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This article lists all the foundation questions that are uppermost in people’s minds when they are considering introducing the corporate university development platform into their company or organisation. Some of the questions are simple and direct whilst others are rhetorical in nature. All the questions are those which have arisen most frequently in early discussions with client companies. Answers to the questions are provided from an advisory point of view using references to previously published articles to elaborate on the answer information provided. The approach taken in this article is to provide informative insights into the subject of the corporate university and to initiate thought leadership that will result in the full realisation of the corporate university concept.

Takes a further step forward in defining the strategic role of the corporate university. Describes an approach for appraising and managing the consequences of management’s present style of intellectual leadership on a company’s market value. It describes two robust management indices that are being used to facilitate this process of appraisal and management – the intellectual equity index (IEI) and the intellectual capital index (ICI) – which when combined together provide a basis for defining the quality of intellectual leadership in a company, i.e. the intellectual leadership indicator (ILI). The ILI directly reflects the quality, direction and trend in the company’s ability to achieve or maintain intellectual leadership in its business sectors. This is the state of development on which its competitive position and future business success depend. The outcome of the ILI appraisal produces a penetrating insight into the state of management’s business orientation and organisational readiness. It also defines the baseline position from which a bespoke portfolio of corporate university properties can be properly formulated and managed.

This article emphasises the need to achieve thought leadership and a proactive response in the evolution of the corporate university concept during times of business turbulence. It describes process innovations to enhance corporate university performance during those adverse periods in the corporate decision environment when the consequences of top management’s contemporary strategic thinking and aspirations are undermined by the reality of the market place and economic factors. It describes the development of an organisational process model intervention as a stimulant for new thinking and action when scaling the corporate university learning curve in a turbulent decision environment. It describes the need to apply real‐time methodologies and dynamic models by which means the benefits of the overarching integration role of the corporate university can be sustained in a very positive business orientated vision. The outcome of the corporate university organisational development intervention brings many benefits, including increasing levels of confidence by top management in its role and purpose both for the good times and the bad, through demonstrable assurances that the firm’s key strategic and organisational issues are being comprehensively identified and thoroughly managed.

Explores ideas and processes that can bring the corporate university concept to fruition as a dynamic business development platform. Builds upon the empirical research findings presented in previous articles and the new ways of thinking that are beginning to surface concerning the configuration of corporate university properties and attributes to achieve intellectual leadership in different business sectors. Describes one approach to making intellectual relationships more productive and manageable in the context of achieving strategic fit, by combining a dynamic strategic learning approach with the resource capabilities offered by the growing portfolio of corporate university schools of thinking.

Previous articles in this series, on the evolution of the corporate university as a dynamic future state business development platform, have described processes and methodologies for achieving both organisation and strategic learning re‐orientation for success. “Managing the corporate university learning curve”, in particular revealed the innovative nature and challenge facing corporate university executives in their quest to achieve customised structures, flexible learning processes and time durable intellectual properties in a new or amended company educational paradigm, defined as model 3. This derivative model espoused business excellence, focused business education processes and timely executive action. A key dynamic strand in the evolution of the corporate university concept in model 3 was identified as the “management of learning” strand. Takes an overview on the current state of the art in corporate learning management and the issue tensions that can arise in the preparation of a progressive and satisfying learning strategy. Relates to the main issues surrounding the energising of learning in organisations, the consequences of corporate learning policy and an outline methodology for appraising the main determinants of corporate learning strategy.

This article is a synthesis of consulting experience in managing the reality of the corporate university transition. It provides an objective context for this development and outlines the nature of the intellectual vacuum that exists between a company’s strategic learning needs and the provision available in the institutional intellectual supply chain. The emergent role of the corporate university in filling the gap is identified and a project management approach that facilitates and administratively enhances a highly networked corporate university development process is described.

Captures the researches, experience and current thoughts of two leading professional corporate university and corporate academy solutions designers and developers. Provides a provocative commentary on the quality of current management perspectives and practice in the area of corporate university management and comments on some of the popular misconceptions of what the corporate university is all about. Moves forward, from a critique perspective, with comments on a proactive modality for configuring intellectual properties and implementing intervention programmes. This process involves the development of dynamic scenarios around “thinking schools” properties and their manifestation through management processes defined as the BLU way. Emphasises the vital strategic management role being undertaken by the new generation of corporate university managers and the nature of the skills and competencies necessary in renewing and sustaining intelligence based enterprise cultures in organisations.

This article aims to deliver synoptic perspectives on the evolution taking place in corporate university management best practice.

The insights are based on the author's co‐creative client experience in the design, management and impact studies of this business and organisation development intervention. The text and narrative imagery provide contextual insights into the many challenges and pivotal issues that have to be addressed and resolved if the potential of the corporate university is to be fully realised as a definitive agency for managing the psyche of the learning organisation in knowledge‐intensive environments.

The article articulates the timeline evolution of the new‐generation corporate university concept and introduces practical frameworks for configuring and upgrading these platforms through higher levels of value‐added design and development.

Provides a breakthrough perspective on the real‐time co‐creative multi‐disciplinary environment, infrastructures and transferable skill sets around which viable new generation company solutions are being designed and sustained.

The article will be of special interest to those career‐minded professional managers and academics who wish to envision the new genre of the corporate university and be well informed about the concepts, practicalities and professionalism required for success.

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.

Reviews a conference process that was introduced to help companies, regional development organisations and universities to evolve and share their perspectives on the active business led concept of the corporate university. The conference forms part of an evolving initiative launched by the Copenhagen Business School. The conference entitled “Trends in Corporate Universities – September 2001”, had an agenda that contained state‐of‐the‐art presentations about the theory and practice of the corporate university concept and also company presentations about the progress they are making in evolving their particular corporate university applications. The conference objective was aimed at raising the visibility of the potential of the corporate university and its capacity to renew and enhance organisational effectiveness and strategic development processes. From these observations and discussions it was expected that delegates would be in an informed position to evolve a realistic and sustainable vision of the corporate university and fully grasp its vital contribution as an engine for change and business development.