The stakeholder university as learning model of the extended enterprise

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need for a new corporate learning archetype in the extended enterprise scenario and to present the stakeholder university as a suitable model oriented to create value for a large number of business and non‐business actors. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual development is integrated with field studies to describe the distinguishing features of the stakeholder university and provide a cross‐discussion with the extended enterprise concept. Findings – The stakeholder university is characterized by large focus, extended scope, and rich interconnection, which address in a comprehensive manner the needs and expectations of the resource base, industry/market and socio‐political stakeholders of the extended enterprise. Research limitations/implications – The topics investigated are mostly relevant for large international companies. Besides, further discussions are needed to validate the links between business models, organizational configurations and human capital development processes. Practical implications – The discussion proposed can be useful for managers involved in the design and development of high‐impact and large‐scope human resource management initiatives. Originality/value – The value of the article stays in the creation of a conceptual link between the business role of enterprise stakeholders and the requirements existing in terms of co‐developing intangible assets.