The Corporate University in the European utility industries

The paper investigates that particular training model represented by Corporate University, as it has been developed in the European utility industries. The Corporate University may in fact represent a consistent choice with a strategy aiming to diversify and expand the utility company into increasingly deregulated and contestable markets. At the same time the Corporate University holds a close relationship between business strategies and the internal organization of knowledge of the firm. A survey on six major energy companies reveals the heterogeneity of the phenomenon with reference to quantitative variables, while common features arise with regard to qualitative analysis. In particular our investigation shows that CUs in the energy industry are typically committed to Corporate Social Responsibility principles. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.