© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
For Personal Use Only
Establishing a Corporate
University
Seven Steps to Success
Prepared by Kevin Wheeler
Global Learning Resources, Inc.
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
For Personal Use Only
Organizations need to. . .
• continually enhance their capacity to create
the future
• increase learning to respond to change
• be agile, adaptive and innovative
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Seven Steps to Creation
Strategic
Direction
Staffing
& Skills
Governance
Scope
Funding
Structure
&
Systems
Operating
Principles
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
For Personal Use Only
Step 1: Operating Principles
• What fundamental assumptions are made about
development and about people in your
organization?
• What are the core philosophies/values you operate
under?
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Examples
• All individual skills training should be left
to the line management to provide.
• E-learning is the way to go!
• Doing things ourselves is better than buying
those things from outside.
• We want to help make our customers more
successful by offering them education.
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 2: Governance
• Who is crafting and who is approving this
strategy?
• Who will make the key decisions about
funding, scope, content, staff?
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Possible Governance Spectrum
Where should YOU be on this?
Customers drive
all curricula
May not reflect
internal needs or
meet CEOs needs
CEO makes all decisions
Little to no input from
organization
May not meet enterprise
needs
CEO-Directed Customer Driven
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Direction & Control
• May range from CEO-led boards of directors with
staff and functional representation to simple
internal market mechanisms
• May report to CEO or to Vice President of Human
Resources.
• May be a result of the marketing/sales function if
the recipient of the learning is a customer or
supplier.
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 3: Strategic Direction
• There are numerous strategic orientations or
focuses that are possible. Several may be
mixed.
• Examples:
– Competency-Based Career Development
– Business-Issue Focus
– Change Management Focus
– Customer/supplier Education Focus
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Competency-Based Career
Development
• Focus on individuals:
– Skill building
–Succession planning
–Ensuring that there is a
competent & highly skilled
workforce
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Business Issue Focused
• Focus on business initiatives:
– Driving major initiatives
• quality
• globalization
• empowerment
– Providing skills
– Business development
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Business Initiative Examples
• “This year, for example, the first full day was on
e-Business. Day 2 covered new thinking in
Globalization, Six Sigma and Product Services.”
-1999 Annual Report
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Change Management Focus
• Focus on change & growth:
– Driving change or transformation
– Providing change management skills
– Organizational learning
– Consulting
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Customer-Focused
• Focus on customers:
– Building customer & supplier relationships
– Integrating customer feedback and input into
corporate planning
– Fostering partnerships
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 4: Scope
• Who are your customers & stakeholders?
• Where will you focus content?
• How will you decide scope of offerings?
• Are you taking a phased approach to
introducing content?
• At what level will you deliver content
(beginner, advanced, etc.)
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Possible Scope Spectrum
Where should YOU be on this?
• Personal
• Quick response to
immediate needs
• Focused
• Lacks corporate focus
• Broad and expensive
• Large budgets and staffs
• Can be leveraged through
senior management
Everyone/Global Individual/Local
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Stakeholders are Key to Success
• There has to be a clear linkage and clear
communication between all shareholders
and the corporate university management.
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 5a: Structure
• How is your CU organized?
• Where does it report?
• Is it centralized or decentralized?
• Is it based on the Federal model?
• Do you have networks & loose alliances
• What is its relationship to the business
units?
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Form follows Function
• Structure should reflect the strategic
orientation
Centralized
Decentralized Federal & Networks
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Possible Structure Spectrum
Where should YOU be on this?
• Close to customer
• Quick response to
immediate needs
• Can be leaner
• Lacks corporate focus
• Decision making is easy
• Large budgets and staffs
• Excellent in times of
turmoil and stress
Centralized Decentralized
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Choose the Best Structure
• Organization with a
few employees in each
location, widely
dispersed
geographically.
• Single location,
medium-sized firm
• Huge, diversified
organization with
many branches and
offices.
• Small start-up
environment,
egalitarian culture.
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Centralized
• Strengths
– Strong control over all
aspects of training and
development
– Ensures uniformity and
consistency
• Weaknesses
– Dis-empowering
– Fosters “resistance” to
corporate programs
– Programs may not
reflect reality
– Programs have
“corporate” flavor
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Decentralized
• Strengths
– Empowering
– Allows divisional
freedom & ownership
– Programs are perceived
as more relevant
– May offer a way to get
things done faster
– Can be reactive
• Weaknesses
– Difficult to ensure
consistent messages are
heard
– Fosters fragmentation &
duplication of effort
– May lead to chaotic career
development and hinder
internal promotion
– Often not strategic - focus
on TODAY
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Federal/Hybrid Model
• Strengths
– Balances freedom with
control
– Allows for consensus
to emerge
– Provides space for all
to be heard
– Fosters a strategic,
longer-term approach
• Weaknesses
– Still danger of NIH
(not invented here)
mentality
– Requires staff with
influencing & team
building skills
– Time intensive
– May take longer to get
things done
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Networks & Loose Alliances
• Weaknesses
– Constant shifting of
alliances and partners
– Lack of continuity
• Strengths
– Flexibility
– Freedom of choice
– Informal agreements
exit between operating
units
– Some training units
join together over some
issues, but not others
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 5b: Systems
• What learning management system or tools
will you use?
• Will you focus on classroom/bricks &
mortar delivery or on web-based delivery?
• What development systems will you use:
competency-based development, needs-
analysis based, combinations?
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 6: Funding
• For profit or not-for-profit?
• Paid for by corporate allocation or by
charging business units?
• Open to non-employees or not?
• Hybrid model with partial costs paid by
corporate?
• Paid subscriptions or transaction fees?
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Possible Funding Spectrum
Where should YOU be on this?
Must market & sell
Message is custom
Pricing is competitive
Quality may vary
Messages “customer-driven”
No excuse not to attend
High control
Consistent messages
Quality Control
Messages “corporate”
CORPORATE-FUNDED FOR PROFIT
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Step 7: Staffing & Skills
• Who delivers the programs?
• Are the university staff mostly internal or
external?
• Are university staff experts in instructional design
and presentation?
• What skills define the corporate university staffer?
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
For Personal Use Only
Possible Skills Spectrum
Where should YOU be on this?
Staff is mostly from line
Emphasis on practicality and
ops skills
A few experts act as coaches
Staff has degrees in instructional
design
Recognized as “experts” in
delivery
Content from SMEs
IT Skills/ Training Expert Line Manager
© Copyright, 2001Global Learning Resources, Inc.
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Possible Delivery Spectrum
Where should YOU be on this?
Low control
Variable quality
Flexible
Difficult to manage
Diverse
High control
Need to keep “busy”
Tendency for specialization
Lack of flexibility
Homogeneous
ALL EXTERNAL
SUPPLIERS
ALL INTERNAL
EXPERTS
Establishing a Corporate UniversitySeven Steps to Success
Organizations need to. . .
Seven Steps to Creation
Step 1: Operating Principles
Examples
Step 2: Governance
Possible Governance SpectrumWhere should YOU be on this?
Direction & Control
Step 3: Strategic Direction
Competency-Based Career Development
Business Issue Focused
Business Initiative Examples
Change Management Focus
Customer-Focused
Step 4: Scope
Possible Scope Spectrum Where should YOU be on this?
Stakeholders are Key to Success
Step 5a: Structure
Form follows Function
Possible Structure Spectrum Where should YOU be on this?
Choose the Best Structure
Centralized
Decentralized
Federal/Hybrid Model
Networks & Loose Alliances
Step 5b: Systems
Step 6: Funding
Possible Funding Spectrum Where should YOU be on this?
Step 7: Staffing & Skills
Possible Skills Spectrum Where should YOU be on this?
Possible Delivery Spectrum Where should YOU be on this?
Additional Information
Additional Information
