This readme file was generated on 20151215 by Zhuozhi Georgia Huang GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Dataset: Business Retention and Expansion Aggregated Data 2. File Information: A. Filename: Tier A_public.xlsx B. Short description: Tier A Business Retention and Expansion Questions C. Filename: Tier B_public.xlsx D. Short description: Tier B Business Retention and Expansion Questions E. Filename: manual_template.pdf F. Short description: Tier A and Tier B User's Guide G. Filename: TierA_TierB_archival.zip H. Short description: Archival Version of Tier A_public.xlsx and Tier B_public.xlsx. I. Filename: BREville.pdf J. Short description: Business Retention and Expansion Survey Instrument G. If data set includes multiple files related to one another, include relationship here: Tier A_public.xlsx contains data that are considered the most important by program staff, and Tier B_public.xlsx contains supplementary data. manual_template.pdf describes how to use the data in Tier A_public.xlsx and Tier B_public.xlsx. TierA_TierB_archival.zip contains the archival version of Tier A_public.xlsx and Tier B_public.xlsx: Tables are saved in .csv format. Formulas are saved in .txt file. Visual representation (HTML Snapshot) of the workbooks are preserved as well. BREville.pdf is the survey used to collect the data aggregated in Tier A_public.xlsx and Tier B_public.xlsx. 3. Principal Investigator Contact Information A. Name: University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality, Business Retention and Expansion Program B. Institution: University of Minnesota Extension 4. Contact Information A. Name: Michael Darger B. Institution: University of Minnesota Extension C. Address: 462 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108-6070 D. Email: darger@umn.edu 5. Date of data collection (single date, range, approximate date): from 19900101 to 20150331 6. Geographic location of data collection: State of Minnesota 7. Date files were created: 20151105 8. Are there multiple versions of the dataset? no METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: These data were collected in individual business surveys over the past 25 years as part of the Extension's Center for Community Vitality Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program, and have been aggregated to the community level for release. The BRE program has Extension Center Staff working closely with Minnesota communities to identify strategies to keep local (and even non-local) businesses located in Minnesota towns where they are. The data were collected by community volunteers meeting with the business respondents in hour-long meetings. Respondents were chosen by community leaders using different recruiting strategies. For example, the respondents could be from a randomly generated list, or someone who agreed to participate. The surveys were designed using George Morse' 1988 BRE program design, and the subsequent literature (Smith, Morse, & Lobao 1992; Loveridge & Smith, 1992; Loveridge, Smith, & Morse 1991; Lenzi, 1991). The survey instrument went through a modification process in 2010. Some aggregation was used to reconcile the 1990-2010 and the 2010-present surveys. The most recent survey instrument is shared in BREville.pdf. Thematically it stays the same with the older version of the survey. 2. People involved with sample collection, processing, analysis and/or submission: Michael Darger, BRE Program Director and Program Designer, worked closely with communities that provided data for benchmarking. He facilitated and oversaw the benchmarking process between several student workers. Brigid Tuck, BRE Analyst/Writer and Program Designer, worked to facilitate and oversee benchmarking process. Nathan Paine, Graduate Research Assistant, 2011, created community responses from aggregating business level data. Sarah Thiede, Undergraduate student worker, 2012, assisted and continued on Nathan's work. John N. Tremper, Graduate Research Assistant, 2015, used aggregated data from Nathan and Sarah's work to create the comparison Tier A and Tier B documents. SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION 1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data: Attribution 3.0 United States 2. Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data: 3. Recommended citation for the data: University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality, Business Retention and Expansion Program. (2015). Business Retention and Expansion Aggregated Data [dataset]. Retrieved from the Data Repository for the University of Minnesota, http://dx.doi.org/10.13020/D6V88Z. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 1. Codes or symbols used to record missing data A. Code/symbol:blank cells B. Definition:The blank cells mean that the data are not available for those specific questions 2. Column headings for Tier A Benefits (with all columns unhided) A. Full name: Date Definition: the year in which the survey was tabulated. B. Full name: Community Definition: the community that participated in the BRE survey. C. Full name: US Unemployment Definition: The United States unemployment rate as of December 31 the year that the data were tabulated. D. Full name: MN Unemployment Definition: the Minnesota unemployment rate as of December 31 the year that the data were tabulated. E. Full name: 7-county metro Definition: Indicates if the community is located in the 7 county metro area. F. Full name: Type Definition: the type of industry. 'Mixed' means that there were multiple industry types represented, 'manuf' means manufacturing only, and 'mixed/identify' means that multiple industries were used and the respondent was asked to identify their industry. G. Full name: Population Quintile Definition: This column shows the relative population size of the community. A 1 represents the smallest 20% and a 5 represents the largest 20% population levels. H. Full name: a-Health Insurance Definition: Percent of firms that offer the specified benefit (Health Insurance) to their full time employees in each community. I. Full name: a-Sample Size Definition: Total number of firms that participated in the BRE survey involving item a (Health Insurance) J. Full name: a-Weighted Average Definition: Weighted average of the total number of firms that offer the specified benefit. It is calculated by summing the values of a-Avg (column L). K. Full name: a-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: This column calculates the weighted average of only those firms that meet your search criteria (those for which you have filtered). L. Full name: a-wAvg Definition: The product of a-Health Insurance (column H) and Weight factor (column N) M. Full name: a-wAvg filtered Definition: This column calculates the product of a-Health Insurance and Weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. N. Full name: Weight factor Definition:each community's sample size divided by the total number of participating firms. O. Full name: weight factor-filtered Definition: This column will show the weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. P. Full name: b-Life Insurance Definition: Percent of firms that offer the specified benefit (Life Insurance) to their full-time employees in each community. Q. Full name: b-Sample Size Definition: Total number of firms that participated in the BRE survey involving the item b 'Life Insurance'. R. Full name: b-Weighted Average Definition: Weighted average of the total number of firms that offer the specified benefit. It is calculated by summing the values of a-Avg (column L). The cells are left blank if there is no data for the corresponding b-Life Insurance data in column P. S. Full name: b-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: This column will show the weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. T. Full name: b-wAvg Definition: Product of b-Weight factor (column V) and b-Life Insurance (column P). U. Full name: b-wAvg filtered Definition: This column calculates the product of b-Weight factor and b-Life Insurance of only those firms that meet your search criteria. V. Full name: b-Weight factor Definition: each community's sample size (Column Q) divided by the total number of participating firms. W. Full name: b-Weight factor filtered Definition: This column will show the weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. Columns corresponding to item c through s follow the same pattern, though the headings might not be named consistently. All the inconsistent headings are listed below: AB. Full name: c-wAvg_ind Definition: c-wAvg AC. Full name: c-wAvg filtered_ind Definition: c-wAvg filtered AL. Full name: Weight factor4 Definition: d-weight factor The weight factor and weight factor filtered columns for item c through s are named in a slightly manner than item b. Take item c for example, 'weight factor c' has the same definition as 'c-weight factor', and 'weight factor filtered c' has the same definition as 'c-weight factor filtered'. 3. Column headings for Tier A tab Recruitment (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through J. K. Full name: a-Ad in Metro Definition: Percentage of firms in each community that use specified method (Ad in Metro) for recruitment. L. Full name: a-sample size Definition: Total number of firms that participated in the BRE survey involving item a 'Ad in Metro'. M. Full name: a-wAvg Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of item a. (i.e. each community's sample size divided by the total number of participating firms of survey involving item a 'Ad in Metro'. It could be renamed as a-weight, following the naming convention of the rest of the worksheet. N. Full name: a-fwAvg Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. It could be renamed as a-fweight, following the naming convention of the rest of the worksheet. O. Full name: a-Weighted Average Definition: Weighted percentage of the total number of firms that use specified method. P. Full name: a-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: This column will calculate weighted average of only those firms that meet your search criteria. Q. Full name: a-wAvg2 Definition: Product of weight factor (column M) and the a-Ad in Metro (column K) R. Full name: a-wAvg filtered Definition: This column will calculates the product of weight factor and a-Ad in Metro of only those firms that meet your search criteria. S. Full name: b-Ad in local Definition: Percentage of firms in each community that use specified method (Ad in local) for recruitment. T. Full name: b-sample size Definition: Total number of firms that participated in the BRE survey involving item b 'Ad in local'. U. Full name: b-weight Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of item b.(i.e. each community's sample size divided by the total number of participating firms of survey involving 'Ad in Metro'.) V. Full name: b-fweight Definition: This column will calculate the weight factor of item b of only those firms that meet your search criteria. W. Full name: b-Weighted Average Definition: Weighted percentage of the total number of firms that use specified method. X. Full name: b-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: This column calculates the weighted average of only those firms that meet your search criteria. Y. Full name: b-wAvg Definition: Product of weight factor (column M) and the b-Ad in local (column S) Z. Full name: b-wAvg filtered Definition: This column calculates the product of weight factor and b-Ad in local of only those firms that meet your search criteria. Columns corresponding to item c through q follow the same pattern, though the headings might not be named consistently. All the inconsistent headings are listed below: AB. Full name: c-sample Definition: c-sample size 4. Column headings for Tier A Changes in Employees (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through G. H. Full name: Direction Definition: This column indicates whether firms expect to decrease, increase, or make no change in the number of their employees I. Full name: a-Unskilled labor Definition: This column indicates the percentage of firms that hires the type of job position (Unskilled labor) J. Full name: a-Sample Size Definition: Total number of firms that participated in the BRE survey involving item a 'Unskilled labor'. K. Full name: a-Weighted Average Definition: The weighted percent of firms that expect to decrease, increase, or not change the number of employees for the specified job position. L. Full name: a-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: This column will calculate weighted percent of firms that expect to decrease, increase, or not change the number of employees for each type based on your search criteria. M. Full name: a-weight Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of item a. (i.e. each community's sample size divided by the total number of participating firms of survey involving item a 'Unskilled labor'.) N. Full name: a-weight filtered Definition: This column will calculate weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. O. Full name: a-wAvg Definition: Product of a-weight (column M) and the a-Unskilled Labor (column I). P. Full name: b-wAvg filtered Definition: This column calculates the product of a-weight and a-Unskilled labor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. Columns corresponding to item b to i follows the same pattern. 5. Column headings for Tier A Worker Value (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through I, except column C. C. Full name: 4 Point Scale Definition: This column indicates if the community used the 4 or 5 point Likert scale survey. J. Full name: a-Attitude Toward Work Definition: The average firm rating of the specified employee characteristic (Attitude Toward Work) in each community. K. Full name: a-Weighted Average Definition: The weighted average rating of all firms that participated in the BRE survey involving item a 'Attitude Toward Work'. L. Full name: a-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: This column calculates the weighted average rating of employee characteristics from those communities that match search criteria. P. Full name: a-median Definition: The median rating of the specified employee characteristic. Q. Full name: a-Weighted Median Definition: The weighted median rating of the specified employee characteristic. R. Full name: a-Weighted Median Filtered Definition: The weighted median rating form those communities that match search criteria. V. Full name: a-max Definition: The highest rating of the specified employee characteristic. W. Full name: a-Max Weighted Definition: The weighted highest rating of the specified employee characteristic. X. Full name: a-Filtered Max Weight Definition: The weighted highest rating from those communities that match search criteria. AB. Full name: a-min Definition: The lowest rating of the specified employee characteristic. AC. Full name: a-Min Weighted Definition: The weighted lowest rating of the specified employee characteristic. AD. Full name: a-Filtered Min Weight Definition: The weighted lowest rating from those communities that match search criteria. AI. Full name: Attitude toward work6 Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of item a 'Attitude toward work' (i.e. each community's sample size decided by the total sample size) AJ. Full name: Attitude toward work filtered Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of item a 'Attitude toward work' from those communities that match search criteria. AM. Full name: a-wAvg Definition: The product of Attitude toward work6 (column AI) and a-Attitude Toward Work (column J). AN. Full name: a-wAvg filtered Definition: The column calculates the product of Attitude toward work6 and a-Attitude Toward Work from those communities that match search criteria. AQ. Full name: a-wMedian Definition: The product of weight factor and a-median (column P) AR. Full name: a-wMedian filtered Definition: The product of weight factor and a-median from those communities that match search criteria. AU. Full name: a-wMax Definition: The product of weight factor and a-Min (column V) AV. Full name: a-wMax filtered Definition: The product of weight factor and a-Max from those communities that match search criteria. AY. Full name: a-wMin Definition: The product of weight factor and a-Min (column AB) AZ. Full name: a-wMin filtered Definition: The product of weight factor and a-Min from those communities that match search criteria. The corresponding columns for item b follow the same pattern. 6. Column headings for Tier A Technology (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through H and column R, S. I. Full name: Yes Definition: The percentage of firms in each community that agreed with the specified answer. K. Full name: Yes Weighted Average Definition: The weighted average of all firms that agreed with the specified answer. L. Full name: Yes Filtered Weighted Average Definition: The average percent of firms that agreed with the answer from the communities that match the search criteria. T. Full name: wYes Definition: The product of weights (column R) and Yes (column I) U. Full name: wYes filtered Definition: The product of weights and Yes from the communities that match the search criteria. The corresponding columns for 'not sure' and 'no' follow the same pattern. 7. Column headings for Tier A Expansion (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through H. See column headings for Tier A Technology for column H through T. 8. Column headings for Tier A Future Plans (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through J. K. Full name: a-Downsizing Definition: The percentage of firms in each community that have the specified future plan (Downsizing). K. Full name: a-sample size Definition: Total number of firms that participated in the BRE survey involving item a (Downsizing). M. Full name: a-weight Definition: This column calculates the weight factor of item a. N. Full name: a-fweight Definition: This column calculates weight factor of only those firms that meet your search criteria. O. Full name: a-Weighted Average Definition: The weighted average of all BRE participant firms that have the specified future plan. P. Full name: a-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: The weighted average of all BRE participant firms that have the specified future plans based off of your search criteria. Q. Full name: a-wAvg Definition: The product of a-Downsizing (column K) and a-weight (column M). R. Full name: a-FwAvg Definition: The product of a-Downsizing (column K) and a-weight (column M) based off of your search criteria. The corresponding columns for item b through k follow the same pattern. 9. Column headings for Tier A Future Plans Why, Moving, Ownership, Property, Changes, Impacts, Factors, Services and Features (with all columns unhided): See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through J. See column headings for Tier A Future Plans for the rest of the columns. 10.Column headings for Tier A Asssistance (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through H and column O and P. See column headings for Tier A Technology for the rest of the columns. Note that 'wAvg yes', 'wAvg Yes filtered', 'wAvg No' and 'wAvg No filtered' have the same definition as 'wYes', 'wYes filtered', 'wNO', and 'wNO filtered' respectively. 11. Column headings for Tier A Place to Conduct Business (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through H and column AA and AB. I. Full name: a-Average Score Definition: The average score of all firms within a community. J. Full name: a-Weighted Average Definition: The weighted average score of all firms that have participated in the BR&E survey program involving item a. K. Full name: a-Filtered Weighted Average Definition: The weighted average score of all firms that have participated in the BRE survey program based off of search criteria. AC. Full name: Weighted Avg Score Definition: The product of a-Average Score (column X) and weights (column AA). AD. Full name: Weighted Av Score filtered Definition: The product of a-Average Score (column X) and weights (column AA) based off of search criteria. The corresponding columns for item b through f follow the same pattern. 12. Column headings for Tier A Place to Live (with all columns unhided) See Column headings for Tier A Benefits for definitions of column A through H and column AA and AB. See column headings for Tier A Place to Conduct Business for the rest of the columns. 13. Column headings for Tier B follow similar patterns as Tier A. The definitions can be inferred accordingly. Credits: Template provided by the University of Minnesota Libraries, http://lib.umn.edu/datamanagement