Corporate University: A Baldrige-based Assessment for the 21st Century Workforce - Paperback

by Donald C. Fisher Ph. D. (Author)

The Corporate University can be designed to not only support its parent organization in achieving its strategic goals by developing and educating its workforce, but also by becoming an external profit center that can have a financial impact on an organization's bottom-line. Before planning a Corporate University a parent organization should conduct a full assessment. One of the most important goals is to ensure that the Corporate University has support from the organizations senior leadership. A variety of well-known organizations have established and sustained successful corporate universities. Several of these organizations include global models such as Motorola University, McDonald's Hamburger University, Disney Institute/Disney University, Hilton Worldwide University and Boeing Leadership Center. Unlike traditional universities, corporate universities demand a return on their investment. There must be concrete evidence that the classroom is delivering results. Many corporate universities provide hands-on and team learning as a more effective alternative to lecture-based courses. All corporate universities are held accountable for providing learning and knowledge that is directly applicable to the overall work environment of the organization. Corporate universities in today's environment are increasingly virtual organizations, defined by their use of new technology for learning. E-learning is widely used as a means to achieve cost effectiveness and delivery flexibility for students. The challenge for corporate universities operating throughout the 21st Century will be to not only incorporate the latest technology to aid student learning and organizational success, but to also ensure that the corporate university is a viable and sustainable institution that is positioned to serve many future generations of learners.