Reconceptualising the Corporate University Through Adult Learning Theory: A Conceptual Framework for Emerging Retail Markets

Emerging markets pose distinctive institutional challenges for corporate learning. Indonesia’s retail sector, employing 18–19% of the national workforce, is expanding, yet it faces high turnover, low retention, and skills misalignment among a predominantly Generation Z adult-learner workforce whose vocational training often fails to meet national competency standards. This study develops a conceptual framework that extends corporate university (CU) theory by integrating adult learning principles and Generation Z learning characteristics, challenging the assumption of stable institutional environments underlying existing CU frameworks. Using a conceptual research design, the study synthesises literature and illustratively applies the framework through document analysis of X Academy, an Indonesian CU subsidiary selected for its contextual relevance and institutional distinctiveness. The framework advances four propositions specifying capabilities through which CUs may address emerging retail market conditions: bridging institutional gaps through learner-centred and hybrid learning infrastructures; accommodating Generation Z adult learners via andragogically informed learning architecture; navigating national competency frameworks through hybrid credentialing systems; and orchestrating multi-stakeholder ecosystems involving government, educational institutions, and industry partners. The study proposes a dual-governance model distinguishing corporate performance from external educational accountability, positions adult learning theory as the foundational lens for CU capabilities, and identifies boundary conditions for empirical testing.