Corporate Universities: An Engine for Human Capital

By Philipp KoloRainer StrackPhilippe CavatRoselinde Torres, and Vikram Bhalla

The engines of economic growth are shifting from financial to human capital. In the past, capital-intensive physical assets drove competitive advantage in many sectors of the industrialized world. Today the sources of advantage are changing quickly from plants and machines to the people who make businesses work. In this postindustrial society, talent scarcity is looming as the next major corporate challenge.

In the coming years, businesses will face a graying workforce, the high expectations of Generation Y, globalization’s unique demands on leadership, and growing employability gaps in emerging markets. Corporate universities are emerging as a powerful vehicle to surmount these challenges.