools of thinking” that are shaping the intellectual architecture of corporate universities and are innovating new processes of intellectual development, are in fact functionally constrained ‐‐ simply window dressing of existing functions, or are engaged in retro‐ego trips. Identifies the main development connections between the corporate university concept and the developmental thinking domains of intellect, organisation and business. Examines where blockages are taking place in its evolution and puts forward a thinking schools integrator process methodology as a basis for moving forward into a more complete articulation of the concept. A constructivist methodology is summarised, introducing the idea of well‐considered choice for the integration of diverse developmental “schools of thinking” to determine a comprehensive “configuration school of thinking”. Suggests the first phase of an approach into how the emergent paradigm can be managed, to unfold a bespoke corporate university architecture.

Citation

Dealtry, R. (2001), "Configuring the corporate university – managing a portfolio of thinking schools", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/13665620110364754