Welcome to the Community Research Institute!
We're here to help prepare Gen Z for the workforce, and the workforce for Gen Z!
We are a partnership between the Charleston Southern University Hans A. Nielsen College of Business and The Good Doctors of Abbey Research.
The CRI was born at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic out of an immediate need to provide remote internships for graduating CSU seniors.
Since then, we've partnered with Professor Emory Hiott's Market Research course to conduct current and relevant research about Gen Z students and workers!
Learn more about our work below!
Why do we study generations?
The CRI is run by Dr. Kristen Donnelly and Dr. Erin Hinson, The Good Doctors of Abbey Research (two older Millennials). Our work as corporate trainers has always focused on understanding generational differences.
With access to and engagement with members of Gen Z (born between 1995-2012), we saw a great opportunity to help bridge the gap we are seeing between this generation and the folks coaching, leading, managing, and employing them.
Meet The Good Doctors
We believe that empathy is a skill, not a superpower.
We are corporate trainers who focus on employee engagement and retention with approaches and insights that get to the root of discontent, poor morale, and miscommunication, the key factors in employee turnover.
We are both educators with social science PhDs. We have lived and studied around the United States and around the world, exposing us to a beautiful range of identities, experiences, and worldviews. Our work in multiple international conflict zones taught us that we can understand a person’s words and actions without supporting or endorsing them.
Dr. Kristen Donnelly
President and founder
Dr. Erin Hinson
vice president
