GuideStar is a professional research and consulting services firm. We specialize in helping clients build better business relationships with the people who matter most to their business success.
GuideStar has developed and refined its own proven methods of measuring and diagnosing the quality of relationships between groups and organizations; customers, employees, distributor networks, partner networks, vendor networks and investors. Why? Because we believe that the quality of success that an organization achieves is largely a result of the health and productivity of the business relationships its staff members have created and cultivated.

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Start with Exclusive Methodologies
GuideStar's proprietary methodologies and strategic process have been validated by tens of thousands of survey respondents in our databases - as well as by our many satisfied clients. Among our exclusive methods:

• Relationship Ladders™ - Combinations of diagnostic questions, used in both qualitative and quantitative research, which define and assess the quality of collaborative relationships between organizations and the groups that matter most to their success.
  
• Predictive Relationship Path Models - A set of predictive path models and a path analysis process that determines the key dimensions upon which a relationship is based as well as the attitudes, actions and behaviors that will most influence the quality of the business outcomes of the relationship; i.e., loyalty, satisfaction, engagement and investment.
  
• Deep Dialog^SM Scorecards and Audits - A unique measurement and diagnostic system that determines the quality, health and productivity of communications and relationships between groups and organizations; i.e., employees, customers, alliance partners, joint project teams, post -merger integrations, cross-cultural endeavors, etc. Deep Dialog^SM scores are analyzed against the findings in a normative database containing over 4,000 companies worldwide and are highly predictive of success and failure of the productivity of the relationship being examined.
  
• MPP, Meeting Productivity Process™ - A research-based process that dramatically increases the results of large group meetings (national sales meeting, dealer and franchise events, management conferences, employee meetings, customer meetings, etc.) and provides quantitative measurement of results so clients know the Return On Event (ROE)/ROI achieved from a meeting investment. MPP services include pre-meeting and post-meeting attendee attitude research, core meeting design services, Return On Event (ROE) Reports and post-meeting recommendations.
• Strategic Literacy™ - These services enhance organizational performance by measuring and scoring people's understanding of essential strategic information, their strategic attitudes and strategic behaviors utilizing proprietary baseline and benchmark tracking surveys and scoring methods.
• Change Communications™ - These services are custom-structured organizational and manager-led communications programs designed to facilitate change by focusing, energizing and mobilizing a critical mass of employees to move forward towards achieving new strategic goals.

Our analysts are skilled and experienced not only at applying these critical methods but leveraging data and information acquired to consult with clients. The end result: When you're a GuideStar client, you get guidance on both strategic initiatives and tactical actions - all focused on improving your key business relationships.

GuideStar is also the principal collaborator with Dr. Howard V. Perlmutter, Professor Emeritus of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, of Deep Dialog^SM as well as the exclusive licensee for applying Deep Dialog diagnostic measures within and between groups and organizations. GuideStar maintains a large Deep Dialog normative database for evaluating client scores.

Combined with Innovative Technology
In addition to providing you with outstanding, highly focused service and proprietary methodologies you won't find anywhere else, GuideStar uses state-of-the-art technology to provide real-time survey results and data that help you understand the complex needs of the people who matter most to your business.

Using our interactive Online Report Center, we work with you to easily "slice and dice" your survey data, create graphs and table reports and save, print, e-mail and move reports into MS Word, PowerPoint, etc. Best of all, of course, we don't stop until we're sure you have what you need to be highly responsive to your own customers' unique needs.

A Flexible, Empowered GuideStar Team
At the heart of GuideStar's success is a core staff of experienced research professionals, mainly Ph.D. psychologists, analysts and consultants. We also have an extended network of associate research professionals. Everyone on the GuideStar team - both staff and associate - specializes in one or more key areas of research methodology, content area and integration of research methodologies with online technology. When you work with a GuideStar analyst or consultant, you're getting a full solution provider - someone who's experienced in managing implementation team, collaborating with your in-house resources and helping to manage your partner relationships.

We have specialists in organizational and social psychology, organizational communications, customer and employee attitudes, employee performance development, both qualitative and quantitative research and statistical analysis, online survey technology and large-scale database management.

GuideStar is led by Ira Kerns, managing director and principal consultant, who personally oversees each analyst and consultant. Together, they assemble and integrate a team of other principal consultants, outside specialists and supplier firms, as needed, to satisfy the requirements of a specific solution project for a client. Our network framework provides GuideStar with the flexibility to develop a custom solution team for each client while simultaneously maintaining a comparatively low operating overhead. You get high-value solutions at comparably lower costs than firms with larger overhead and commensurately higher fee structures.

A Sampling of Research & Consulting Clients

		Abbott Laboratories Aetna AIG American Express Astra AT&T Audi Avaya Baxter Healthcare Brite Voice Cargill Chase Manhattan Bank Citibank Coldwell Banker Coors Brewing Co. Computer Associates (CA) Digital Equipment Corp. Dun & Bradstreet General Electric GE Access Hoffman-La Roche IBM	International Truck - Navistar ITW Johnson & Johnson Knoll KPMG Mentor Graphics Merck NASA - Jet Propulsion Lab Ohio Casualty Insurance Quantegy Savin Simulation Sciences State Street Bank StorageTek Sun Data Management Group TAP Pharmaceuticals Upjohn U.S. Customs and Border Protection USF Waste Management Watson Wyatt Verizon Wireless