GSBS6002: Module 2 Week 8

1. GSBS6002: Module 2Week 8 Qualitative Approaches 1: Focus Groups, Observations and Interviews

2. At the conclusion of this week you should be able to: • Describe the characteristics of a focus group; • Explain the role of a moderator; • Describe the nature of purpose of in-depth interviews; • Describe the skills required to complete a high-quality interview; • Define field research and explain how field data can be obtained; and • Explain issues surrounding the collection of high-quality field data. Week 8: Learning Objectives

3. Qualitative Data • Require a more flexible approach than those involved in quantitative data collection • Approaches to qualitative data collection discussed this week: • Interviews • Focus Groups • Observation

4. Interviews • Individuals are asked open-ended questions • Characterised by its length, depth and structure • Interviews (or in-depth interviews) seek to probe more deeply that was is possible during quantitative data collection

5. Interviews • Interviews are typically used in the following three situations • Small number of individuals relevant to the problem at hand • Information required is relatively complex • The investigation is at the preliminary stage

6. The Interviewer • Skills of a good investigative journalist! • Avoid being taken up in the conversational style of the interview • Interviewee led by the interviewer • Interviewer ‘agreeing’ or ‘disagreeing’ with the interviewee • Maintain a friendly atmosphere while not influencing the interviewee’s responses

7. The Interviewer • An interviewer should: • Avoid appearing superior and put the respondent at ease • Be detached and objective (yet personable) • Ask questions in an informative manner • Avoid asking yes/no questions • Not accept brief ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers • Probe the respondent

8. The Interviewer • Whyte’s hierarchy of interviewer responses • ‘Uh huh’: Verbal response to indicate that the interviewer is still listening • ‘That’s interesting’: Encourage interviewee to keep talking, expand on the current topic • Reflection: repeating the last statement as a question • Probing: inviting explanations of statements • Backtracking: Returning to something the interviewee said earlier and inviting further information • New topic

9. Recording Interviews • Often interviews are tape-recorded • Will interviewees feel inhibited? • Benefit through the creation of verbatim notes • Notes take during, or immediately after interview

10. Activity Conduct a 3 minute interview with the person sitting next to you regarding their last negative customer experience. • First consider: What questions will you ask? • Swap roles – interviewer become the interviewee!

11. Interview style designed for a small group of individuals that are led in a group discussion on a particular topic • Moderator facilitates discussion • Focus groups can be used to collect data quickly and conveniently • Group interactions can form a key aspect of this data collection method Focus Groups

12. Focus Groups • What can focus groups be used for? • Obtaining background information about phenomena • Generating hypothesis (for further quantitative approaches) • Stimulating ideas • Diagnosing potential problems • Generating impressions • Gaining opinions about topic of interest • Interpret previously collected data

13. Moderator’s Role • Build rapport with participants • Draw out information regarding topics of interest • Keep discussion moving forward • Probe to elicit further insights • Understand group dynamics

14. Moderator’s Guide • A moderators role can be made more systematic through the creation of a procedural guide prior to the actual focus group • Moderator’s guide • Sequence of what the moderator should do or say • Should include • Introduction and introductory activities • Statement of basic rules and guidelines • Short question and answer discussions • Special activities or exercises • Guidance for dealing with sensitive issues

15. Moderator’s Guide • Funnel Technique • Opening questions • Transition questions • Critical questions • Closure questions

16. Things to avoid! • The following can negatively impact the quality of the information drawn from focus group data: • Conducting focus groups – well what else can I do? • Vague regarding the purpose of the focus group • Using too few focus groups • Over-reaching during focus group interview • Including too many individuals in a group • Too much or not enough influence from moderator

17. Focus Groups: the advantages • Highly flexible • Large amounts of data, relatively short time • Gain important insights into issues that are not well understood • Places individuals at a more even level • Moderator can explore related but unanticipated topics • No need for complex procedures to select individuals

18. Focus Groups: the disadvantages • Quality of data influenced by moderators skills • Attendance is voluntary - an insufficient number may attend the session • Focus duration may be brief • A limited number of questions may be addressed • Group, rather than individual, opinions will be obtained • Dominant personalities may dominate and steer discussion • Lack of generalisability

19. Checklist A clearly defined purpose Consideration of group characteristics Atmosphere/environment and rapport An aware listening moderator Well prepared and organised moderator Structure and direction

20. Activity A manager of Kmart is looking to improve customer satisfaction. To aid decision making, the manager is interested in the opinions of those who have visited the department store. • Working in a team of 2 – 3 members: • Develop a moderators guide that will obtain relevant information for the manager • Form a larger group of 6 – 9 members (maybe 3 smaller groups join together) • Select a moderators guide to follow • Nominate one group member as the moderator • Conduct the focus group and report findings back to the class

21. Field Data • Involves the observation of individuals in small-scale settings • Most focus on a particular location or setting

22. What can we observe?

23. Observation Decisions Structured Unstructured Undisguised Disguised Observer specifies what is to be observed and how the measurements are to be recorded Observer monitors all aspects of the phenomenon that appear relevant to the problem Members are aware that they are being observed Members are not aware that they are being observed OR OR

24. Observation Decisions Natural Contrived Members are observed in the environment where the behavior normally takes place • Members are observed • in an environment that • has been specially • designed for recording • their behaviour OR

25. Observation Decisions Personal Mechanical Individuals are trained to systematically observe a phenomenon and to record on the observational form the specific events that take place • A mechanical device • observes a phenomenon • and records the • events that take place OR

26. Observational Roles • Participant observer • Observer takes part in the situation they are observing • Non-participant observer • Visits site and records notes without coming involved in the situation • Observer roles may change during the observation process

27. Observation Process • Select a site that can help you best understand the phenomena of interest • Ease into site, getting a general sense of the site • At the site identify who or what to observe, when to observe and how long to observe • Determine your initial observer role • Conduct multiple observations over time • Design a means for recording observations • Consider what information will be recorded during an observation • Record descriptive and reflective notes • Withdraw from the site