The significance of a person’s research can manifest itself in several ways. Dilts’ research has spanned the distance from academia to the world of work. In 1981, UAW International President Douglas Fraser obtained a copy of Dilts’ article concerning absenteeism at General Motors. The recommendations from this article were subsequently negotiated into the GM-UAW National Agreement to lessen the costs of absenteeism and the grievance-arbitration costs resulting from discipline for excessive absences. Fraser and his GM counterparts credited the recommendations in Dilts’ article with saving millions of dollars in direct labor and administrative costs.

Dilts’ research continues to contribute to the advancement of the body of knowledge in several disciplines, to its practice, and to the pedagogy through which industrial and labor relations is presented to new learners.

Dilts received his doctoral degree from IU Bloomington and joined the IPFW faculty in 1987. In the early years of his career, his research focused on economic education and industrial and labor relations. That research provided the basis for his election to membership in the National Academy of Arbitrators in 1988.

The uniqueness of Dilts’ contribution to the research field also lies in the record of drawing others to research. Many faculty in the School of Business have benefited from working with him. His work has touched the professional lives of many IPFW faculty, researchers in the discipline of industrial relations, practitioners and professional arbitrators. He has served as chair of the Department of Management and Marketing and currently serves as co-chair of the Department of Economics.