Managing Learning and Knowledge Capital Human Resource Development: Chapter 6 Interviewing and focus groups Copyright © 2010 Tilde University Press

Qualitative research The utopian ideals – accuracy and replicability Achieving the ideals –Trustworthiness –Verification –Acknowledging subjectivity and bias –Process and sequence –Interpretation –Referential adequacy –Paint the path - transparency 2

Qualitative research ( cont ) Sampling –Simple random sampling –Systematic sampling –Stratified random sampling –Convenience sampling –Purposive sampling –Convergence sampling –Snowball sampling Try to ensure that no systematic bias occurs 3

Interviewing The pattern of an interview - See Figure 6.1 –Stage 1 – entrance investment time Ritual, pass time; reason; rules; preview Activity No.1 –Stage 2 – Activity No.2 Enters rapport zone Pre-pared questions –Stage 3 – Intimacy More complex and emotional content –Stage 4 – Exit investment time Final comments; summary; future actions; final questions from –EE; conclude with pass time & ritual 4

Interviewing ( cont ) Listening –The content of the reply –What is not said – unstated message –Be comfortable with silence Questioning –Open - stem + query –Closed –Funnel sequence 5

Interviewing ( cont ) Paraphrasing –Re-assures the –EE –Repeats the content of answer, in a concise form –Reflection of feeling Probing –Combines open question and paraphrasing –Relying on process, not content –See A closer look 6.1 6

Interviewing ( cont ) Summarising –A restatement of the main ideas covered so far –Do at strategic points during the interview –Advantages Provides a break Refreshes the EE’s memory Informational and motivational feedback –See A closer look 6.2 7

Interviewing ( cont ) Nonverbal behaviour SOLER system –(S)quare on –(O)pen posture –(L)ean forward –(E)yes –(R)elax Provides a useful check list for –ER at the beginning Try the anti-SOLER exercise (A closer look 6.3) 8

Types of interviews Unstructured interviews –Commences with broad open question –Uses interview skills (probing, summarizing) –Less biased –More valid? Structured interviews –Carefully ordered, based on pre-defined schedule –Prepared questions based on content –More reliable? Semi-structured interviews –Commence unstructured –Finish with prepared content questions –More valid and reliable? 9

Focus groups Collects data through group interaction Similarities with interview Some specific issues –Logistics –Group composition Homogeneity Representation Strangers vs acquaintances Size 10

Conducting the focus group Goals –No one person/group to dominate –Encourage recalcitrant respondents –Responses form entire group Facilitator team Recording – audio, video, none? Use of visual aids –Cues –Recording of ideas Thinking time Group dynamics – see Table

Analysing qualitative data Base on pre-planned questions Content analysis –Read; Code; Compare; Build data index; Transfer to a file; Internal homogeneity vs external heterogeneity Written report –An important step in the analysis –Externalisation forces analyst to question logic deficiencies A rich, messy and complex process 12