Interviews are one method of obtaining data; they can be either unstructured or structured, and can be con- ducted face to face, over the telephone, or via the computer. Interviews may be conducted on an individual basis, but also on a group basis. Unstructured interviews are usually conducted to obtain definite ideas about what is, and is not, important and relevant to particular problem situations. Structured interviews give more in‐depth information about specific variables of interest. To minimize bias in responses, the interviewer must establish rapport with the respondents and ask unbiased questions. The face‐to‐face interview and that conducted over the telephone have their advantages and disadvantages, and both have their uses in different circumstances.
Computer‐assisted interviewing, which entails heavy initial investment, is an asset for interviewing and for the analysis of qualitative, spontaneous responses. Computer interactive interviews have become an increasingly important mode of data collection in recent years.
The advantages and disadvantages of personal or face‐to‐face interviews and telephone interviews are presented in Table 7.1.
T A B L E 7 . 1
Advantages and disadvantages of interviews
Mode of data collection Advantages Disadvantages
Personal or face‐to‐face interviews
Can establish rapport and motivate respondents.
Can clarify the questions, clear doubts, add new questions.
Can read nonverbal cues.
Can use visual aids to clarify points.
Rich data can be obtained.
CAPI can be used and responses entered in a portable computer.
Takes personal time.
Costs more when a wide geographic region is covered.
Respondents may be concerned about confidentiality of information given.
Interviewers need to be trained.
Can introduce interviewer bias.
Telephone interviews Less costly and speedier than personal interviews.
Can reach a wide geographic area.
Greater anonymity than personal interviews.
Can be done using CATI.
Nonverbal cues cannot be read.
Interviews will have to be kept short.
Obsolete telephone numbers could be contacted, and unlisted ones omitted from the sample.
Respondents can terminate the interview at any time.
SUMMARY
● Learning objective 1: Differentiate primary from secondary data collection methods.
Data collection methods are an integral part of research design. Primary data collection methods involve data collection from original sources for the specific purpose of the study. The discussion on primary data collection methods is organized around four principal methods of primary data collection: interviews, observation, administering questionnaires, and experiments. The primary data collection decision is inter- related with the other steps in the research process.
● Learning objective 2: Plan, design, and carry out a personal interview.
A commonly used method of collecting data in business research is to interview respondents to obtain information on an issue of interest. An interview is a guided, purposeful conversation between two or more people. There are many different types of interviews. Individual interviews may be unstructured or struc- tured, and conducted face to face, by telephone, or online.
● Learning objective 3: Plan, design, and carry out a group interview.
Interviews may be conducted on an individual basis, but also on a group basis, where the interviewer asks open questions of a group of participants. The term “focus group” is used for a particular type of group interview, where the topic is clearly defined and there is a focus on facilitating discussion between participants. An expert panel is a group of people specifically convened by the researcher to elicit expert knowledge and opinion about a certain issue.
● Learning objective 4: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of interviewing.
Problems researched with the use of appropriate methods greatly enhance the value of the study. That is why the choice of method(s) will depend on the objective(s) of the study, the research questions, and the research strategy. Other factors, such as facilities available, the degree of accuracy required, the type of data required, the time span of the study, the expertise of the reviewer, and costs will also affect the choice of method(s). The advantages and disadvantages of interviews are discussed in the final part of this chapter.
In the next chapter, we discuss observation as a method of collecting data.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Describe the different data sources, explaining their usefulness and disadvantages.
2. As a manager, you have invited a research team to come in, study, and offer suggestions on how to improve the performance of your staff. What steps will you take to relieve staff apprehensions and worries even before the research team sets foot in your department?
3. What is bias, and how can it be reduced during interviews?
4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of personal and telephone interviews.
5. What are projective techniques and how can they be used profitably?
6. How has the advancement in technology helped data gathering via interviewing?
Visit the companion website at www.wiley.com/college/sekaran for Case Study: Kyoto Midtown Shopping Centre.
Now do Exercises 7.1 and 7.2.
EXERCISE 7.1
First conduct an unstructured and later a structured interview, to learn about how people use and process information to choose among alternative brands when they are looking for furniture, clothing, household appliances, and the like. Select a specific product and ask people, for instance, about the product attributes they consider, and how important these attributes are. Write up the results, and include the formats you used for both stages of the research.
EXERCISE 7.2
Design an interview schedule to assess the “intellectual capital” as perceived by employees in an organization – the dimensions and elements for which you developed earlier.
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INTRODUCTION
Actions and behavior of employees, consumers, investors, and the like may play an important role in business research. Researchers and managers might be interested in the way workers carry out their jobs, the impact of new manufacturing techniques on employee activity, in how consumers watch commercials, use products, or behave in waiting areas, or in how a merchant bank trades and operates. A useful and natural technique to collect data on actions and behavior is observation. Observation involves going into “the field” – the factory, the super- market, the waiting room, the office, or the trading room – watching what workers, consumers, or day traders do, and describing, analyzing, and interpreting what one has seen.
Observational methods are best suited for research requiring non‐self‐report descriptive data; that is, when behavior is to be examined without directly asking the respondents themselves. Observational data are rich and uncontaminated by self‐report bias. However, observational methods are also time consuming and challenging in a lot of other ways as you will learn in this chapter. Indeed, they are not without difficulties for the untrained researcher.
This chapter starts with a definition of observation, followed by an overview of observational methods dis- tinguished by four basic dimensions: control, group membership, structure, and concealment. Subsequently we examine two important observational methods, participant observation and structured observation, in more detail. Finally, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of observation.