The Human Resources Research Institute (HRRI) is a faculty/executive partnership comprised of faculty from the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies (CHRLS) who are recognized leaders in human resources and labor relations research, and high level executives working in the areas of human resources and/or labor relations. Membership in HRRI is available to all corporate members of the CHRLS Advisory Council, as well as members of the Human Resources Executive Council (HREC), and major recruiters of our students.
Spring Partner Meeting The spring partner meeting is the cornerstone of the HRRI membership. This meeting, held in May of each year, will showcase research conducted by our world-renowned faculty. The focal topic(s) will be announced in advance.
• A University of Minnesota research team will present a “Leading Edge Summary,” relating the state of the field in a specific focal area of human resources and labor relations (e.g., employee engagement, HR metrics, employee onboarding, retention). This will be a cutting edge summary of the literature on this topic.
• The research team will engage the executive partners and faculty in discussion about organizational needs and ideas in this area, creating a dynamic opportunity for the high level exchange of information on key human resources and labor relations topics.
• Last, the research team will outline a cutting edge research proposal to advance knowledge in that area of human resources and labor relations. Corporate members will have the opportunity to provide their feedback and thoughts about the proposal, and will also have the opportunity to participate in the studies.
Research Digests Up to twice a year, member organizations can request a literature search on a topic related to human resources and labor relations. Our reference room will provide a collection of recent articles on the topic as well as any key older articles. Our reference room holds vast depositories of information on a wide range of topics, including recruitment, training, compensation, job satisfaction, motivation, stress, drug testing, strategic management, effects of technological change, mergers, diversity, labor relations, unions, organizational socialization, absenteeism, and turnover.
“In the Know” Partners who wish to be on an event email distribution list will enjoy hearing about U of M events related to business and human resources and labor relations. We hold several such events each year, including the First Tuesday Luncheon Series, the HR Tomorrow Conference, the Inside the Boardroom” speaker series, and much more.
Annual membership in the Human Resources Research Institute is $7,500 and an investment in the advancement of the human resources and labor relations field. It provides an opportunity to network with other professionals and learn the latest research findings in a practice area.
HRRI is also meant to bridge the scientist-practitioner gap by allowing high level human resources professionals the opportunity to provide feedback on research as it is being designed, and by allowing academics access to potential organizational samples. Organizations partnering with the University on any research will receive practitioner summaries stemming from the data collection.
The IRC has a long history of doing research that is relevant to industry. Here are a few examples:
Retention Study
The Retention Study is one of the most comprehensive repeated measures investigations of turnover to date. The study involved 1,532 exempt employees newly hired into 7 organizations with multiple locations and divisions representing a variety of industries. Surveys were distributed every 4 months over the course of 20 months. The study identified 5 predictors of turnover and showed that turnover can be predicted at the time of entry. The study also examined newcomer adjustment, employee "fit" in the organization, and the costs of turnover. Study results indicated that an organization could improve employee retention and reduce costs by successfully socializing new employees and increasing organizational commitment and job satisfaction. The research team was multidisciplinary and composed of 3 faculty members and 2 PhD students.
Pulse Survey
The Pulse Survey is designed to measure the opinions or "pulse" of an organization's employees in order to improve the organization's performance or health. It is a longitudinal survey with a set of core items that are included in each wave of the survey and a set of modules that may change from wave to wave. An advantage of the survey is that it links employee survey data with organizational administrative data, such as salary and job performance ratings. This linkage lets HRRI researchers analyze how employee attitudes have an impact on employee performance. The longitudinal nature of the data allows researchers to determine the extent to which attitudes are dependent upon organizational policies such as pay raises and changes in leadership. It also enables them to forecast how possible changes in organizational policy will affect employee performance and organizational profits. An interdisciplinary team of 2 faculty members and 2 graduate students developed the survey.
For more information about the Human Resources Research Institute please contact:
Bob Glunz
Associate Director
Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies
Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 Nineteenth Avenue South, Suite 3-300
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-625-5563
Fax: 612-624-8360
r-glun@umn.edu
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