The knowledge management functions of corporate university and their evolution: case studies of two Chinese corporate universities

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge management functions of corporate universities and their evolution. Design/methodology/approach: Two Chinese corporate universities in the ICT industry were selected for the case studies. Data were collected by interviews and consulting the documents of the two corporate universities. Grounded theory was used for data analysis. Findings: The research found that the knowledge management functions of the corporate universities encompass knowledge transfer, knowledge creation and knowledge services for intrapreneurship. The knowledge management functions of the corporate universities are enhancing with the development of the corporate universities. The knowledge management functions mutually reinforce each other. The knowledge network of the corporate universities is expanding and the scope of knowledge managed is broadening. Practical implications: Companies should make full use of corporate universities in facilitating knowledge transfer, knowledge creation and knowledge services for intrapreneurship. Originality/value: Analyzing the knowledge management functions of corporate universities and their evolution from the perspective of knowledge network enriches research on knowledge management of corporate universities.