Corporate Model in Almarai University: Implementation of Corporate University Model

This research focuses on the implementation of the Corporate University Model in Almarai University. The study analyzes the practicality of applying the apprenticeship model, blended learning modes, and the vitality of establishing a corporate university in large organizations such as Almarai company. The research aims to draw out the roadmap for Almarai Board to establish the Corporate University in head and regional offices.

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Corporate model in Almarai University
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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Abstract
The following research has been carried out on the implementation of the Corporate University
Model in Almarai University. The use of the corporate university is being considered to be as
one of the most important future additions in the University models. The presence of the
corporate models in the university can help in the development of the individuals and also lead to
future business development. Such a development will be one of the most essential elements of
the business organization. The specialty of the corporate university lies in the fact that such a
model allows both the education along with the training for the employees and students. The
collaboration of education as well as specialized training is important for the success and
development of the business. The research has provided all the details related to corporate
university and has experimented the different factors and perspectives related to the corporate
business model. The selection of the different secondary sources especially the FMCG industry,
the use of the corporate model and the apprenticeship model in the universities and the
development areas have been discussed in detail in the following research. The methodology
chapter has provided the philosophical stances, designs used in the research and the strategies
along with the methods use to complete the research. The analysis of the data collected from the
survey and the interview has revealed the necessity and importance of the corporate university
model in the universities. The apprenticeship model supported in the corporate business ventures
is believed to be the future of the business especially in the Middle East. The recommendation
and the compact conclusion based on the research has been an additional specialty in the
following research.

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all the people who have helped him to carry out and accomplish the
research as this one of my most wonderful experiences. I would like to express my gratefulness
to my adviser, Mr. ___________________________, for his guidance and support. I would like
to thank my supervisor Mr. ________________________, without his help it would not be
possible or me to overcome all the challenges those I have faced while carrying out the research.
I am thankful to my parents for their love and support. I am also thankful to my friends who
helped me in collecting the data. I would like to thank all the participants of the research those
provided me their valuable time and opinion to complete the research efficiently.
Thanking you all,
Yours sincerely
(Signature)

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................8
Overview......................................................................................................................................8
1.1 Problem statement...............................................................................................................10
1.2 Research aim........................................................................................................................11
1.3 Research objectives.............................................................................................................11
1.4 Research questions...............................................................................................................11
1.5 Significance of the study.....................................................................................................12
1.6 Structure of the dissertation.................................................................................................12
1.7 Summary..............................................................................................................................13
Chapter 2: Literature review..........................................................................................................14
2.1 Overview..............................................................................................................................14
2.2 Concept of Corporate University.........................................................................................14
2.3 Motivations behind Corporate University...........................................................................15
2.4 Corporate University in public and private sector...............................................................15
2.5 Validity of establishing corporate university in large organizations...................................16
2.6 Disadvantages of using corporate university model............................................................18
2.7 FMCG industry....................................................................................................................19
2.8 Significance of applying apprenticeship model in Almarai Company................................19

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2.9 Blended learning models associated with corporate universities........................................21
2.10 Relevance to Almarai Company........................................................................................22
2.11 Concept of business sustainability.....................................................................................23
2.12 Impact of learning and development on FMCG industry..................................................24
2.13 Deliverables of corporate university..................................................................................26
2.14 Literature gap.....................................................................................................................26
2.15 Summary............................................................................................................................27
Chapter 3: Research methodology.................................................................................................28
3.1 Overview..............................................................................................................................28
3.2 Research outline...................................................................................................................28
3.3 Research philosophy............................................................................................................29
3.4 Giving reasons for using pragmatism philosophy...............................................................29
3.5 Research approach...............................................................................................................29
3.6 Giving reasons for using inductive approach......................................................................30
3.7 Research design...................................................................................................................30
3.8 Giving reasons for using descriptive and exploratory design..............................................31
3.9 Research strategy.................................................................................................................31
3.10 Giving reasons for using survey and interview strategy....................................................31
3.11 Sampling technique and sample size.................................................................................32
3.12 Giving reasons for using simple random probability sampling technique........................33

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3.13 Data collection process......................................................................................................33
3.14 Giving reasons for using primary and secondary data collection process.........................33
3.15 Data Analysis.....................................................................................................................34
3.16 Justification for using Statistical and Secondary Analysis................................................34
3.17 Research methodologies....................................................................................................34
3.18 Giving reasons for using quantitative and qualitative data analysis technique.................35
3.19 Research limitations...........................................................................................................35
3.20 Ethical considerations........................................................................................................36
3.21 Reliability and validity......................................................................................................36
3.22 Summary............................................................................................................................37
Chapter 4 Analysis and Discussion...............................................................................................38
4.0 Research Analysis and Discussions.....................................................................................38
4.1 Statistical Analysis...............................................................................................................38
4.2 Interview Transcript.............................................................................................................51
Chapter 5........................................................................................................................................58
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation.......................................................................................58
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................58
5.2 Recommendations................................................................................................................59
5.3 Implication of the Study Findings.......................................................................................60
5.4 Reflection on the study........................................................................................................61

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5.5 Limitation of the study.........................................................................................................61
5.6 Future Scope........................................................................................................................62
5.7 Summary of the whole study...............................................................................................62
References......................................................................................................................................63
Appendixes....................................................................................................................................72
Appendix 1.................................................................................................................................72
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................72
Appendix 2.................................................................................................................................76
Interview Questionnaire.............................................................................................................76

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Overview
Corporate university is a recent concept that is gaining popularity recently and is established
around the world. As commented by Adsit et al. (2015), a corporate category university is
described as an educational institution that is considered as a strategic tool designed with the aim
of assisting the parent company for achieving goals and objectives. The corporate universities
develop and foster individuals with the ability to learn and gain knowledge that is required by the
human resources in the corporate world. The number of corporate universities has increased to
2000 from 400 of them in 1993 that includes Motorola, Walt Disney and Boeing. However, as
argued by Schultz (2015), corporate universities are also defined as the public universities that
are being forced to develop corporate style behavior. The concept of corporate universities is
different from that of main stream university, as these universities emphasize on learning and
developing corporate behaviors and knowledge.
The goals of corporate universities are different from that of the traditional universities that
majorly emphasizes on learning and gaining knowledge. The typical goals of the corporate
universities is to establish a common culture, loyalty and belongingness towards a company,
organizing education, ensuring a competitive nature in the modern economy, retaining the
employees and starting ad supporting change in the organization (Adsit et al. 2015). Thus, it can
be said that the corporate universities facilitates valuable education and training to the employees
along with helping the business organizations to retain and promote the key skills of the
employees. Corporate university for Alamaria Company is beneficial for retaining and promoting
key employee skills and sustaining the competitive business market in The Middle East and Arab
world.

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Sustaining in the competitive business environment is difficult and challenging and business
organizations require talented and experienced employees for sustaining the competition. High
employee turnover rate, getting talented employees and retaining the existing experienced
employees are major challenges. Establishment of corporate universities by the companies
provides them with the opportunity of training and guiding the employees according their their
organizational needs thereby, successfully achieving organizational goals and objectives (Rees
and Smith 2017).
Almarai Company is one of the largest integrated food and beverage companies in the
Middle East that was established in 1976 with an employee base of 45,000 with its head quarter
in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The company deals with manufacturing and distributing food and
beverage products such as dairy, infant formula, juices, yoghurt, poultry and bakery. The
Almarai Company begun with 350 cows and expanded its business rapidly over the past 30
years. The company is now responsible for more than 200,000 cows at the global platform and is
the world’s largest vertically integrated dairy company. The Company has collaborated with
Pepsi Co. in 2009 and from then has successfully acquired a large number of businesses
(ArabianBusiness.com 2019).
The vision of the Company is to conduct research and development continuously in the
search of healthy products that has high nutritious value for ensuring customer satisfaction and
taste. In order to sustain the journey of continued research and development, the Company needs
to focus on the process of continuous learning. As a result, the Company emphasizes on
supporting education and excellence, training and developing local talents and safety and
security for both internal and external stakeholders. For example, the Company has employed
hundreds of local, talented and fresh graduates through the Graduate Professional Trainee

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program to support continuous learning, attracting new talents and supporting new talents. This
is an initiative undertaken by Almarai for using the corporate university model for sustaining the
tough business environment (Almarai, 2019).
1.1 Problem statement
In spite of the growing popularity of corporate university, there are some potential
problems that make successful execution of the corporate universities difficult. As a result, this
can lead to negative consequences such as the learners turn cynical slowly and the ability of the
corporate university in providing education becomes insignificant. Alamarai is a traditional
university facing issues such as high turnover rate, difficulty in getting and recruiting talents,
retaining the existing talents from the local citizens for fulfilling the government standards. As a
result, it is important for Alamarai to focus to establishing corporate university in the company
for sustaining in the competitive business environment (Rademakers 2014).
Another issue that is identified in this study is analyzing the practicality of implementing
the apprenticeship model for Alamarai. Inappropriate implementation of model results in
developing inappropriate study model for the university that hampers grooming the individuals
suitable for the corporate world. Additionally, developing a successful corporate university is
expensive, as they have to train and groom the students according to the needs and demands of
the corporate world of Middle East countries and Arabic world. Moreover, from the human
resource perspective, recruitment and selection process is an issue, as going to campuses and
recruiting is costly and time-expensive (Gubik and Wach, 2014). Thus, this study aims towards
identifying the gaps and analyzing the gaps followed by proposing steps for overcoming the
issues Alamarai is facing in terms of employee turnover and retaining trained employees. The

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successful branding of corporate university is questioned if the model developed and
implemented for Alamarai company is not planned carefully.
1.2 Research aim
The aim of the study is to draw out the road map Almarai Board to establish the
Corporate University in head and regional offices.
1.3 Research objectives
The objectives of the research are:
1. To understand the vitality of establishing corporate university in large organizations such
as Almarai company
2. To analyze the practicality of applying the apprenticeship model in Almarai
3. To examine the blended learning modes associated with a corporate university and its
relevance to Almarai business
4. To structure framework of development programs for 3 key job family layers (frontline
staff, middle management, and leadership)
1.4 Research questions
The questions of the research are:
1. How learning & development functions affect the business sustainability & performance
of employees?
2. What are the main deliverables of the corporate university in FMCG industry?
3. Can apprenticeship programs support Almarai’s goal of recruiting & retaining talented
Emiratis to help achieve the legal localization ratio requirement in the GCC?

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1.5 Significance of the study
Analyzing the impact of corporate university in Alamarai on the business sustainability
and performance from the human resource is important because this study will help in
understanding the return on investment of establishing a Corporate University at Almarai. This
research is significant, as this will provides an opportunity to analyze the practicality of
implementing apprenticeship model in Alamarai. Analyzing the practicality will help in
determining whether the establishment of corporate university will be beneficial for Alamarai
company for sustaining the business competition successfully (Ellis and Kuznia 2014).
Additionally, this research is also significant because conducting the research will help in
investigating the different types of learning models that are associated with corporate university
and their relevance with Alamarai business organization. The research will also help in
structuring relevant framework for developing programs for developing job roles such as
leadership, frontline staffs and middle management (Leary and Roberts 2014).
1.6 Structure of the dissertation
The introductory chapter is crucial as this provides a background of the topic selected for
the study along with identifying the point based on which the entire is conducted. Accordingly,
the aim of the research and the objectives are developed that helps in rationalizing the research.
The literature review chapter that addresses the main variables based on which the overall
chapter is developed followed by critically analyzing the factors affecting the variables. The
methods of the research that has been used are defined followed by justifying the selection of the
specific methodologies along with clarifying the research ethics that are compulsory for
completion the study successfully. Data is collected in this chapter and analyzed so that the
research aim and objectives are achieved. The last chapter deduces conclusion by providing a

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general idea about the research topic followed by identifying the gap by referring to the findings
in the data analysis chapter and the implication of the findings.
1.7 Summary
Thus, in this chapter, it can be summarize that establishing corporate universities have
become a necessity for the business organizations recently taking into account the economic,
demographic and social changes in Middle Eastern countries and Arabic world. The Middle East
and the Arabic world have encountered several drastic changes in terms of business and
education. The concept of corporate university is s growing trend, as this helps in developing
corporate style behavior in the individuals thereby, making them prepared for the corporate
world from early days. Having corporately qualified workforce is beneficial for the business
organizations in the Arabic world for sustaining the fierce and competitive market thereby,
ensuring business success.

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Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Overview
In the literature review chapter, relevant journals and articles about corporate universities
has been reviewed by analyzing the concept of the corporate university and the idea behind
forming corporate universities. Considering the present rapidly changing social, political,
economic and demographic factors, sustaining in the Middle East and the Arab World has
become highly competitive. The development of corporate universities is a step undertaken by
Almarai Company to gain competitive advantage and sustain the competitive market. The
section investigates the core pillars of corporate university and its role in securing and retaining
talents for themselves. The discussion is analyzed critically in respect to Almarai Company and
its current situation in the business environment.
2.2 Concept of Corporate University
Late 1980’s saw the emergence of corporate universities as an opportunity of improving
the traditional training departments. The aim of corporate universities is to design methods that
align the training arm of the business organizations with their strategy and vision. As commented
by Chatterjee and Maira (2014), corporate university is defined as the educational entity with a
strategic tool that is designed with the aim of helping the parental organization. As a result, the
parental organization is able to achieve the organizational goals and mission by carrying on
activities for cultivating both organizational and individual wisdom, learning and knowledge.
However, as argued by Welford (2016), the concept of corporate university is designated as an
emerging model for offering and ensuring continuous training according to the requirement of
the corporate world thereby, facilitating the opportunity of continuous learning for the

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employees. It has been seen that several multinational companies have developed corporate
universities with the aim of developing required talents, retaining the existing talents and
offering continuous learning for sustaining in the competitive market.
2.3 Motivations behind Corporate University
The primary reasons of why the majority of the business organizations aimed towards
developing a corporate university is because they have witnessed a radically short shelf-life of
knowledge. According to Yeoh (2014), relying solely on the institutions offering higher
education for re-tooling the present workforce is questioned. Therefore, the business
organizations proposed to build their own university that suits the needs of the business
environment and offering the opportunity of continuous learning. However, as argued by Giroux
and Pollock (2018), it has been seen that several training institutions are changing the name to
universities that helps in incorporating brand with the training center. Thus, it can be inferred
that the use of the term university suggest that continuous learning is significant for the business
organizations for keeping them updated, develop skills and improving the existing skills.
However, using the name corporate university should not be used only a brand name to follow
the trend. This is because renaming the training center fails to add any value if the concept of
corporate universities is not executed properly thereby, developing bad image of the company
(Baporikar 2014).
2.4 Corporate University in public and private sector
The concept of corporate university is mostly seen in the private sector but it is gaining
acknowledgement among the government organizations as well. The public sector considers the
factors selected by the private sectors for developing corporate universities. As commented by
Baporikar (2015), several important aspects of both private and public sector are similar with

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difference in terms of governance and management process that is followed. The major factors
considered by the private sector organizations for developing corporate universities are keeping
up with the knowledge-based society, reforming and restructuring of the institutions frequently,
societal commitment and higher concern for demonstrating considerable quality enhancement in
education.
The primary difference between the private and the public sector is their organizational
goals and objectives. As commented by Powers and Leal (2015), the business organizations in
the private sector aim towards generating profit by increasing human resource training that is
aligned with the business strategy. As a result, it can be said that private sector business
organizations highlights profit oriented focus. However, as argued by Briton (2014), the business
organizations in the public sector emphasizes in maintaining public trust by offering excellent
services. Thus, it can be inferred that working environment, compensation structure and benefit
plans indicates the primary differentiators of corporate universities in the private and the public
sector. However, on the contrary, the only purpose of corporate university that remains similar
for both private and public university is that attracting and retaining employees for
organizational benefit.
2.5 Validity of establishing corporate university in large organizations
Using corporate university model has several advantages such as offering a powerful
model for employees to embracing, offering unique branding image, engaging senior executives
in the process and reducing employee turnover rate (Au and Ferrare 2015).
As mentioned by Subramaniam, Perrucci and Whitlock (2014), using corporate university
model provides a powerful model for the individuals to embrace individual improvement in

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terms of knowledge meaningfully. While growing up, individuals show their commitment
towards learning for lifetime in school that is further deepened when the individuals attends
universities for developing knowledge for the professional world. The use of corporate university
model is beneficial, as this offer renewing the commitment of lifetime learning made by the
individuals by engaging themselves towards continuous learning and development in a
meaningful manner. However, as argued by Nica (2014), using corporate university model offers
a unique branding opportunity more than anything else. Using the corporate university model
provides an opportunity to develop the name of the university, its logo, creating websites,
offering certificate programs, using the name of the faculties as a communication tool and print
publications. However, at times, branding might shift the focus from employee training to
involving strategic partners, college and university programs and including members of high
value chain.
According to Ortiga (2017), the use of corporate university model provides an
opportunity to engage and involve the senior executives of the company. It is understood that it
is a knowledge based era that requires capitalizing on learning initiatives. In doing so, identifying
the learning needs is necessary by addressing the challenges encountered by the company and the
skills and knowledge required for gaining competitive advantage. However, as argued by
Manning (2017), employees prefer to stay with a company for long when the business
organizations consider the personal development of the employees as their top priority.
Employees like challenges as this help to provide the opportunity to improve their existing skills
and the concept and purpose of corporate university is a master in ensuring continuous learning
by including individual learning paths, structured opportunities for professional growth and

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certified programs. Thus, it can be said that the benefit of using corporate university model is
apparent.
2.6 Disadvantages of using corporate university model
In spite of the valid reasons of using corporate university model, the potential drawbacks
are the opportunity of the impact is damaged by only changing the name to corporate university;
corporate university model is criticized saying that the learning process fails to convey practical
situations and incorporates additional expenses on the company (Einstein 2015).
As mentioned by Osei-Kofi (2014), the corporate university model itself highlights as a
strong brand and just changing the name of the training department to corporate university has
more negative impact than positive. This is because the learners become more cynical regarding
learning and the organization might become more conscious about the brand. Additionally, the
commitment towards learning becomes insignificant for the business organization and hampers
the idea of facilitating continuous learning. In order to mitigate this challenge, it is crucial for the
business enterprises to plan the transition to corporate university carefully. However, as argued
by Van Den Wijngaard et al. (2015), the corporate university model is also questioned being
highly idealistic. The nature of higher education has been questioned in the past years, as it failed
to incorporate the real life instances of the business scenario. Similar is the case of corporate
university because it is assumed that corporate universities fail to uphold practical business
scenarios for training the learners. Thus, the above concern can be mitigated by developing
training materials from practical business scenarios and using guest faculties with practical
experience.

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It has also been said that establishing and maintaining a corporate university is not a
cheap endeavor. Reports suggest that business organizations with strong commitment towards
learning by establishing a corporate university has spent 2.5% of the payroll on learning that is
twice the US national average. The cost is rationalized when the business organizations are able
to rely on the return on investment that comes with successful branding that also requires cost.
2.7 FMCG industry
FMCG industry stands for the fast-moving consumer goods that highlight the fast and
quick nature of products that are sold that are sold at a relatively low cost. The FMCG products
have a shorter shelf-life and include non-durable products such as beverages, over the counter
drugs, packaged goods and toiletries. As mentioned by Van Elzakker et al. (2014), the shorter
shelf-life of the FMCG products are either due to higher consumer demand or increased rate of
deterioration. From the consumer perspective, the principle characteristics of FMCG industry is
frequent purchases, low engagement in selecting product, minimized cost, shorter shelf-life and
raid consumption. Increased number of business organizations has been seen in the FMCG
offering similar products thereby, giving rise to tough competition. Thus, business diversification
is required for the business organizations in the FMCG industry for sustaining the competitive
business environment around the globe (Kumar, et al. 2016).
2.8 Significance of applying apprenticeship model in Almarai Company
Apprenticeship model is slowly gaining popularity in the 21st century learning process
that provides an opportunity for the individuals to learn by performing the functions in-hand or
practically. As commented by Fuller and Unwin (2014), apprenticeship model provides an
opportunity of allowing the individuals to learn by doing things. Thus, apprenticeship model is
often associated with vocational training in which an experienced individual models the behavior

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and the apprentice follows the model and receives feedback on it from the experienced
individual. The core concept of apprenticeship model is said to be suitable for the corporate
university that Almarai Company is intending to open and execute.
As known, the FMCG industry of the Middle East has become highly competitive and
has encountered fluctuations that are a major concern for Almarai in Saudi Arabia. Thus,
Almarai needs to do best in recruiting, developing and retaining talents is each possible way for
supporting the mission and vision of the company as well as defending their market share. The
implementation of apprenticeship model through the Corporate University development is
beneficial for talent retention as well as supplying talented workforce according to business need
(McGaghie et al. 2014).
As mentioned by Gowlland (2014), apprenticeship model provides an opportunity for the
individuals to have a one-on-one mentorship that facilitates emotional bonding thereby,
motivating the individuals to work hard. In the case of Almarai, the use of apprenticeship model
provides an opportunity to learn by doing things effectively and efficiently due to one-on-one
mentorship. As a result, the company can develop, supply and retain talents according to the
business needs. However, as argued by De La Paz et al. (2017), in spite of the significance of
one-on-one mentorship, the process is successful when both the parties have a mutual respect
and trust on each other. Otherwise apprenticeship model leads to highly uncomfortable and
ineffective apprenticeship experience.
According to Beaulieu et al. (2015), apprenticeship model is also useful in today’s world
because it offers a curriculum that is highly relevant to the future work in the business sector.
Considering the competitive FMCG business environment in the Middle East, the use of

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apprenticeship model for Almarai allows the company to train the new and the existing
employees according to the organization, mission, vision and business needs. As a result,
Almarai can gain competitive advantage, as they will have highly skilled and qualified
employees with required expertise. Additionally, apprenticeship model in Almarai is significant
because this influences continuous learning thereby, having higher chance of mastering a
specific skill. As a result, the existing employees can improve their expertise and keep them up-
to-date according to business needs for the FMCG sector of Middle East.
However, as criticized by Saadati et al. (2015), apprenticeship model restricts individuals
to learn things that are of individual interest, as they have to learn things that are solely related to
work and business needs. This can have a negative impact on the employees, as they might feel
restricted and dominated. Thus, Almarai needs to understand the fine line of implementing
apprenticeship model for the corporate university they intend to develop for business needs.
2.9 Blended learning models associated with corporate universities
Blended learning models are rationalized when objectives such as learning on demand,
customized learning, driving application of knowledge in the workplace and measuring and
assessing learning outcomes are present. This, it can be said that if executed appropriately,
blended learning model offers superior learning model as it encourages producing improved
learning outcomes by cost reduction (Graham, Henrie and Gibbons 2014). The different types of
models of learning are face-to-face driver model, model of rotation, model of flexibility, online
lab model and self-blended model.
Out of the different blended learning models, face-to-face driver model used in corporate
university is similar to school structure due to which the instructions are provided based on

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cases. As a result, only particular individuals are able to participate in the learning process.
Struggling individuals are benefitted by this blended learning process, as this allows the
individuals to progress at their own pace. In the corporate university, face-to-face driver model in
corporate university offers individuals to learn at their own pace based on business needs (Wang,
Han and Yang 2015). However, on the other hand, flex blended learning model offers learning
materials online along with providing support physically. The use of this blended learning model
in the corporate university offers self-guided learning, as the individuals learns independently
and gets familiar with new concepts in the digital environment. The ability to work
independently is a crucial attribute in the current business sector and the use of this blended
learning model in the corporate university allows it successfully.
According to Alammary, Sheard and Carbone (2014), online lab blended learning model
is a success in today’s environment because the individuals are allowed to learn through online
platform but has to travel to specific laboratory for completing tasks. As a result, the individuals
are able to learn what they want without disturbing the learning environment of other students.
For the corporate university, online lab blended learning model can be used, as this would offer
the employees to learn whatever they want for gaining and improving professional competency
without disturbing the learning environment of other individual in the same premises. However,
on the other hand, self blended learning model is another learning technique offered in the
corporate university in which the individuals are able to learn outside their professional
requirement (O’Byrne and Pytash 2015). As a result, highly self- motivated individuals are
required who wants to go out their comfort zone and learn something solely for personal
improvement and learning. This blended learning model is offered in the corporate university for

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allowing additional courses for improving and developing skills required in the future business
environment.
2.10 Relevance to Almarai Company
Considering the mission and vision of Almarai and the current market situation of Middle
East in terms of FMCG industry, flex blended learning model can be said to be relevant. As
mentioned in the previous section, flex blended learning model allows trainers and instructors to
be present in the class rooms for face-to-face guidance and providing relevant materials for
learning through the online platform. The use of this blended learning model will allow Almarai
to educate and train the employees by being physically present. As a result, both the employees
and the mentors will develop a close and emotional bonding that would motivate the employees
to learn the skills that would help in building professional competency (Shaidullin et al. 2014).
However, on the contrary, the use of flex blended learning model for Almarai will also
allow the company to do best in recruiting, developing and retaining the talents with all possible
ways thereby, supporting their mission and vision as well as defending the market shares.
Additionally, the use of flex blended learning model will also Almarai to develop and supply the
talent force as per the needs of the business. Moreover, providing online instructions and
learning materials by Almarai due to flex blended learning model will help in saving additional
cost of providing hard copies (Kristanto 2017).
2.11 Concept of business sustainability
It is important for a business to be sustainable to conduct the operations of a business by
helping the surrounding or the society to improve. As mentioned by Dyllick and Muff (2016),
sustainability of the business can be defined as the method or technique of management of the

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triple bottom line technique that provides an opportunity for the business organizations to
manage their social, environmental and economic risks, opportunities and obligations. The three
impacts mentioned in the previous sentenced is also referred to as people, profits and planet.
However, as argued by Slawinski and Bansal (2015), business sustainability is also defined as
the corporate sustainability of managing and co-coordinating the economic, social and
environmental concerns and demands thereby, ensuring ethical and responsible success. In order
to ensure business sustainability, the business organizations must fulfill their social,
environmental and economic demands of the surrounding environment. As a result, apart from
focusing of revenue generation and profit maximization, the business organizations must fulfill
their responsibility of developing a better society and better tomorrow.
The idea of developing corporate university by Almarai is an example of business
sustainability, as the company is emphasizing on continuous learning, talent improvement and
offering professional competence for the locals and the graduates thereby, improving the current
social, environmental and economic surrounding of Saudi Arabia.
2.12 Impact of learning and development on FMCG industry
Rise of similar types of business organizations has resulted in market saturation thereby,
leading to tough competition. In order to sustain the competitive market, continuous learning and
development plays a significant role. The requirement and need of the business market keeps on
changing due requires the employees to keep them updated and learn new skills at regular
interval. As commented by Moon (2014), learning and development helps in continuous
improvement for the employees that allows them to enhance their existing skills as well as learn
new skills. As a result, the business organizations are able to ensure smooth supply of talents.
However, as argued by Ponnuswamy and Manohar (2016), apart from individual improvements,

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learning and development helps in developing better customer handling abilities that is
significant for organizational performance.
While learning and development is a basic need for all the business organizations
regardless of the size, it is believed that its importance in the FMCG sector specifically food and
beverage industry is more compared to others. As mentioned by Kilgo, Sheets and Pascarella
(2015), learning and development is important because the consumer frequency usage is almost
daily. Similar is the case of FMCG businesses specifically food and beverage industry because
the outcome of products is almost daily. However, as criticized by Robinson et al. (2014), the
human contribution in all the business processes from procurement, warehousing,
manufacturing, distribution and selling is mandatory. Similar is the case of FMCG businesses
specifically food and beverage industry because starting from raw materials to making the
product available to the customers, the contribution of the employees is impeccable for improved
service.
Learning and development in the FMCG business specifically food and beverage industry
is important because it deals with human consumption and anything wrong related to human
consumption is highly sensitive. It might lead to fatal consequences such as resulting in shutting
down of the company completely and loss of market share. Regaining position from there is next
to impossible, as the company may face legal consequences (Webb and Choi 2014). However,
on the contrary, the FMCG business specifically food and beverage industry is a labor intensive
industry thereby, making learning and development even more important, as the process of
continuous learning improves efficiency of the employees of handling customers (Park and Jo
2015).

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Listing the benefits of the learning and development in the above-section, it can be
inferred that the business organizations needs to keep their workforce trained, updated,
developed and motivated during their employment term in order to ensure competitive
advantage. As a result, the business organizations are able to survive the fierce and tough
business market that has strict and restricted regulations and rules (Stewart 2014). Therefore, the
establishment of corporate university in the FMCG business such as Almarai in Saudi Arabia is
justified.
2.13 Deliverables of corporate university
According to the benefits of the corporate university mentioned in the previous section, it
can be said that corporate university has key deliverables to offer. As mentioned by Luka et al.
(2016), one of the key deliverables that corporate university offers is running classes based on
demand and popularity. As a result, the corporate university provides an opportunity to align
learning opportunities with the objectives, aims, initiatives and the requirement of the business
sector. However, as criticized by Alagaraja and Li (2015), apart from aligning the learning
opportunities with the need of the business organizations, using technology strategically is
another key deliverable. This allows the corporate universities to reduce cost of trainings, as
learning materials are provided in soft copies that saves cost of papers and pens. In addition to,
involving the senior executives is another key deliverable offered by corporate university, as this
provides an opportunity to share the experience of the senior executives for training the
individual (Dodson, Kitburi and Berge 2015).
2.14 Literature gap
After analyzing the previous researches, the potential gap identified is that the previous
researches failed to assess the relationship between the corporate university and business

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sustainability and performance from the HR. As a result, the vitality of building corporate
university has not been mentioned in the previous literatures because in the previous days
requirement of corporate university was not that significant for the business organizations. As a
result, this section of the research is hardly conducted previously. Additionally, not all the past
pieces of literatures analyzed the practicality of applying apprenticeship model for the corporate
universities. The previous literatures only defined the model and the advantages of using the
model. Moreover, another research gap identified while conducting the literature review is that
researchers have not studied the relationship between apprenticeship models and blended
learning models and its effectiveness and practicality for the corporate universities. Furthermore,
limited evidence of research on this topic highlights the need of corporate university for the
business organizations in the Middle East is hardly studied thereby, making it almost unexplored.
2.15 Summary
Thus, it can be summarized in this section that the Middle East and the Arab world is
facing tough competition in the FMCG industry and Almarai is the largest integrated food and
beverage companies in the Middle East that deals with products such as bakery, dairy and
poultry in Saudi Arabia. The outcome of the review concludes that the rise of corporate
university was encountered in the last phase of 1980’s with the aim of developing required
talents, retaining talents and offering continuous learning for sustaining the competitive
environment. It has been found that relying solely on the educations offered by the institutions
was not sufficient of re-tooling the workforce that led to the necessity of building corporate
universities. Both private and public sectors have corporate universities that are majorly similar
but except the management and the governance process followed and the goals and objectives.
Building corporate university in large organizations is valid because this allows unique branding

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opportunity, embrace individual empowerment for the individuals, engaging with senior
executives and increasing the duration between the employees and the employers. However, the
potential challenges are changing names of training schools that fails to abide by the
characteristics of corporate university actually, highly idealistic and expensive to maintain.
Chapter 3: Research methodology
3.1 Overview
The following chapter sheds light on the different existing methodological tools that are
used widely while proceeding with research work. Each of the existing methodological tools is
discussed in a detailed manner which is followed by rationalizing the application of particular
research methodology in respect to the research topic. The research methodology described in
this chapter is according to the research topic of analyzing the impact of Corporate University in
Almarai on the business sustainability and performance from the HR perspectives in Middle East
and Arab world. Following the selection and justification of the specific tools, the chapter also
highlights the research limitations and the ethical considerations necessary while investigating
the study.
3.2 Research outline
In accordance with the research topic, pragmatism philosophy, deductive approach,
descriptive design, survey and interview research strategy has been used. Additionally,
probability sampling technique has been used for this study, as each member of the sample had
equal chances to be selected. Moreover, non probability sampling technique has been used for
selecting few samples for interviewing them directly. 30 HR employees were subjected to survey
from where 5 were selected for direct interview. The collection of data by both primary and

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secondary processes had been used because the data collected by primary methods facilitated
collecting data for the first time from the HR individuals followed by conducting extensive
research for gathering relevant data and information in the form of secondary data collection
process. In regards to analysis, both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques have
been used.
3.3 Research philosophy
The major and the most commonly used research philosophies include positivism,
interpretivism and pragmatism. As commented by Kumar (2019), observing and describing the
different variables used in the study are analyzed in respect to the aim and objectives. The use of
logic and factual knowledge is noticed in positivism philosophy. Interpretivism philosophy aims
towards explaining the opinions of individuals in the society about a specific research topic.
However, pragmatism philosophy highlights the characteristics of both positivism and
interpretivism philosophy (Mackey and Gass 2015).
3.4 Giving reasons for using pragmatism philosophy
Pragmatism philosophy has been used for this research. The use of pragmatism
philosophy is rationalized because this allowed switching between the philosophies according to
the research needs and as per the sources available in order to avoid the constraint if committed
by one single approach (Silverman 2016). Pragmatism philosophy helps in observing and
describing the variables such as Corporate University, apprenticeship model, blended learning
models and its relevance to Almarai and supporting the findings using statistical data and
evidence by considering the HR perspectives of Almarai. Additionally, the opinions are also
considered in terms of the variables so that deeper understanding can be developed about the

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effectiveness of developing Corporate University for Almarai Company (Taylor, Bogdan and
DeVault 2015).
3.5 Research approach
Two major research approaches that are used include inductive and deductive approach.
The approach that induces new theories and models is known as inductive approach. Inductive
approach takes time and has possibilities of error, as the new theories and models are developed
according to the observations made by individuals (Flick 2015). On the other hand, deducing
observations based on previously existing theories and models are also called deductive
approach. In this case, observations are made by referring the similar theories and models that
help in achieving research aim and objectives. This is less time consuming, as the theories and
models referred to are already developed and proved (Vaioleti 2016).
3.6 Giving reasons for using inductive approach
Inductive approach has been used for this research. The use of inductive approach is
justified because no hypotheses have been formulated while investigating the research topic. The
research appears to be inductive in nature because it is still exploring general facts. Deductive
approach is best suited researcher is testing existing theory through a hypothesis. In addition,
qualitative study is a part of the research therefore inductive is more suitable as the researcher is
trying to explore the variables in general. (Neuman and Robson 2014).
3.7 Research design
Three different designs of research that are used include exploratory, explanatory and
descriptive design. According to the name, exploratory design deals with addressing or
identifying the issues that exists in the research. Explanatory research design deals with

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explaining the reasons the lead to the occurrence of the issues thereby, determining the
connection and relationship between the different variables in the research (Bresler and Stake
2017). Descriptive design deals with dual characteristics and applying this design allows
identifying the issue, the reason that lead to the issues and assessing the relationship among the
variables.
3.8 Giving reasons for using descriptive and exploratory design
Descriptive design has been used for this research. As mentioned in the previous section,
descriptive design is more applicable compared to the other two designs because this helped in
addressing the issues Almarai Company is facing while operating in the FMCG industry of
Middle East and Arab world by taking into account the perspective of the HR of the company
that is a characteristic of exploratory research design. Additionally, the descriptive design also
facilitates in understanding the issues the company is facing by referring to business
sustainability in FMCG industry and how the establishing Corporate University can act as an
advantage for the company by implementing models such as apprenticeship model and blended
learning models (Alvesson and Skoldberg 2017).
3.9 Research strategy
Four types of research strategies are action research, survey, interview and case study.
Each of the research strategies are different from one another and are used by judging their
suitability. As mentioned by Ledford and Gast (2018), case study research strategy refers to the
empirical study that aims towards investigating particular phenomenon by referring to real-life
context. Action research aim towards solving issues with immediate action and is also regarded
as a reflective process that solves problem by working as teams. On the other hand, both
interview and survey highlights collecting data from a specific population. The principle

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difference between survey and interview is that survey is conducted in a large scale whereas
interview is collected at a small scale (Bauer 2014).
3.10 Giving reasons for using survey and interview strategy
Survey and interview has been used for this research. As mentioned in the previous
section, survey and interview are more applicable compared to the other two research strategies
because this helps in collecting data from the entire HR population of Almarai Company. The
HR population of the company is able to provide better understanding about the present scenario
of FMCG industry in the Middle East and Arabic world and the characteristics that are must in
the employees so that Alamarai Company can ensure business sustainability successfully (Choy
2014). Survey method is selected as this provided an opportunity to collect data from the entire
HR employe population of Alamarai Company. Collecting opinion and viewpoints from a large
employee population helps in understanding why the establishment of corporate university is
necessary for Almarai Company in the UAE. The survey responses have been collected through
the online platform. The survey questionnaire is circulated to the HR employees of the company
in their office email and the responses were collected. This allowed the employees to fill up the
survey according to their convenience without hampering their work. Close-ended surevy
questionnaire was structured and Likert scale was given as options. The questionnaire mainly
focused on the vitality of establishing corporate university for Almarai Company in order to
sustain in the UAE FMCG industry.
Qualitative data on the other hand has been collected through face-to-face interview that
contained semi-structured interview questions. The interview has been recorded in video and
additional notes have been taken for better interpretation of the verbatim. Each interview

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sessions were 5-10 minutes long and the interviewees are the HR employees of Almarai
Company.
3.11 Sampling technique and sample size
The only two types sampling techniques are non-probability and probability sampling
techniques. As the name suggests, probability sampling technique suggests equal chances of each
individual in a sample to share their opinion and data. However, on the other hand, as the name
suggests, non-probability sampling technique does not provide equal chances to all the
individuals in a sample to be a part of the data collection process. Both probability and non-
probability sampling techniques are further classified into sub-categories. Probability sampling
techniques are categorized into simple random, stratified random and systematic sampling.
However, on the other hand, non-probability sampling technique is calassified into purposive
sampling, convenience sampling and snowball sampling. (Jamshed 2014).
3.12 Giving reasons for using simple random probability sampling technique
The research has used Simple random probability sampling technique to find out the
results. As mentioned in the previous section, simple random suitable because random
probability-sampling technique allows every member of the sample frame equal chances to be
selected (Smith 2015). This helps in better understanding about how Almarai Company can be
benefitted if Corporate University is developed in terms of sustaining in the FMCG industry of
Middle East and the Arab world. The sample size selected for survey is 30 HR employees of
Almarai employees from the HR executives in all regions and business in the company from
grade E3 onwards and above followed by selecting five of them for direct interviewing
(Walliman 2017).

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3.13 Data collection process
Primary and secondary are the only two data collection processes that are used for
collecting relevant data regarding a particular research topic (McCusker and Gunaydin 2015).
3.14 Giving reasons for using primary and secondary data collection process
Both primary and secondary data collection process have been used for this research.
Primary data collection is applicable because this provided the opportunity to collect data from
the HR employees of Almarai Company in order to know the significance of developing
Corporate University for Almarai Company in order to ensure business sustainability in the
FMCG industry in the Middle East and the Arab world. Primary data is collected by using
questionnaire surveys and direct interviews of the HR employees of Almarai Company (Isaacs
2014). On the other hand, the use of secondary data collection process helped in collecting data
from previously conducted studies in terms of Corporate University, apprenticeship model and
blended learning models (Mukhopadhyay and Gupta 2014).
3.15 Data Analysis
The data collected by means of the primary data collection technique needs to be
analyzed in order to prove the hypothesis and answer the research questions. The collected data
can be highlighted and analyzed by means of using tables, charts and graphs. A statistical
analysis can be helpful for the in order to evaluate the data directly. On the other hand the
secondary analysis is necessary for the construction of the review chapter.

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3.16 Justification for using Statistical and Secondary Analysis
The statistical analysis has been selected to analyze the research and find the results as
because such a method can help in the scientific analysis of the research. Secondary research on
the other hand has been helpful to construct the literature review in a proper manner.
3.17 Research methodologies
Qualitative and quantitative are the two type of data analysis techniques that are used for
proceeding with research work (Dumay and Cai 2015). A quantitative research is generally
carried out by means of the descriptive research design which helps to study the different types
of the statistical elements of the following topics in detail. The quantitative data will be based on
different kinds of numerical that are collected by means of a statistical analysis. On the other
hand qualitative research design involves the use of analytic or descriptive research design. The
qualitative data involves the selection of the non numeric data especially the data collected by
means of secondary analysis or data collected through interview transcript.
3.18 Giving reasons for using quantitative and qualitative data analysis technique
For this research, both qualitative and quantitative data analysis are used for this research.
Primary data collected by surveying the HR employees of Almarai Company were analyzed
using quantitative analysis by using using descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean,
median, bar charts, pie charts, graphs. As a result, analyzing the significance of Corporate
University in Almarai Company would help in business sustainability by considering
perspectives of the HR. Additionally; data collected by interviewing 5 HR employees of the
Company was analyzed using qualitative analysis thereby, interpreting the recoded verbatim
(Khan 2014). The selection of the qualitative and quantitative data is important as because it will
help the research on the university to be reliable and scientific in nature. The quantitative data

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have provided a statistical analysis whereas the qualitative data will provide a theoretical
analysis to derive the results.
3.19 Research limitations
Certain limitations were encountered while conducting the study and collecting data
those are briefed below. Firstly, geographical constraint is a limitation or this research because
Almarai is a regional company that operates in six countries. Additionally, challenges were also
encountered in respect to some of the employees in the sample for interviewing purpose.
Secondly, time has been another limitation because of my full time job as a working professional
researcher and a family man. However, appropriate dedication and spirit helped in managing
time efficiently. Thirdly, selecting the sample size has also been an issue because of the
workforce in large organization as Almarai that has over 45,000 employees.
3.20 Ethical considerations
The following features were followed while conducting the research in order to ensure
that the research conducted in ethical, reliable and valid. The literature review used for the study
has been credited to the owners by using Harvard referencing in such a way that are available
practically. Plagiarism and breaching scholars’ ethics are identified as an academic dishonest
practice. As a result, necessary precautions have been undertaken for ensuring that the study is
distinguished from others While collecting data, confidentiality, respect and discrimination has
to be mitigated along with ensuring that the information is collected with proper consent by
mentioning the the scope and objectives of the research and the benefit of collecting data from
them.

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Treating all the participants equally and making them believe that they are not subjected
to any pressure, harm, inconvenience and embarrassment. The will of the participants needs to be
respected and if unwanted their personal information should be kept confidential and not
disclosed or published. If needed disclosure, a written authorization and approval must be taken.
Un-published corporate information of specific business organization needs to be collected and
used after being approved from an authorized manager.
3.21 Reliability and validity
The questionnaire developed for achieving the research aim and objectives of this study
has to be valid and reliable for considering the data for investigation in the future and making
decision based on facts. The validity of the questionnaire is determined by judging the suitability
of the questionnaire in really measuring what should be measured and what should not be
measured. Additionally, the validity is measured in context of avoiding biasness or distortion
whereas reliability refers to the generation of consistent outcomes from the questionnaire with
minimal errors. As mentioned earlier, the research has used both the qualitative as well as the
quantitative research methodology. The usage of both these research methodology has been one
of the vital elements or perspectives that has helped shape up the direction of the research. The
reliability and the validity of the research information is thus one of the most important factors in
this regard as because it helps the research to attain a certain degree of trust. The primary
information has been collected from the most genuine sources especially from the people who
are actively involved in the management of the Almarai University. Whereas the secondary
information which have been based on the selection of the different kinds of earlier journals and
papers related to the same subject are peer reviewed. Peer reviewed articles have helped to make
the review of the literature more precise and genuine.

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3.22 Summary
Thus, in this chapter, it can be summarized that the selection of the specific
methodologies mentioned throughout the chapter are justified. This is because the selected
methodological tools helped in analyzing the impact of Corporate University in Almarai for
sustaining the competitive FMCG market in the Middle East and the Arab world. As a result, the
study has been able to find the significance of Corporate University in ensuring business
sustainability and performance from the HR perspective.

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Chapter 4 Analysis and Discussion
4.0 Research Analysis and Discussions
The analysis of the research is based on the responses to the different questions that were
provided to the research participants. The responses of the research participants were analyzed in
the following chapter by means of a statistical analysis. The statistical analysis was essential in
the particular case as it helped to determine the thoughts of the individuals on the establishment
of the corporate university model in Alamarai University campus. Apart from the use of the
statistical analysis, the researcher also carried out an interview with. The interview was carried
out based on the model of apprenticeship and its implementation in the university.
4.1 Statistical Analysis

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The following analysis clearly shows that it is important for the management of the
organization to establish corporate university style model in the Almarai University campus. The
overwhelming positive response of the participants towards the establishment of the corporate
venture in the university has been supported by means of strongly agreeing as well as agreeing to
the following fact. In the literature review of the chapter, it is seen that the study of Au and
Ferrare (2015) clearly supports the establishment of the corporate model in the university. The
authors suggest that establishing a corporate model in the university has several advantages like
providing a powerful model for the employees to embrace and offer a unique brand image and
also engage the senior most management of the company in the following process. In turn such a
process reduces the turnover of the employees of the company. The study of Subramaniam,
Perrucci and Whitlock (2014) further supports the following fact as they suggest that using the
corporate university model provides a powerful model for the different individuals in order to
embrace the individual improvement in terms of providing meaningful knowledge.

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The above seen chart and the table is based on the responses on whether it is essential to
implement the apprenticeship model in Almarai University. The responses have been statistically
analyzed which clearly shows the dominance of the positive response where a large proportion of
the people have strongly agreed to the fact that apprenticeship model is essential for the
university. The analysis is similarly supported in the literature review of the chapter where the
study of Fuller and Unwin (2014) has suggested that the apprenticeship model provides a great
opportunity for allowing the different persons to learn from doing things in original. This

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involves the implementation of the vocational training in which an experienced individual
models the behavior and the apprentice follows the model and receives feedback on it from the
experienced individual. Therefore such a reason is behind the large positive response behind the
implementation of the model in the following industry.

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The above shown charts and tables have been provided in order to show the responses to
the question on whether it is important to blend the learning modes associated with the corporate
university in Almarai Business. A whooping number of respondents of the research agreed with
the question. Thus it can be said the blend of the learning modes is essential for the structuring of
the corporate model in the Almarai University. The study of Shaidullin et al. (2014) has
suggested that the flex blended model of learning need to be implemented in the business as such
a learning model allows the trainers and the instructors to be present in the class rooms and
provide a face to face guidance and relevant learning materials through the different kinds of
online learning materials. The presence of such kind of learning materials is important as
because such learning materials helps to provide a better training to the individuals.

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The above given chart and table clearly highlights that the learning and the development
functions has a large impact on the sustainability of the business in Almarai university. More
than 89% of the people have agreed to the fact that there is a large impact on the business just
because of the implementation of the developmental and the learning activities. As mentioned by
Dyllick and Muff (2016), business sustainability is defined as the method or technique of
managing the triple bottom line process that provides an opportunity for the business
organizations to manage their social, environmental and economic risks, opportunities and
obligations. The three impacts mentioned in the previous sentenced is also referred to as people,
profits and planet. However, as argued by Slawinski and Bansal (2015), business sustainability is
also defined as the corporate sustainability of managing and co-coordinating the economic,
social and environmental concerns and demands thereby, ensuring ethical and responsible
success. In order to ensure business sustainability, the business organizations must fulfill their
social, environmental and economic demands of the surrounding environment. Thus the analysis
and the literature review of the sustainability of the business have proved the impact of the
business on the following factors.

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The above shown analysis has determined the responses on whether corporate university
model will help to retain the local GCC National employees to comply with the local labor laws.
The respondents have mostly agreed with the following opinion and thus it can be said that
corporate university model is essential for the retaining of the local GCC. The study of Gowlland
(2014) suggests that the corporate university model provides an opportunity for the individuals to
have a one-on-one mentorship that facilitates emotional bonding thereby, motivating the
individuals to work hard. In the case of Almarai, the use of the corporate university model
provides an opportunity to learn by doing things effectively and efficiently due to one-on-one
mentorship. As a result, the company can develop, supply and retain talents according to the

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business needs. The retaining of the people especially the local talent thus tends to be one of the
most important elements in the establishment of a sustainable future for the business
organization.
The response to whether the corporate university model provides opportunity to the
business to provide opportunity for the managers and employees to reduce turnover rate has been
provided in the above shown charts. The responses to the following question are seen to be
mostly agreed with just a handful of persons either not agreeing or totally disagreeing. The study

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of, Ortiga (2017) has discussed on this particular fact and has suggested that the corporate
university model is essential for the organization as because it helps to engage the employees and
the managers on a proper and effective manner to ensure the success of the business and reduce
or mitigate the turnover rate. Such a process is a knowledge based era that requires capitalizing
on learning initiatives. In doing so, identifying the learning needs is necessary by addressing the
challenges encountered by the company and the skills and knowledge required for gaining
competitive advantage.

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The above provided table and the bar graph is based on the response to the question on
whether the apprenticeship model is well known in the Middle East and GCC region in the
private sector. The response to the following indicates that 70% of the people do not agree to the
fact or are a bit confused on the question. The study of Beaulieu et al. (2015), suggests that
apprenticeship model is a useful model in the modern competitive world. The use of the
apprenticeship model is not so famous in the Middle East and therefore the management of the
company can implement the model in the business to train the new and the existing employees
according to the organization, mission, vision and business needs. Such a training regime will
help the industry to gain a competitive advantage in the market which will further strengthen the
sustainable future of the company.

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The above shown table has provided the responses on whether corporate university model
stands out to be highly idealistic or not. The responses have mostly pointed to a confusing state
of matter where most of the people have ascertained the fact about whether corporate university
model is idealistic or not. The study of different authors in the review part of the study has
shown that the corporate university model is highly idealistic. Thus the following area clashes in
a negative way and does not gets accepted.

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The following research analysis is based on the response collected that is based on the
question of whether apprenticeship model is similar to vocational training or not. Most of the
respondents have agreed to the fact and thus it can be said that apprenticeship model is quite
similar to the vocational training. The literature review in this regard has provided a detailed
description on the same. Fuller and Unwin (2014), says that apprenticeship model provides an
opportunity of allowing the individuals to learn by doing things. Thus, apprenticeship model is
often associated with vocational training in which an experienced individual models the behavior
and the apprentice follows the model and receives feedback on it from the experienced
individual. The core concept of apprenticeship model is said to be suitable for the corporate
university that Almarai Company is intending to open and execute. Thus the literary review
clearly provides the solution to the following question.

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The above shown figure has shown on whether the learning and development functions
are highly linked with the performance and achieved results of the organizations. The responses
were mostly positive as most of the participants of the research agreed to the fact that learning
and development functions can be linked with the performance of the organizations. As

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commented by Moon (2014), learning and development helps in continuous improvement for the
employees that allows them to enhance their existing skills as well as learn new skills. As a
result, the business organizations are able to ensure smooth supply of different talents. The
absence of any kind of contradictory feelings establishes the validity of the research. The
positive answers to each and every question highlight the importance of the corporate model in
the business organizations.
4.2 Interview Transcript
In the case of the following research, the researcher has performed the role of the
interviewer. The interview is totally based on the discussion of the apprenticeship term and its
importance in the modern world along with the importance of implementing a corporate or
apprenticeship type of model in Almarai University. A thirty minute interview was conducted
over the research topic. The interview proved to be a vital link for the research as because it
provided a lot of unknown facts about apprenticeship and its implementation by a business
enterprise. The interview thus stands out to be one of the most important part in the development
of the following research.
The interview was taken on Paul Cadman who is the Board Member of the Institute of
Apprenticeship in United Kingdom. Apart from this he also holds a chair as one of the Quality
Assurance Committee board member. When asked about his role as the Board Member of the
Apprenticeship body in United Kingdom he replied that “I along with the other board members
of the Apprenticeship body is in charge of determining the apprenticeship policy for the
business organizations and the same policy for all the business bodies of United Kingdom”. He
also added that the main aim for the Apprenticeship Institute is to make sure about the quality of
high Apprenticeship and high level of skills among the employees of an organization. When

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asked about his particular job in the following area, he replied that he is basically an employer
who employs people who are apprentices. The employment can be for business organizations
with just 50 odd people working for them or any large scale business organizations in the
process. “He added that I started my career in a company that had a long history of appointing
apprenticeship qualified people in the business organization. My employment was 21 years
back and since then I had been one of the qualified persons to employ apprenticeship in the
business organizations.” This proves the credential and skill of the interviewee and suggests that
Paul Cadman has been the best person suited for the interview process. The selection of Paul
Cadman to gain crucial insights on Apprenticeship and establish of corporate model in the
business has been one of the best decisions made by the researcher. The researcher asked some
basic as well as complex questions related to the following topic and gathered the data regarding
the topic accordingly.
Question No 1: What is meant by the term Apprenticeship?
Answer No 1:
Paul Cadman replied to this question in the simplest yet descriptive and detailed manner.
He said that “Apprenticeship can be defined as basically a job or a distinction that involves a
training program usually sponsored by the employer of the business enterprise”, The
Apprenticeship program is undertaken by the management of the business organization in order
to ensure the success of the business organization (youtu.be/a9J3esi06OQ 2019). The main idea
of the undertaking of the business apprenticeship program by the employer is to deliver approval
and attain quality. The delivery approval process and the attainment of the quality are totally
based on the schedule of the training program. Thus according to Paul Cadman the presence of a

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Training program and its proper implementation process is utmost essential for the business to
succeed in the market. Mr. Paul also added to the fact that the apprenticeship training program is
a bit different from that of the normal training programs of the organizations. The very first
difference being the, difference in time taken. This is because a large amount of time is
consumed to complete the training program. The training program for an apprentice is never less
than 12 months. 12 months is the minimum time consumed to complete an apprenticeship
program in the United Kingdom. It is a benchmark number set up by the Government of the
United Kingdom. The program according to him can be as large as continuing for more than 2 to
3 years or more than 5 years. He described that he had once experienced an apprenticeship
program which was as long as seven odd years. The large number of years consumed as a case
helps to make the program stronger and compact in nature. Mr. Paul further added that the reason
behind the long duration of the training programs have also its own range of benefits. First of all
the trainees who will be undergoing the apprenticeship program gets free lodging, food, clothing,
education, salary, other financial compensation and sometimes are even paid with some pocket
money. The completion of the job or course helps the people to get proper and effective
employment. The presence of proper and skilled employment can be of any types. This includes
the likes of plumber, electrician, saddle maker, driver, mechanic and many more such different
types of jobs.

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Question No 2: Whether the Apprenticeship program has any unique characteristic or
specialty or not?
Answer No 2:
He replied that an Apprenticeship program is based on three different kinds of elements.
The three such elements are namely, a) Knowledge of Occupation, b) Skills of Occupation and
last but not the least in any way c) Behaviors of Occupation. All these three elements and
decisions on them are solely on the hands of the employer and cannot be changed in any case.
The decision by the employer in this case is vital as because the employer will have the idea on
the skills and qualification of the employees accordingly (youtu.be/a9J3esi06OQ 2019). He
provided an example as he asked to consider the case of a HR. The HR according to him must be
qualified enough to meet the needs of the employer, the kills and behavior in line with the wants
and demands of the employer and many more as such. The training for a sustained period thus
again turns out to be the very best in the following case. The more the period of training, the
more and better will the organization learn on the same. The presence of the training regime is
thus one of the most important tasks in the implementation of the Apprenticeship program within
the Business Organization.
Question No 3: What are major differences in between a normal training program or
normal training course with that of the Apprenticeship Training program?
Answer No 3:
The answer to this question by Mr. Paul Cadman was elaborate and descriptive in nature
as he provided the different reasons which leads to such kind of differences. Some of the major
problems of such a research were provided by him. He started with the duration or time of the

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apprenticeship course and the normal courses on some skills. The time for a normal course is
much lesser than that of the Apprenticeship course (youtu.be/RzMpfMyLXdY 2019). The
Apprenticeship course is a long duration course with a minimum of 12 months and unlimited
maximum. The occupation of the persons is another major area where Apprenticeship training
differs from normal training. The apprentices generally describe their occupation as the title of
their job. For example a plumbing apprentice claims his occupation as a plumber while a person
trained in electric apprenticeship program claims himself to be an electrician. Apart from this an
apprentice is a qualified diploma holder and has the license to practice his own occupation
accordingly in the market. The apprenticeship program also maintains high level of standards
and thus the program maintains a minimum criterion for the trainees to become an apprentice.
Mr. Paul Cadman also mentioned the most important difference by saying that the Government
in United Kingdom is highly committed towards the development of Apprenticeship program
and thus sponsors such programs regularly. The sponsorship of the government helps the
program to be more active and compact in nature.
Mr. Paul Cadman also added to the following fact that to be a good apprentice a person
must complete the basic level of his training and should be good in English and Math which is
considered to be the basic criterion for attaining a level 2 standard apprenticeship expert. He
explained that Apprenticeship reached its peak during the late 50’s and 60’s as most of the
people which accounted for 35% of the workforce of the United Kingdom were Apprentices and
thus they were well respected by the employers in the country. Apart from the United Kingdom
the following program was well supported by the countries like Germany, Switzerland and many
more as such. However, the rise in the different kinds of University Courses, the lowering of the
school abstainers and the tendency to go for higher education reduced the importance of the

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apprenticeship program. According to him, the following actions were not too good for the
productivity of the business.
Question No 4: What are the pros and cons of apprenticeship?
Answer No 4:
Mr. Paul Cadman was expecting the following question and was ready to answer it. At
the very first beginning Mr. Paul Cadman identified long training program or the long duration
of the course to be the main disadvantage of the following program. Apart from it the other
problem with the program lies in the fact that when an apprentice loses a job it is very difficult
for him to suit to any other apprenticeship role apart from his apprentice expertise. On the other
hand he described Obtaining skills and knowledge as the biggest advantage of the following
program. Apart from that the maintenance of the standards to gain an international expertise can
be cited as an advantage (youtu.be/RzMpfMyLXdY 2019). Lastly the involvement of the civil
servants in the Apprenticeship program is one of the advantages of the following program.
Question No 5: Whether corporate university models can be applied in business or not?
Answer No 5:
The first thing that was pointed out by the respondent was that in such case, the
identification of the occupations was important. The skills like engineering, craftsmanship, other
skilled works similar to such jobs are equally important for the following. It is important for the
employers to feel the need on whether they need skilled and disciplined workforce or not. The
Apprenticeship Program involves the trainees to improve their positions from a lower to a higher
grade. There are currently levels up to 8 which is the standard in UK Apprenticeship rules. The

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highest qualification in Level 8 standard apprentice is a PhD holder (youtu.be/SWZOv6z5z8o
2019). The maintenance of such standards can lead to the betterment of the workforce and create
a global competitive edge in the market.
Question no 6: What are the other multitasking activities and when do the employees
complete them?
Answer No 6:
The answer of Mr. Paul Cadman was, that the apprentice utilizes 20% of their time in
doing off the job tasks. The time taken by them is utilized by them to learn and acquire new
skills. This includes research, visits, training sessions and carrying out other tasks for occupation.
Such kind of process helps the apprentice to ensure high level productivity
(youtu.be/SWZOv6z5z8o 2019). Mr. Paul Cadman explained that the employers of the business
organization need to expand themselves and involve third party to train the employees. The
training can contain necessary knowledge and skills about different kinds of products and
services. The next question was what can be the purpose of Apprenticeship Program?
According to Mr. Paul Cadman the purpose of the program was mainly to speed up the
productivity. It is mainly used to boost productivity and is thus used in most of the developed
countries. Apart from this the benefit of free boarding, lodging is the main purpose for the
attraction of employees towards the program.

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Question No 7: What can be the future of the Apprenticeship program and how can new
technology be incorporated in this program?
Answer No 7:
The future of the Apprenticeship program is bright as because the management of the
companies have been embracing new and advanced technologies which is proving to be the
game changer in the industry (youtu.be/SWZOv6z5z8o 2019). According to Mr. Paul Cadman
the blend of new technology along with the traditional strategies can be the key to the success of
the organizations in the market.
Chapter 5
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Conclusion
The study based on the introduction of a corporate outlook to Almarai University has
been highly successful. The study has used both qualitative and quantitative methods to
determine the results of the research. The use of both the research methodologies has been
helpful for the conduction of the study in a proper and effective manner. The corporate university
model is basically one of the most important strategic tools that is designed with the aim of
assisting the parent company for securing different kinds of goals and objectives of the
organizations. Almarai Company being an established food and beverage company of the Middle
East needs a corporate university type model in order to spread itself and ensure its
sustainability. The more a company is sustainable, the more is the chance for the company to
attain success in the market. The major significance for the business organization in this regards

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lies in the fact that the study has helped in a clear and good understanding of the different kinds
of the organizational tools that are new to the industry. As mentioned in the review the study has
highlighted the importance of the presence of a training center in the business. The presence of a
training center in the business helps the organization to ensure success in the market. The
installation of the training centers thus adds value to the concept of the corporate universities. On
the other hand, the research has been essential to prove the importance of the involvement of the
private and the public sector in the functions of the corporate university. Therefore the use of the
corporate university model can enrich the business with a clear knowledge and challenges related
to the organizational model. Though some of the disadvantages of the corporate university model
have been assessed in the following study, the presence of large scale opportunities has been
essential for the business to ensure proper success. Thus the application of the apprenticeship
model in the FMCG industry can act as an element of success in the business. Therefore it can be
assessed that building corporate university in large organizations is valid because this allows
unique branding opportunity, embrace individual empowerment for the individuals, engaging
with senior executives and increasing the duration between the employees and the employers.
However, the potential challenges are changing names of training schools that fails to abide by
the characteristics of corporate university actually, highly idealistic and expensive to maintain.
5.2 Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Use of Practical Situations in the Corporate Model
The corporate model is more often criticized just because it lacks any kind of practical
training. The absence of any kind of practical training leads to the creation of different kinds of
problems. The corporate university model itself highlights itself as a strong brand and just only
changing the name of the training department to a corporate university. The majority of the

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DISSERTATION
organizational goals cannot be met by implementation of the corporate model. Therefore it is
advised to the management of Almarai to incorporate real life situations through the means of
implementing training regimes and programs to ensure the success of the business organization
in the market. The corporate university model thus needs to be maintained in a proper and
efficient manner to ensure success for the business organization.
Recommendation 2: Application of the Apprenticeship model in the FMCG Industry
The application of the apprenticeship model in the FMCG industry is highly
recommended and the successful implementation leads to the success of the organization
according to its needs. Apprenticeship model provides an opportunity of allowing the individuals
to learn by doing things. Thus, apprenticeship model is often associated with vocational training
in which an experienced individual models the behavior and the apprentice follows the model
and receives feedback on it from the experienced individual. The application of the model in the
FMCG industry helps to acquire new skills and better development as an worker. The
management of the companies must always prefer an apprentice more over an ordinary labor.
The successful implementation of an apprenticeship program can thus change the way the
organization will perform in the future.
5.3 Implication of the Study Findings
The implementation of the corporate university model and the apprenticeship model in
the FMCG industry can act to be the game changer for the industry. The gradual expansion of the
apprenticeship model can help the following industry to attain success in the business market.
The apprenticeship model is generally associated with vocational training and thus the
companies need to ensure the success of the organization. The present study has shown the

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successful implementation of the different type of factors that involves the implementation of the
corporate model in the university to develop apprenticeship programs. The positive impacts of
such an implementation include the likes of the efficiency of the workers, skills of the workers
and the development of new technologies and innovation in the workplace.
5.4 Reflection on the study
Corporate Model has been one of the major challenges of the industry and is being
considered to be one of the best models of the industry especially the FMCG industry. The
presence of training models in the organization is essential for the development of the individuals
and has played a crucial role in the success of the business. The apprenticeship model according
to me, is one of the most efficient and effective model for the business. The model is considered
to be one of the best in the industry and it has been proved in the study. The presence of the
apprenticeship model in the industry helps the management of the business organizations to
select the employees with large potential. the employees with huge potential have extraordinary
skills and specialties to complete different kinds of work based on a certain feature.
5.5 Limitation of the study
There are a certain number of limitations in the following study. First of all time has
played as a major limitation for the following research. The absence of proper timing has left the
researcher blank in many of the occasions. The researcher failed to consider a number of other
sources for the study and was also forced to limit his sample size to just 100. Apart from this the
absence of a healthy budget was also one of the major issues in the organization. The absence of
proper funding limited the research in many of the occasions. The absence of the following
resources led to the absence of the accessibility to many of the research articles. This acted as the
major limitations of the research.

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5.6 Future Scope
The increasing use of the corporate model has itself highlighted the importance of the
model in the research. The research has discussed all the perspectives, factors and all other
necessary items related to the business. The research has thus been one of the best in recent
times. The consideration of both the primary and secondary research has helped in to ensure the
success of the research in a proper and effective manner. The success of the research will thus
help the future research on the same subject refer to the following research and collect important
data as secondary sources to enrich the researches.
5.7 Summary of the whole study
The overall summary can be described in one word by describing that corporate model
plays a crucial role in the success of the industries. The application of the corporate model in the
industries especially the FMCG industry can ensure a sustainable and competitive future for the
business. The concluding chapter has provided a clear overview of the total study. the overview
helps the readers to get a clear and compact picture of the total study.

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Appendixes
Appendix 1
Questionnaire
Question No 1:
Is it important for the management of the organization to establish corporate university in
Almarai Company?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question No 2:
Is it essential to apply apprenticeship model in Almarai?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

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Question No 3:
Is it important to blend learning modes associated with a corporate university in Almarai?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question no 4:
Do you think learning and development functions affect the business sustainability?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question No 5:
Do you think corporate university model would help in the retaining of the local GCC
National employees to comply with the local labor laws?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree

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c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question No 6:
Do you think Corporate University Model provides opportunity for the organization to
engage the employees and senior managers to reduce the turnover rate?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question No 7:
Do you think the apprenticeship concept is well known in the Middle East and GCC region
in the private sector?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question no 8:
Do you think Corporate University Model stands out to be highly idealistic?

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a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question No 9:
Do you think Apprenticeship Model is similar to the vocational training?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
Question No 10:
Do you think the learning and development functions in FMCG organizations is highly
linked with the performance and achieved results of the organizations?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neither Agree nor Disagree
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

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Appendix 2
Interview Questionnaire
Question No 1:
What is meant by the term Apprenticeship?
Question No 2:
Whether the Apprenticeship program has any unique characteristic or specialty or not?
Question No 3:
What are major differences in between a normal training program or normal training course
with that of the Apprenticeship Training program?
Question No 4:
What are the pros and cons of apprenticeship?
Question No 5:
Whether corporate university models can be applied in business or not?
Question no 6:
What are the other multitasking activities and when do the employees complete them?
Question No 7:

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DISSERTATION
What can be the future of the Apprenticeship program and how can new technology be
incorporated in this program?