Gatton Prof to Study 'Best Places to Work'

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2011) - Brian Dineen, associate professor of management in the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics, is the recipient of a SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Foundation Grant for his research project titled "Best Places to Work: How 'Making the List' Impacts the Strength and Sustainability of Subsequent Recruitment and Turnover Outcomes."

According to Lyle Hanna, president of Hanna Resource Group in Lexington, "Kentucky was the first state to work with the Best Companies Group to launch a statewide 'Best Places to Work' (BPW) program."

Dineen has been analyzing relevant data on a volunteer basis for several years. This year, Dineen and Peter Burke, president of the Best Companies Group, have partnered to share data from programs across the U.S. and Canada.

"Brian is launching a multi-year study which will help us better understand how programs like this impact important organization outcomes," said Hanna. "Preliminary results of the Kentucky data study show reduced turnover and increased applicant pool quality for those who make the list."

Added Jim Ford, vice president of business education for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, "This is great news and will add additional credibility to the BPW in the Kentucky initiative."

"My co-investigator Jason Shaw and I are very excited to be working on this project," Dineen said. "We look forward to sharing results of this research as it unfolds."
                                                                                                   

MEDIA CONTACTS:   Carl Nathe, (859) 257-1754, ext. 238; carl.nathe@uky.edu

Michele Sparks, (859) 257-0040