A systematic literature review of corporate universities as strategic knowledge hubs: enhancing organizational learning capability in oil & gas industry
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: The oil and gas industry faces technological disruption, energy transition, and stringent safety demands requiring continuous organizational learning, yet traditional training remains insufficient. This systematic literature review examines how corporate universities can evolve into strategic knowledge hubs that strengthen organizational learning capability in petroleum companies. A structured Scopus search yielded 745 articles, refined to 119 studies (2004-2025) coded by theoretical framework, evolutionary phase, learning modality, and organizational context, then synthesized thematically. The analysis reveals four phases: the Foundation Era (2004-2009), the Knowledge Management Era (2010-2014), the Learning Organization Era (2015-2019), and the Strategic Knowledge Hub Era (2020-2025). Persistent challenges arise from scattered organizational structures and fragmented learning across organizational, group, and individual levels. Five core learning modalities recur: hands-on technical training, experiential learning, simulation-based learning, blended learning, and communities of practice, reflecting embodied learning that resists full digitalization in high-risk environments. The study proposes a Strategic Knowledge Hub architecture integrating Strategic Growth Themes with Learning, Knowledge, and Innovation components, enabled by distributed leadership commitment, and finds vocational training more effective than academic models in bridging the education-industry gap. The findings advance organizational learning theory and guide corporate university investment during digital and sustainability transitions.
Source: Figshare
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204953341