E43 Johan Brink IIE 29 November Qualitative research I, Interview Lecture

Agenda Chapter 8 – Structured interview Chapter 16 –Introducing Qualitative research Chapter 18 –Qualitative interview: Unstructured, Semi structured & Convergent Small exercise: Interview Role-play

Structured interview Minimize differences Getting the ‘same’ information from the respondents Aggregate answers – quantitative analysis Reduce errors – Inter-interviewer variability: between interviews – Intra-interviewer variability: between interviewers Standardize – Questions: Closed questions – Answers: Fixed alternatives

Sources of error 1.A poorly worded question 2.The way the question is asked by the interviewer 3.Misunderstanding on the part of the interviewee 4.Memory problems on the part of the interviewee 5.The way the information is recorded by the interviewer 6.The way the information is processed IntervieweeInterviewer

Conducting interviews Understand and now the schedule /guide Explain why – motivate – Present yourself and your institution – Who will use this & are financing this? – Explain how the selection criteria – Confidentiality, voluntary, participation, identification – ‘Any other questions before we start’? Setting – Quiet private space –comfortable – Record or take notes? At the end – Be polite - Thank you for your time

Conducting interviews Establishing rapport – A relationship between interviewer and interviewee – Trust – Confirm – Neutral-positive, no negative judgments Power – Keep quiet – Embarrassment – Lies

Interview context Face-to-face One-to-one Comfortable Be flexible – Meetings – where? Be on time/appointments Keep the time Clothes & style

Interview context Telephone interviews Cheap & Quick Distance Observations Structured interviews Be flexible – Call again (on time) Keep the time

Question order The order of questions may have an impact! Relevant and motivate by questions related to topic early General question before specific Question which requires a trustful relation later

Problems with structured interviews Response set: ‘yeasaying’ and ‘naysaying’ Social desirability – Reframing of questions – distance from themselves The phenomenological critique – Individuals interpret differently – Construct meaning, not pre-given

Introducing Qualitative research Inductive – Iterative – Exploratory research – Theory generating Sampling Interpretive – Epistemology (everyone interpret their own.) – Theoretical, cultural, politically flavored Constructive – Ontology (the social worlds in the emergent outcome of interactions between different individuals) – Language: Context dependent, ever changing

Qualitative research External reliability – is difficult due to the replication of social settings Internal reliability – Is usually high due to the goal of reaching shared understanding & interpretations Internal validity – High due to the closeness between empirics and theories External validity – Tends to be low due to the limited ability to statistically generalize Confirmability – The interference of personal values and interpretations (audited by others, self reflection) Dependability – Keeping track of research phases (audited by others, self reflection) Credibility – Trustworthiness: Follows good practices, checked and revised by the studied Transferability – Thick descriptions provides basis for judgment of transferability Authenticity – Fairness: Power & different perspectives, actions & understandings of the studied

Qualitative critique Too subjective Difficult to replicate Problems of generalizations Lack of transparency Research –subject relationship – Acton research – Collaborative & participatory research

The Qualitative interview Flexible - Less structured – Gives new insights Capturing the interviewees own perspectives Inductive –explorative questions & answers Rich and detailed answers Elaborate on answers Restate questions - probe Listen Looking Iterative process –re interviewing & follow up

Qualitative interviewing Unstructured Just a single question, interest (or theory in mind) No theory driven focus at start Starts often with a narrative Semi structured Interview guide – Issues to cover – Pre-set focus

Tips Introduction questions – Please tell me something so I… Follow up questions – Could you say something more about.. Specifying questions / – What did you do then.. Exemplify – Could you give me an example of … Indirect questions - What do most of people.. Silence - Provoke them to continue Interpretations - Do I get this right when I… Come back to - Earlier you said… Closing question – ‘catch all’ – Something more you would like to add..

Interview Guide Increases comparability Functions a s memory guide Less specific than a questionnaire Order of topics – flow/logics Think about your RQ –will this actually help you? Do not use leading questions! Ask also about ‘facts’ & context

Qualitative interviewing - Stories History approach – Retro perspective /recall bias – Sense making in hindsight Critical incident technique – Events – What happened? – Who was there? – What happened next? Appreciative inquiry – How would a really good day look like…? – Change management technique from the 80ies – Commitment and enthusiasm for positive change Convergent interviewing – Start general – Probing questions

Small exercise: role-play The role-play interview is about the master program you are participating here at the Business School. Assume that A & B are students at the Batchelor level, interviewing C & D (students at Master level) in order to put together information material to be used by Graduate School as Marketing material during the spring. Form groups of 4 students Take a card each: A,B,C,D A interview either C or D, the other two listen (5 min.) B interview the other (C or D), the other two listen (5 min) Be back here at and discuss the different styles of interview

Small exercise: role-play Was it difficult? What was particularly difficult? Were there any difference in how the interview unfolded between the interview focusing on factual and the personal information? Did someone do anything particularly which made the interviewee reveal a lot on information?