1. COMM 4170-01: Applied Organizational Communication
Instructor: Dan Lair
Day Thirteen: Interviews
October 10, 2005

2. Today’s Agenda Continuation of Thematic Analysis Discussion
Discussion of Interviews
Paper Feedback
Group Consultation w/ Dan re: Project Contracts

3. Thematic Analysis Exercise: Mission Statement, Community College of Rhode Island
What significant patterns/themes do you see emerging from your thematic analysis?
Compare these patterns/themes with the current mission statement for CCRI. What suggestions would you make for the committee revising that mission statement, based on your reading and thematic analysis of the peer/aspirational institutions’ mission statements?

4. Research Method in Focus: Conducting Interviews
Questions from Stewart and Cash, “Structuring the Interview”
What are the different degrees to which interviews can be “scheduled”? When would you want to use each strategy?
What are the different ways to organize questions? When would you want to use each strategy?
What Do You Do with Your Interview?:
Taking recordings
Taking notes
Making transcripts

5. Paper Feedback Overall: Very nicely done Common areas for improvement:
Making specific detailed observations
Making use of specific principles constructs (get beyond “the organization is like a system….”)
Think beyond description to the level of analysis: What do your observations mean?

6. Group Consultation