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Corporate Universities - Strategic Organizational Learning

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Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

1
Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Corporate Universities:
Strategic Organizational Learning

Authors:

Len Musielak, MBA, Management, Leadership, and Innovation

Meighan Newhouse, MEd, Instructional Design and Training

May 2019

2 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Copyright © 2019

Published by Inspirant Group, Inc.

1548 Bond St
Naperville IL 60563

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written
permission of the publisher

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined. 3

Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Abstract
Firms may invest in corporate universities for many reasons, but the ultimate goal always remains

keeping the organization and its people competitive in a changing marketplace. Developing a detailed

step-by-step “how to” for the creation of a corporate university would be inadvisable as each university

must be uniquely designed to meet the needs of the organization in which it operates. However, best

practices can be identified and grouped into categories of commonalities by analyzing research

surrounding successful corporate university implementations. Utilizing this methodology, Inspirant

Group has developed a four-part framework with the inherent flexibility necessary to be applied to any

organization while achieving the level of detail required to retain its usefulness as schema for corporate

university implementation.

About Inspirant Group

Specializing in guiding large firms through business, technology, and L&D transformations, our

approach to consulting starts with this one idea: "Hiring consultants should make your life easier." We

then do everything we can to turn that idea into your reality. We're small enough to flexibly work with

your unique constraints and experienced enough to deliver world-class solutions.

As former clients ourselves, we knew the client/consultant relationship was broken--so we redefined

consulting. No bureaucracy. No red tape. Just amazing transformations uneventfully executed. From

the financing structure of our relationship with you to the technology we use to train your team, we

provide full agility from beginning to end. Inspirant employs experienced expert resources in business

strategy, technology, implementation, learning and development, and change management to provide

end-to-end solutions built around your specific needs. We work hard to make your work life easier.

4 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Table of Contents

WHAT IS A CORPORATE UNIVERSITY? ......................................................................................................................... 6

HISTORY .............................................................................................................................................................................6
DEFINITION .........................................................................................................................................................................7
A NOTE ABOUT NAMES .........................................................................................................................................................8
WHY BUILD A CORPORATE UNIVERSITY? ..................................................................................................................... 9
TEACHING ORGANIZATION SPECIFIC SKILLS ................................................................................................................................9
KEEPING THE ORGANIZATION, AND ITS PEOPLE, COMPETITIVE .......................................................................................................9
PROMOTING A COMMON CULTURE, AND LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY .............................................................................................11
HOW TO BUILD A CORPORATE UNIVERSITY............................................................................................................... 13
INSPIRANT CORPORATE UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................13
Phase 1: Define Core Purpose and Scope of University .............................................................................................13
Phase 2: Develop Content Delivery Methodologies ..................................................................................................15
Phase 3: Launch University/Deliver Content .............................................................................................................17
Phase 4: Analyze | Continuously Evaluate and Adapt ..............................................................................................18
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................ 19
APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE COMPETENCIES .................................................................................................................... 20
BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................................... 21
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ............................................................................................................................................... 23
THE INSPIRANT STORY .............................................................................................................................................. 25

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined. 5

Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

What Is A Corporate University?

A good training program helps you do your job better.

A corporate university helps the organization achieve its mission.
-SHRM

History
The first modern corporate university (“CU”)
was established by General Electric at
Crotonville in the 1950s. McDonald’s launched
the creatively titled “Hamburger University” in
1961 with Disney and Motorola following suit
with universities in the 1970s. The concept saw
explosive adoption and growth in the latter part
between 1997 and 2007, the number of
companies in the United States increased
twofold to an estimated 2,000. Corporations in
the G20 spent an estimated $400 billion USD
on training in 2012. Globally, as of 2015 more
than 4,000 firms had a formal Corporate
University.
7

of the 20th century. During the ten-year period

9

Figure 1

Google (Googleplex), Zappos (Zappos Insights), corporate universities. Disney now hosts
and Apple (Apple University) are just a few of universities on both coasts which are so well
the cutting-edge firms that have created

6 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

respected for their leadership training that the company

now offers a curriculum designed for outside managers. 18

Meanwhile, McDonald’s has matriculated over 275,000

learners from its seven worldwide “Hamburger U”
campuses. While these examples are all large corporations,
4

it should be noted that companies of all sizes can and have

adopted the type of strategic organizational learning we
will discuss here.

Definition
With a history spanning over eight decades; host
organizations as disparate as GE, McDonald’s, Disney, and
Apple; and the varying stages of adoption an entity may
have achieved; establishing a comprehensive definition
that remains specific enough to having meaning is at best a
challenging endeavor. Even the term “Corporate
University” has not been unanimously adopted with
alternate terms such as “Virtual University” (BAE Systems),
“Corporate Business School “(Ernst & Young), and
“Learning Center” (General Motors) among the alternative
stylings for similar offerings.
19

For the purposes of this composition, we will use the

following broad definition that encompasses all of the
possible purposes, types, targets, and roles of a corporate
university while still differentiating it from traditional
Training, Learning, and Development programs (“L&D”).

A Corporate University is an enterprise function, department,

or program that is closely aligned with the business strategies of
the organization and which provides leadership in the support
of people and processes through continuous, strategic, and
aligned learning to provide long term positive impact on the
bottom line.
The Society for Human Resources Management (“SHRM”) summarizes the difference between a
training program and a corporate university as, “A good training program helps you do your job better.
A corporate university helps the organization achieve its mission.”
31

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined. 7

Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

A Note About Names

We will continue to utilize “Corporate
University” to describe programs which fall into
the scope of the above definition. This should
not be interpreted as an endorsement by the
authors of that specific terminology. As
previously noted, the term “Corporate
The standard definition of University implies a
level of broad academic study which, as we will
see later, is the antithesis of the ideal corporate
“university” curriculum. Furthermore, the term
“Corporate University” is viewed by most of the
world as a very “American” term. Finally, the
12

University” has not been universally adopted as expansion of for-profit academic institutions,
the accepted nomenclature for the type of has also been referred to in the media and
organizational strategic learning program we academic literature as “corporate universities.”
discuss here. While it is seemingly only a This has caused further ambiguity when
semantic difference, there are a few reasons utilizing the term to describe strategic
why these decisions may be important to an organizational learning programs for
organization. businesses. 28

First, the term Corporate University is seen by

some to be dated. It was spawned in the decade
following the Second World War and came into
5

popularity before the internet emerged as a

ubiquitous force in our lives. To many, it calls to
mind a business and social mindset that is no
longer relevant to the way society at large
operates. Second, the term “University” can
24

cause confusion, especially in non-US countries.

8 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.


Why Build A Corporate University?
“Companies don’t fail to innovate; they fail to learn.”
At the very highest level, the reason most
companies adopt a strategic learning program
is the same reason they make most other
decisions--to remain a going concern. The
benefits of a corporate university program
include attracting and retaining talent,
12
enhanced brand image, and ROI potential.
Simply put, the firms that win are the ones that
can learn faster and smarter than the
competition and corporate universities are the
best way to do that. However, upon closer
12
inspection of the underlying motives behind CU
adoption, a few common sub-categories
emerge. These categories include keeping the
organization and its people competitive,
teaching organization specific skills and
concepts, and promoting a common culture and
leadership philosophy across a wide
organization.
Teaching Organization Specific
Skills
The generally accepted rationale for the
appearance of corporate universities points to
a period in history when traditional academic
universities were lagging behind the rapid
changes occurring in industries and
businesses. The rate of disruptive business
10
change and the rate of increase in corporate
universities shows at least a correlative
relationship that seemingly supports this
narrative. (If that correlation indicates
causation and which trend is the leading
Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.
Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning
-Josh Bersin, Founder & Principal, Bersin by Deloitte
indicator is beyond the scope of this writing.) In
the 21st century, it can be argued that academic
universities no longer fall behind current
trends. However, what remains true is that
third party academic institutions cannot teach
the skills and concepts that are specific to
3
individual organization. Companies like
6
Motorola and AT&T leverage their corporate
9
universities to teach their employees how to do
the actual day to day work. At Motorola, for
example, this may take the form of teaching
factory workers how to assemble the latest
technology. At knowledge factories like,
Deloitte Consulting, the training may teach
learners how to “assemble” less tangible
products like problem solving frameworks. In
both cases, the end goal is the same: to teach
team members how to effectively use
proprietary processes in the execution of their
duties. As we will see next, the training and
development of these skills can no longer be
looked at as a one-time endeavor.
Keeping the Organization, and
Its People, Competitive
The most common goal cited by companies for
creating a corporate university is keeping the
organization and its people competitive. 3
Change has always been a constant in the
business world, regardless of the industry.
However, a convergence of factors is currently
leaving firms particularly vulnerable to change-
based competency gaps.
9
Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Figure 2 - Source Harvard Business Review

The first influencing factor is the prevalence of of skilled knowledge workers who are reaching
digital transformation. Figure 2 shows a
10
retirement age.20

marked increase in the use of terms related to
disruptive technology driven change in
business articles since 2010. Industries which
17
were previously viewed as impervious to
outside change have been drastically altered by
a blindside from a digital competitor.
Executives are taking notice. To combat the
gathering storm of digital disruption, firms now
realize that the traditional view of L&D as one-
time training is simply not enough. A program of
continuous development must be adopted to
As the Boomer generation retires, they leave
gaps at every level of the organization. No
sector, industry, or company is entirely
immune. If a program is not in place to retain
or replace the knowledge held by these
retirees, firms will struggle to maintain the
status quo while the competition is taking
leaps into the future. Figure 3 illustrates the
projected age demographic changes in the US
workforce according to statistician Nate
Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.
14

allow existing employees to upgrade their

Figure 3
skills and adapt to changing trends. 20

Concurrently, record low unemployment is

allowing talented human capital to move
with some fluidity between firms and
demand more development opportunities
before joining a firm or to remain on board. 6

Workers and candidates realize that change

is the new normal. If they are in a position
that does not allow them to keep their skills
as sharp as their contemporaries, they risk
being left behind. This potential problem is
12

exacerbated by the ever-increasing number

10 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning
Promoting A Common Culture,
and Leadership Philosophy
In addition to teaching organization-specific
skills and keeping organizations competitive,
creating a corporate university provides a
means to disseminate a common culture across
an organization. As organizations adapt to the
24
changing world—the digitization of processes,
the expansion of the gig economy, the
globalization of work—a corporate university
provides a formal structure to provide
continuous and unified learning and
development. In a world where today’s
employees can access information about
anything, at any time, and from anywhere, a
robust corporate university can be the driving
force behind agility for an organization. With
12
workforces becoming more remote,
international, and diverse, creating a place
where the organization’s mission, values, and
competencies can be consistently taught and
accessed by all employees is an essential
endeavor. New employees have a one stop shop
for onboarding, learning, understanding and
adapting to their new company’s ways. Existing
employees have on-demand resources for
refreshers and acquiring new skills. Newly
promoted employees can learn about new
expectations and can provide cross department
training of leaders. Decentralized decision
5
making required in an agile organization makes
the establishment of a common leadership and
values framework more important to hold the
organization together, and a centralized entity
28
like a corporate university provides a standard
way of communicating and training those
values.
By providing employees with a place to learn,
develop, and grow, and empowering them to
Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.
use it, organizations can reduce costs in many
ways:
• Turnover due to employee disengagement,
• Eliminating “fragmentation and
redundancy” by providing just in time
knowledge about culture, process, and
29
company- and group-specific knowledge
assets
• Adopting an international mindset and 22
training employees on cultural expectations
of the countries in which they are operating,
as well as the culture and leadership style of
the company to prevent societal cultural
incompatibilities from disrupting
operations or negatively impacting the
bottom line. 22
Forward-thinking companies understand that
learning is not a one-time event, and that
training can no longer be reactionary or an
afterthought. In a job-seekers market,
employees want an employer who can provide
a clear career path and the steps needed to
follow that path. Having learning leaders in the
C-suite provides a place at the table in all
important conversations and, coupled with a
corporate university, creates a central
authority to align L&D efforts to the broader
strategic objectives of the organizations to
reduce costs. 24
Training has often been an afterthought
because it is hard to prove the value and ROI of
a learning program. It has long been expected
that employees will learn on-the-job, and any
sort of formal learning programs are a waste of
time. Tribal learning is the way to go. New
employees will learn from their peers and
managers. However, as the workforce becomes
more virtual and global, many workers no
longer sit physically with managers and peers
and simply cannot learn as much on the job. In 2
11
Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

terms of tribal learning, there is inherent establishment of a corporate university, with

danger to that approach. Employees will learn standard, on-demand learning solutions,
in a real-life setting, but there are more provides a place for employees to get the right
opportunities for workarounds and for not information at the right time.
following best practices in these situations. The

12 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

How To Build A Corporate University

“A good corporate university knows how to listen and identify

problems, come up with solutions, and respond to the changing
environment of the business in which it operates--
whether that’s with traditional classes or not.”
-Daniel Gandarilla, VP, Chief Learning Officer at Texas Health Resources

One of the prerequisite hallmarks of a
corporate university program is a bespoke
correlation to the individual organization’s
strategy. As such, developing a detailed step-
by-step “how to” for the creation of such a
program would be inadvisable. However, by
analyzing research surrounding successful
corporate university implementations, best
practices can be identified and grouped into
categories of commonalities. Utilizing this
methodology, Inspirant Group has developed a
four-part framework with the inherent
flexibility to be applied to any organization
while achieving the level of detail necessary to
retain its usefulness as schema for corporate
university implementation.

Inspirant Corporate University Development Framework

Phase 1: Define Core Purpose and establishes the foundation upon which the
Scope of University entire university is built. A needs analysis
exercise with the top leadership is a common
The first step in the process is to define the core
starting point to get everyone on the same
purpose of the university program. This is the
6

page. 28

most important step of the framework as it

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined. 13

Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

The Three Prototypes

As we demonstrated earlier, there are any number of goals an organization may endeavor to accomplish
through the adoption of a corporate university program at a micro level. However, on a broader scale,
only three prototypes emerge.

Prototype I: Reinforcing and Prototype II: Managing Change Prototype III: Driving and
Perpetuating Behavior Shaping the Organization

Corporate Universities tasked
with this role are primarily
concerned with promoting and
reinforcing the values and
mission of the organization.
Companies like Disney, which
have a strategic differentiator
based in large part on the
behavior of its people utilize a
CU to instill the values mindset
in their teams.8
When the primary purpose of
the CU is to assist with the
management of change, the
curriculum skews heavily
towards the examination and
elimination of the obsolete
behaviors and beliefs followed
by the introduction of new
insights and behaviors. The 24
universities, in the parlance of
the Kurt Lewan model of
change management, are
designed to “unfreeze”
Rather than being driven by
strategic changes, these
Corporate Universities aim to
be active participants in driving
the strategic direction. By
forcing disparate groups of
managers and other employees
to think about the company
from a strategic standpoint,
these universities empower
individuals with the skills
necessary to lead the
organization into the future.8

embedded behaviors, change or

shift to the new behaviors, then
“refreeze” those new behaviors
in the organization. 8

An organization’s Corporate University may,

for brief periods of time, belong to multiple
prototype categories throughout its lifespan.
For example, a Prototype III university may be
drafted into service as a component of a change
management process during a period of
tumultuous change in the larger organization.
However, caution should be taken to assure
that the primary prototype is held throughout.
Research suggests that failure to hold to the
primary purpose may lead to issues including
confused customers (learners) and sponsors, a
dilution of budgetary resources, and a dilution
of staffing resources.8
Developing Competencies
After completing the needs analysis and
determining the prototype in which your ideal
corporate university would fall, the
organization should develop competencies for
each level and/or position within the
organization. These competencies state the
minimum levels of knowledge or understanding
one needs to possess to achieve that level in the
organization. A sample set of competencies is
included in Appendix A.

14 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning
Phase 1 Conclusion
Phase 1 is often bypassed due to the extreme
difficulty encountered when attempting to
achieve the necessary consensus. Some 1
companies have taken over a year to achieve
even a basic agreement. The impediments can
28
be varied but those that are often cited include:
difficulty convincing top management that
additional training is necessary (especially for
them), siloed divisions push back against the
28
adoption of a uniform approach, and 28
disagreement between L&D and HR staffs
when they do not report to a common
executive. With these difficulties being
stipulated, the importance of active
participation from the highest level of
executive leadership still cannot be
overstated. As we find in all change
29
management, executive sponsorship is often
the linchpin holding success.
Phase 2: Develop Content Delivery
Methodologies
When considering the best methodology to use
for content delivery, it is important to consider
the details: what needs to be learned and by
whom. In the age-old debate, proponents of
traditional classroom settings clash with those
who prefer, even mandate, the complete
transition to eLearning. In good practice,
learning strategy encompasses many different
ways of disseminating knowledge. The same
person may prefer or need to take in different
information from different methodologies. For
example, functional and tactical management
skills, such as time management, delegation,
and giving feedback can be developed and
possibly delivered by outside experts. These,
28
and similar functions that are repeatable
regardless of the organization or culture, may
Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.
also be good candidates for instructing via a
technology solution. Technology has evolved to
the point that it can be leveraged far beyond
traditional computer-based training (CBT). AI
powered text-to-voice can easily translate a
reading heavy offering to a course appropriate
for audio learners. One of the best uses of
26
technology is leveraging existing online
educational content as pre-work. Massive
Online Open Courses (MOOCs) through
providers such as Coursera, provide excellent
lessons from top tier universities on a variety of
subjects and include audio and visual lectures
as well as “hands-on” interactive exercises.
Assigning these courses to be completed before
an internal discussion allows the instructor to
utilize a “flipped classroom” approach in which
knowledge is acquired outside of the classroom
and class time is dedicated to active and
interactive application of the concepts. It has
been shown that this approach leads to a
deeper understanding of the concepts and
more active participation in learning as a result
of an increase in interaction between students
and greater feedback to the students and the
instructor.32
It is important to not rely on technology to
replace learning that would be more beneficial
in person. It would be easy to assume that in this
modern age; most people would prefer to learn
on their smartphone or with a quick YouTube
video. While certain topics (such as those
mentioned previously) may lend themselves to
this type of learning, many other topics are
much better taught—and learned—together in
person. Southwest Airlines (SWA), a leader in
employee development and engagement, finds
value in bringing people to their headquarters
for training. Only 10% of their SWA University
for People is available online. As a learner
29
15
 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning
moves higher in the organization from
responsibility standpoint, the amount of time
spent in the classroom, or, at the very least
virtual classroom, should increase as a
percentage of total learning time. At the higher
levels of responsibility, in many cases the
interaction between the learners is as
important, if not more important, than the
lessons being taught. While internal case
studies, which utilize internal terminology
should be used for all levels of instruction, at the
executive level of instruction, actual problems
facing the company should be solved. For
example, when teaching strategy concepts such
Figure 4
Regardless of the makeup of the learning
audience, there are certain commonalities that
hold true for all methodologies. Having a
dedicated facility - whether it’s brick and
mortar or online - is key to creating a reliable
4
and repeatable learning experience for
participants. This can be a classroom in an office
building or a high-functioning Learning
16
as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, Threats) Analysis or Porter’s 5-
Forces Analysis of Industry attractiveness,
those exercises should be approached as actual
analysis of the host company and its industry. In
these cases, the “flipped classroom” approach
discussed previously should be employed.
Minimal time should be spent reviewing the
concepts and with majority of the focus
dedicated to the application of what has already
been learned in the host company. Figure 4
shows an ideal CU curriculum and delivery
infrastructure by organizational level according
to BCG research.
Management System (LMS) that provides a
one-stop shop. When learners know what to
23
expect, they are primed to receive information
better than if it comes to them haphazardly.
Another way to create a repeatable - and
therefore reliable - learning experience is by
establishing a common language, both formal
and informal. It is harder to take in new
28
Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.
 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning
information with uncertainty. A dedicated
facility and common language provide the
comfort needed for participants to be primed
for learning. Also, regardless of the instruction
methodology, learners also enjoy recognition
for their learning. Internal certificates,
certifications and degrees provide a feeling of
3
accomplishment and reward for successful
participation.
Other commonalities for successful delivery
include using the competency model to
recommend courses based on employee
knowledge and profile. The employee and
manager can partner to select competencies
that need work. Along the same lines, the
26
competencies coupled with successful
methodologies can create a career
development program for those identified as
candidates for top executive programs. In all 28
programs, especially leadership programs,
getting senior executives to participate as
instructors is a priority. While they may only
28
teach higher level courses, their participation is
felt at all levels of the organization. At all levels,
it is important that the classroom (physical or
otherwise) be a place of equality. This should be
demonstrated through a policy that includes
everyone in a class is on a first name basis or no
one is (i.e. everyone is “Mr. [Last Name]” or
everyone is “[First Name]” for both instructors
and students. If physical participation requires
travel, all accommodations should be as equal
as possible. The classroom, and everything
21
surrounding it, needs to be a haven of free
thought and expression. Politics and
bureaucratic hierarchy will only weaken the
potential benefits of a CU program.
A few notes of caution. First, care should be
taken when creating technology-based
learning. Wainhouse research notes that a vast
Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.
majority of employees believed pre-recorded
videos were valuable providing information
when they need it. However, 75% of those
surveyed said they found more useful videos on
the Internet than on internal sites. Poorly
5
developed on-demand content is likely to
undermine the entire brand of the corporate
university. We will discuss the importance of
branding in the next section. However, for now
think of your content as your company would a
new product or service. It only takes one poor
quality product to irreparably damage a
company name. The same is true for a corporate
university. Second, it is important to consider
the audience and the content before deciding
the most effective learning methodology for
delivery. Harvard Business cases studies are
famous, useful, and easily available but they are
also designed for a broad audience. It is more
helpful for an organization to develop their own
cases using products, processes, and people
that the team is familiar with for their own
leadership development. That’s not to say that
28
technology cannot be integrated into these in
person solutions. Finally, learning is not a one-
time event, so whether the delivery is
traditional classroom or technology-based
learning, there are many ways to continue the
learning journey. Organizations can reinforce
key concepts through spaced microlearning. 26
Individual learning can also be supplement,
through the use of Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOCs) or other on demand self-
study options. 28
Phase 3: Launch University/Deliver
Content
The initial launch of a corporate university is the
only opportunity to make a first impression. As
with the launch of an external facing new
product or service, effective marketing will be
17
Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning
the primary determinant in achieving buy-in
from the consumers (users/learners) and
provide the best chances for long-term success.
Ergo, the same process utilized to launch an
external product or service should be followed
when launching the CU. If an external
marketing agency is employed for the branding
and messaging of new products, an external
marketing agency should be employed to
develop the brand and messaging surrounding
the launch of the corporate university. The plan
developed should include marketing
communication not only the initial launch but
subsequent additions and changes to the
curriculum. Providing the same treatment to
the CU as other products and services offered
by the firm will communicate the value that
executive leadership places on strategic
organizational learning. This will shape the
attitude toward the CU adopted by the rest of
the organization. Figure 5 shows examples of
Corporate University branding from Zappos
and McDonald’s Hamburger University.
Figure 5
18
After the launch, the delivery phase will follow
the plan set forth in Phase 2. Particular
attention should be paid to collecting relevant
KPIs. For courses delivered via live (in-person
or virtual) instructor led training (“ILT”), a
methodology for systematizing into the LMS,
not only learner feedback (which is not always
as granularly accurate as is desired); but also,
instructor observations of particular areas or
subject matters of concern should be
developed.
Phase 4: Analyze | Continuously
Evaluate and Adapt
Corporate Universities establish a learning
culture. They are not just established once and
forgotten. The process of developing a CU is
ever on going. This logically makes sense as the
initial design was based on the current needs of
the business and those needs will evolve as the
environment in which it competes also evolves. 28
A board of senior managers and executives
should regularly review the curricula and syllabi
to assure the content remains not only
relevant but also inclusive of the entirety
of the knowledge necessary for the
organization to achieve its objectives.
Concurrently, the CU staff must
constantly evaluate the advanced KPI
analytics provided by the LMS to assure
those topics identified by the advisory
board are not only being taught but
learned. Adjustments to the content and
or learning methodologies should be
made when necessary to achieve those
objectives.
10
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 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Conclusion

All business organizations need to have a structure in place that

provides systematic processes to advance their organization through
growing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of their employees—
whatever they call that”
Kathleen Gallo, SVP and Chief Learning Officer, Northwell Health

While performing the research for this paper,
we came across many articles with headlines
and titles that corporate universities as dead.
The true crux of the argument was never that
corporate universities are going away. Rather,
author after author contended that the “old
way” of planning, designing, and delivering
corporate universities was becoming extinct.
But is it really? What was the “old way?”
McDonald’s, Disney, and Motorola have all had
corporate universities for half a century. None
of them look very much like they did at their
genesis. The key to building a sustainable
corporate university is the early
acknowledgement that there is nothing static
about it. Corporate universities are designed to
help the organization achieve its goals. As long
as those goals, or the skills needed to achieve
them, continue to evolve, the universities that
support them will need to evolve as well. By
following the method described here, evolution
is baked into the fabric of the university itself.
The CU will be primed to follow the
organization in lock step today, tomorrow, and
well into the future.

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Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Appendix A: Example Competencies

Individual Small Team
Org. Level Contributor Leader Leader of Leaders Jr Executive Executive Senior Executive
Asst VP/Assoc
Example Title Associate Supervisor Manager Dir VP/Director EVP/CxO
Communication Communicates Communicates Speaks and presents Speaks and Speaks and presents in front of entire
appropriately appropriately with well in front of small presents well in company. Writes in a professional manner
with peers and team members. groups. Can create front of medium appropriate for investors, regulators, etc.
customers Writes effectively quality sized groups. Teaches data visualization
in a business presentations. Understands data
manner. Writes well in a visualization
business manner.
Ethics/ Makes ethical Leads exercises to reinforce ethics and Teaches legal v Understands Teaches ethical
Business Law decisions and company values. Understands the ethical. different ethical philosophies and
reports unethical difference between legal and ethical. Understands basic philosophies. complex business law.
acts. business law Teaches basic
Understands and including contracts, business law.
demonstrates principal/agent, Understands
company values. implied agency, and complex business
role specific law including
regulatory broad regulatory
requirements etc. requirements.
Leadership/ Takes initiative. Practices humble Teaches humble Actively works to learn and improve Teaches leadership.
Human Capital Understands role leadership. leadership. leadership skills and to mentor team. Mentors executives.
as part of the Understands Demonstrates
larger picture. difference between desire to improve
leadership and leadership ability.
management. Takes initiative to
Takes gain
responsibility for knowledge/learn
team. Teaches skills outside of role.
team their role as
part of the larger
organization.
Strategy Can articulate Teaches company Understands basic Understands Teaches domestic Teaches international
company differentiators to business strategy. domestic business business strategy. business strategy.
differentiators to individual Teaches basic strategy and the Understands Teaches function of
customers contributors. business strategy in strategic international their department to
Understands context of company positioning of the business strategy. Executives.
differentiators as differentiators. company Understands
part of larger function of other
strategy. departments.
Finance Makes fiduciary Makes fiduciary Participates Broadly Has deep Understands general
decisions with decisions with productively in understands understanding of corporate finance
company assets company assets. budget discussions. company financing. company concepts. Can
Understands Teaches budget Leads budget finances. Teaches participate in
budget process of process to team discussions with basics to Jr discussions about
group or leaders. leaders of leaders. Executives financial decisions.
department Teaches company
finance to Executives.
Data Can use provided data to make Understands data Understands data structure of Requests specific data
appropriate decisions available. Requests company to make decisions.
reports to improve
performance

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 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

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 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

About the Authors

Len Musielak
Inspirant Group Head of Marketing
Len focuses on overseeing the strategic planning, development, and execution of Inspirant Group’s

marketing, advertising, and business development initiatives. Prior to joining Inspirant Group, Len

helmed his own management consulting practice where he worked closely with Inspirant on a number

of engagements including the initial development of the marketing plan, social media strategy, and

marketing mix. He has led operations consulting projects ranging from process improvement for a non-

profit legal aid clinic to the development of a global channel management scoring system for a

multinational medical technology firm.

In addition to consulting, Len brings experience leading operations, process redesign, and compliance

technology development and integration in financial professional services firms as well as engineering

project management/governance for financial technology (FinTech) companies. He has taught

operations management to tens of thousands of students across the globe while volunteering for the

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business through Coursera. In his free time, he is a

member of the Chicago Marathon Start Line Operations team. Len is a former member of the Chicago

Board Options Exchange (FINRA Series 56) and FINRA Registered Representative (Series 7); received

his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University; and earned a Master of Business Administration degree

in Management, Leadership, and Innovation from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s

Executive MBA program in Chicago.

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined. 23

Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

About the Authors

Meighan Newhouse
Inspirant Group Chief People Officer
Head of Learning & Development Practice

People are Meg's passion. At Inspirant, she brings that passion to both internal Inspirant people and

external client teams. She starts every project by finding the perfect Inspirant resource for the client's

specific needs, vision, and culture. Then, as the leader of Learning Solutions, she works with those

resources and the client to assure each step in the bespoke Learner Journey is effective, engaging, and

relevant to each person. Meg brings a healthy dose of empathy, listening, and relating to all of her work.

Her focus on people, and innate desire to help them get "unstuck" and try something new, makes her

incredibly good at what she does and an invaluable asset to the Inspirant leadership team.

Before joining Inspirant Group, Meg ran her own consultancy and continues to perform charitable work

as Founding Director of Colette Allen Charities. She has previous consulting experience at Deloitte and

as an internal instructional designer at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Meg is an accomplished motivational

speaker and executive coach. Her people knowledge extends beyond experience--having earned a

Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Education in Instructional Design and Adult Learning

from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

24 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

The Inspirant Story

I was frustrated with the rising costs of consulting services and the lack of value being delivered.
Projects were being sold to me by the “A” team, while the delivery team was a set of junior resources
(billing at hundreds of dollars an hour) with one manager overseeing multiple projects. There was no
real value being delivered. Consultants would ask me what I want and then create pretty decks to read
back that same information in their “framework.” The one size fits all model offered by the traditional
consulting firms no longer works.

I started Inspirant Group for the frustrated, busy and savvy executive who wants to partner with a team
of people who have walked in their shoes – people who want to do things better. For the executive who
has already recognized the need to transform their business and are looking for seasoned advisors to
help them map the journey and stick with them to the end. We don’t look at things as one project or for
a certain duration. We ask how we can add value in the long run. We turn down projects if we don’t have
the perfect combination of skillsets to deliver a perfect solution. (We have done this on more than one
occasion.) Consultants usually sell the work and then try to find the staff they need to “complete” the
project. Inspirant Group will ensure that we have the right staff and resource skill sets before saying
yes to any work.

I have sat on both sides of the desk long enough to know that things need to change. Clients deserve
better rates and quality of work from their consultant partners. They deserve consultants that will
listen to them, treat them as unique individuals, and be willing to work with them to get the job done.
We understand the approvals, the requisitions, and the risk management hoops you have to jump
through. Our lack of bureaucracy means that we can be flexible and work with you. We will work hard
to work with you. You shouldn’t have to work hard to work with us. Inspirant Group has one goal: Make
your life easier.

Amir Azarbad
Founder & CEO
Inspirant Group, Inc.

Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined. 25

 Corporate Universities: Strategic Organizational Learning

Hiring a consultant should make your life easier.

With us, it does.

Consulting Redefined.

See how Inspirant Group can help you with your corporate university initiative at:
inspirantgrp.com/CorporateU
26 Inspirant Group | Consulting Redefined.

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