Pursuant Research FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Pursuant Research

Research can shed light on many challenges that organizations face, but it's not always appropriate. It depends what you're trying to achieve. At Pursuant Research, we have turned down a fair amount of work over the years because we believed research was not going to provide the desired solution.

There is typically more than one way to structure a branding research project, to gauge the feasibility of a new product, or to measure a company's image among its stakeholders. Once we're convinced that research is appropriate, we'll show you a variety of options and help you think through which strategy will best assist your organization in achieving its strategic objectives.

Building Public Awareness
The National Association of Social Workers and the New York Academy of Medicine's Social Work Leadership Institute commissioned Pursuant Research to conduct a survey to better understand the challenges faced by the “sandwich generation”-the approximately 42 million American women caught between the needs of their children and their aging relatives.

The survey found that sandwich-generation women are not as happy as the general population, and described some of the strains they experience on a regular basis. It also found that many sandwich-generation women are unaware of the services offered by social workers to help shoulder their caregiving and other burdens.

Media coverage of the research results was tremendous. The coverage included a prominent feature in USA TODAY, a segment on The Early Show, and a number of local and national print and broadcast stories discussing the survey results and showcasing how social workers could help.

Identifying a Hospital's Floppy-Eared Brand Icon
Sometimes research turns up the unexpected. Pursuant Research worked in conjunction with a talented graphic designer to facilitate a series of creative discovery sessions for kids (and their parents) as part of our brand work for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital for Children. We found that when kids think of a brand icon, they conjure up a warm, fuzzy image of four paws and a wagging tail.

The children we heard from told us a dog would make them feel safe, secure, and “at home” while in the hospital. As a result, visitors to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital for Children today see the dog's paw prints in areas of the hospital where children receive care. In addition, children who stay overnight are comforted by a plush and floppy-eared friend who stays with them in their hospital room and accompanies them on their journey home.

Increasing Physician Engagement
Over the last several years, several of our health care clients have come to us with concerns about how to increase physician engagement and improve job satisfaction within their hospital or medical group. For example, Pursuant Research worked with a large, multi-specialty practice to understand their organizational culture and to help them foster an environment of engagement that would result in improved physician retention and better patient care-and increased profitability.

Through candid in-depth interviews and focus groups with physicians, we were able to identify specific barriers in communication that had resulted in physicians feeling as if their input was not valued by senior leadership. We were able to provide specific and actionable recommendations for increasing opportunities for engagement, including online chat forums with senior leadership, a work-life balance initiative, and additional professional development opportunities.

Believe it or not, our goal isn't to get your next project. It's to learn your business, understand your challenges, and become your trusted advisor. Many of our current clients are people we've worked with since we hung out our shingle. We've watched their businesses grow, their children head off to college, and really smart people face and overcome some tremendous challenges in the court of public opinion.

If you are in the market for a research firm that is as interested in you as it is in your business, you've come to the right place.