Student number 1308500
Date of submission 13th December 2013
Module Research Methods MBA 4060
Assignment 2 of 2
Research Objectives
1. To assess the current interpretation of FCA guidelines by Phonetic’s insurance and
broker clients into their own internal call quality monitoring functions where they
exist (and those elements which they expect any outsourced partners to replicate)
2. To investigate any variances found between these interpretations by Phonetic’s
insurance and broker clients and the reasons behind this variation in interpretation
Critical discussion of the literature
Introduction
The use of tele-marketing (using the phone to market a company’s products or
services) has undergone a revolution in the last 20 years. Cultural and technological
changes have shifted contact away from face to face and direct mail to phone and
increasingly web, email and mobile based technologies. Greer et al (1999) identified
5 forces influencing the move to outsourcing include downsizing, rapid growth or
decline, globalisation, increased competition and re-structuring.
Frenkl et al (1998) explores the opposing views of the call centre industry, the first
being the electronic sweatshop (Garson 1988 quoted in Frenkl et al 1998 p957) or
wired cage (Menzies 1996 quoted in Frenkl et al 1998), ‘where employees are
connected to IT that automatically allocates work, facilitates its completion and
monitors employee performance’. A contrasting image is of the semi-professional
empowered worker (Winslow and Bramer 1994 in Frenkl et al 1998 p958) where the
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front line worker ‘becomes a key strategic resource, providing marketing intelligence
and acting as the company’s ambassador’.
Existing studies
There have been many studies on the area of quality within business, or within call
centre outsourcing, although few specific studies that deal with call quality and
performance measurement in call centres. The most relevant is Dean and Kiu who
find ‘there are few reported studies on contracting and performance monitoring and
in those studies that do exists, quality outcomes are unclear’ (Dean and Kiu, 2001,
p400). They quote Domberger and Rimmer’s 1994 study which noted that many of
the studies used incomplete and narrow measures of service quality, and that the
review provided no consensus on contracting and quality.
Numerous studies examine performance management; (Neely (1999) quotes 3,615
articles on performance management between 1994 and 1996) and workflow
processes in relation to employee satisfaction and morale. However, Holman (2000)
notes only a handful have been conducted in call centres.
Dean and Kiu state that the two areas of efficiency (productivity) and effectiveness
(quality) are frequently referred to when the benefits of contracting are discussed.
They note that there is an imbalance in the number of studies that explore the two
areas and the findings are inconsistent.
Definitions of quality and performance management
Dembe and Himmelstein (1999, in Dean and Kiu, p401) review models for quality
standards and state a quality standard describes ‘both an outcome and a
performance measure which is an observable, objective and preferably quantifiable
indicator of the extent to which the outcome is attained’.
The issue in measuring quality relates in some part to the difficulties in defining the
term. Quality and satisfactions can be separated although they are related (Roest
and Pieters 1997, in Dean and Kiu).
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Performance Management
Neely (1999) identifies the reasons behind the performance measurement revolution
as being increasing competition, different bases for competition and specific
improvement initiatives.
Greer et al (1999) also noted scope creep; now firms look at customer and employee
measures of service quality as well as financial measures of success. However
there is a risk in balancing anticipated cost savings with quality. Dean and Kiu quote
Marwaha and Tommerdahl (1995) who observe that if the purpose of outsourcing is
to cost cut, this cost cutting is often passed on to the vendor. If their profit margin
decreases, this is likely to have an impact on performance.
Similarly, Hudson et al (2001) suggest six general dimensions in a strategically
aligned performance measurement system; quality, time, flexibility, finance,
customer satisfaction and human resources.
Stiles et al (1997) define performance management as the setting of objectives, the
evaluation of performance and the linkage between evaluated performance and
development and rewards in order to reinforce desired behaviours. This means
organisations now have to differentiate themselves from their competition in terms of
quality of service, flexibility, customisation, innovation and rapid response. Value
rather than cost is now the primary driver.
Neely (1999, p214) acknowledges that ‘businesses today…have to strive to
continuously to deliver products and services which are of ever greater value to their
customers, at even lower costs’. He discusses how de-regulation of markets
inevitably means the creation of regulators to ensure the businesses operating within
these arenas are achieving certain performance standards – for which companies
have to submit detailed performance statistics on a regular basis (e.g. FSA/FCA in
the context of this study). Therefore the creation of a regulator shapes the critical
performance standards a company measures internally and puts at the top of the
agenda.
Dean and Kiu’s (2001; p407) research concludes ‘that organisations do believe
performance monitoring is related to quality outcomes’. They concluded that there is
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a misalignment between how organisations measure performance and what they
suggest are the best approaches.
Dean and Kui (2001) created a framework for establishing performance monitoring in
contracted services which links the relationship between purchaser, contractor and
customer and the impact on service delivery and service outcomes. This will form
the basis of the conceptual frame for this study.
This table shows the relationship between the outsourcer (contractor), the company
they are providing services for (purchaser) and the person/company called
(customer). It separates out what the outsourcer actually delivers (service delivery)
compared to what they should deliver (service outcomes) and the feedback loop to
the purchaser which then in turn affects the contract specifications which could be
adjusted based on the service outcomes. However, it does not fit perfectly – in this
study, the ‘customer’ is actually a prospect and rarely do clients or outsourcers
contact prospects directly for feedback after a call has been made unless an
appointment or sale is made. This model assumes service is linked to customers
only, so does not match business to business outbound calling for lead generation
precisely.
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Employee engagement and performance management
There are numerous studies on how performance management impacts on
employee engagement, health and wellbeing and the psychological contract.
Although some are balanced the authors do tend to conclude towards a positive
(Holman, 2002; Grant and Higgins, 1998) or negative (Houlihan 2000, Holdsworth &
Cartwright 2002) view of call monitoring systems.
Holman (2002) reviews the benefits and disadvantages of performance management
when he assesses employee wellbeing in call centres. He notes the aim of
performance monitoring is to meet the prescribed technical and social performance
standards. However he notes that this can be done in a punitive manner or as part
of a wider development system of training, coaching and performance development
(quoting Staton, 2000).
Holman’s study examined the relationship of call centre practices (job design and
monitoring) to employee wellbeing. He found that job control has a positive
association with wellbeing, but that a high level of monitoring has a negative
association with wellbeing. He reports similar findings from Chalykoff and Kochan’s
(1989) study which suggested that excessive monitoring may have the opposite
effect on performance to the one intended.
Grant and Higgins (1989, in Holman, 2002) argue that employees benefit from
performance monitoring as it enables them to improve their performance and
develop new skills. Chalykoff and Kochan (1989) discovered that immediacy of
feedback, the use of constructive feedback and the clarity of the rating criteria were
all positively related to satisfaction with the monitoring system, which in turn related
to job satisfaction. Holman also quotes Frenkl et al’s (1998) finding that call centre
employees generally accepted electronic monitoring when they could see its place
within a broader system of appraisal and development. Holman concludes that if
performance monitoring is used developmentally rather than punitively it is positively
associated with wellbeing. However if performance monitoring is excessive and too
frequent it will have a negative association with wellbeing.
However, some studies acknowledge the downside of performance management
techniques within call centres. Houlihan (2000) observed active avoidance and
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resistance of prescribed work methods with agents editing scripts, avoiding calls or
withholding service. These behaviours bring into question the ‘control’ that these
methods are intended to bring. However should these be observed by Quality
Agents or Team Leaders then penalties are brought into play such as disciplinary
action, public criticism and withholding of bonuses. ‘Thus while monitoring is framed
as a developmental activity, it also takes the form of an organisational defence
routine’. (Argyris and Schon, 1978 quoted in Houlihan 2000, p230).
In pursuit of these management goals there is often little room left for learning – as
Houlihan observes, when all processes are formalised, there is no space for ‘slack’
in the system but without this slack there is no space for learning – and a
fundamental principle of learning is the ability to identify, build and retain
organisational knowledge.
There are further studies on the psychological contract and performance
management (Stiles et al 1997) – the psychological contract being defined as ‘the
set of reciprocal expectations between an individual employee and the organisation’.
Stiles et al acknowledge Robinson and Rosseau’s 1994 observation that
organisations are faced with new competitive conditions and have to cope with
dynamic environments which puts organisations and psychological contracts in
transition. However, they also acknowledged Storey and Sission’s (1993, p63)
finding that ‘perceptions of fairness in the reward process are crucial if rewards are
to act as a major motivator for employees and are central to the psychological
contract’.
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Conceptual Framework
Dean and Kui’s framework for establishing performance monitoring in contracted
services has been adapted to be the conceptual framework for this study. The
descriptions have been changed to match the relevant areas and now include the
client (the company outsourcing the calling), the outsourcer (Phonetic Ltd) and the
propsect (the company being called). Service outcomes and sevice delivery remain
as is.
Areas for investigation include:
A – Contract specification
Exploration of what the contract states in terms of performance monitoring and who
is responsible for the design and maintenance of quality monitoring systems within
the contract. Understanding how the client checks that this is fulfilled and examining
what is in the contract versus informal expectations. Investigating who is responsible
for the compliance of the calls made (outsourcer or the client).
B – Performance monitoring by client
Understanding the methods employed by the client to monitor the quality of the
outsourcers calls (and the frequency of this).
C – Outsourcer efficency
Establishing how the outsourcer ensures they are fulfilling the quality assurance and
performance element aspects of the contract. Understanding whether the
requirements of the contract are missed, met or exceeded and how the performance
outcomes are logged and reported.
D - Service evaluation by prospect
Understanding whether the client contacts any prospects following their call with the
outsourcer. If so, exploring what drives the selection of these calls. Investigating
how the client assesses the quality of the outsourcer via this method and whether
they present this back to the outsourcer.
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Student number 1308500
E – Alignment of delivery and outcomes
Assessing what feedback is provided by the outsourcer and/or client that can refine
the process, add value to the performance monitoring and increase the customer
experience. Understanding if this shapes changes to the perfomance monitoring
process in the future and how this impacts on efficency measures versus quality
measures.
F – Accountability for results
A comparison of results achieved against objectives set (if any) which in turn can
affect re-negotiated contract specifications.
Conceptual Framework diagram
Client
f
a
b
Service
Outcomes
e
Service
Delivery
d
Prospect
c
Outsourcer
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Critical discussion of research methods and approaches
Research Philosophy
Research philosophy is considered critical in defining which research strategy and
methods should be adopted. Easterby-Smith et al (2008;p.56) note ‘failure to think
through philosophical issues…can seriously affect the quality of management
research, and they are central to the notion of research design’ . The key research
philosophies fall into three broad categories, referred to as positivism, interpretivism
and realism.
Positivism
The positivist approach assumes that results are replicable and works well in
settings where key laws or assumptions can be applied. It involves highly structured
methods, usually linked to rules that can be tested and re-tested with complete
independence. It is appropriate for situations where something concrete can be
tested, the variables can be controlled and the researcher is completely independent
of the outcomes.
Saunders et al (2003) describe the researcher as ‘assuming the role of an objective
analyst, coolly making detached interpretations about those data that have been
collected in an apparently value free manner’ (p83). They also quote Gill and
Johnson (1997) that this approach has ‘an emphasis on highly structured
methodology to facilitate replication’ (p83) and Remenyi et al (1998 p33) who
assumes ‘the researcher is independent of and neither affects nor is affected by the
subject of the research’ (p84).
However, even within an approach there can be variation; Easterby-Smith et al
(2008) acknowledge ‘philosophers within one school may not only disagree with
each other; they may also disagree with themselves over time’. (p57)
Interpretivism
On the opposing end is interpretivism, which allows a greater exploration of context
specific research where varying factors may be different and researchers are not
Date of submission 13th December 2013
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bound by the strict conventions of positivism. Advocates argue that ‘rich insights into
this complex world are lost if such complexity is reduced entirely to a series of lawlike generalisations’ (p84, Saunders et al 2003). They argue ‘it is the role of the
interpretivist to seek to understand the subjective reality of those that they study’.
Easterby-Smith et al (2008) define the essence of interpretivism as ‘reality
determined by people rather than objective factors’ (p59). Their view is that this
approach focuses on what people are thinking and feeling, and attention is paid to
the way they communicate with each other. It is appropriate where meaning needs
to be ascertained rather than laws. The researcher is immersed in the search for
meaning rather than the independent, external nature of the positivist approach.
Critics of interpretivism argue that the process can diminish the value of
‘generalisation’ making it less valuable if business are changing so quickly that any
lessons from this method are too quickly out of date.
Easterby-Smith et al (2008) table the contrasting implications of these two methods,
showing the stark differences in the approaches:
Table 1 Contrasting implications of positivism and social constructionism
Positivism
Social Constructionism
is part of what is being
The observer
must be independent
observed
Human interests
should be irrelevant
are the main drivers of science
must demonstrate
aim to increase general
causality
understanding of the situation
hypotheses and
gathering rich data from which
deductions
ideas are induced
need to be defined so that
should incorporate stakeholder
they can be measured
perspectives
should be reduced to the
may include the complexity of
Units of analysis
simplest terms
'whole' situations
Generalisation through
statistical probability
theoretical abstraction
large numbers selected
small numbers of cases chosen
randomly
for specific reasons
Explanations
Research progresses through
Concepts
Sampling requires
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Realism
Realism attempts to balance both the independence of positivism and the social
construct approach of interpretivism. Saunders et al (2003, p85) define it as
‘recognising the importance of understanding peoples’ socially constructed
interpretations and meanings (or subjective reality) within the context of seeking to
understand broader social forces, structures or processes that influence and perhaps
constrain the nature of people’s views and behaviours’. Because of its recognition
that data will be analysed as well as personal opinion sought and interpreted it is
often a method used by business and management research especially in the case
study environment where businesses are constantly evolving and changing.
Selection of research philosophies
Easterby-Smith et al (2008) identified the strengths and weaknesses of each
approach, highlighting that no one approach is right for each situation and the most
appropriate method can only be selected when it is clear to the researcher the
direction in which the study is going in.
Table 2 Strengths and weaknesses of different epistemologies
Strengths
Weaknesses
Can provide wide
Positivist
coverage
Inflexible and artificial
Potentially fast and
Not good for process, meaning
economical
or theory generation
Easier to provide
Implications for action not
justification of policies
obvious
Accepts value of multiple
Relativist
data sources
Requires large samples
Cannot accommodate
Enables generalisations
institutional and cultural
beyond present sample
differences
Greater efficiency including
Problems reconciling discrepant
outsourcing potential
information
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Good for processes and
Social Constructionist
meanings
Can be very time consuming
Flexible and good for
Analysis and interpretations are
theory generation
difficult
Data collection less
May not have credibility with
artificial
policy makers
They highlight that ‘authors and researchers who work in organisations and with
managers argue that one should attempt to mix methods to some extent, because it
provides more perspectives on the phenomena being investigated’ (p71). EasterbySmith et al (2008) have reservations about mixing methods when they represent
very distinct ontologies but Saunders et al acknowledge ‘the practical reality that
research rarely falls neatly into only one philosophical domain’ (p85).
Philosophy for this study
This research followed a relativist approach because to investigate any variances
required a positivistic attempt to detect and contrast any departures from clearly
defined, externally constructed benchmarks. The researcher is partially neutral in that
she played no part in constructing the FCA guidelines. The researcher is assisted in
this activity as the calls either coincide with client expectations or they do not. For this
part of the research a quantitative approach may prove justified. Contrarily, assessing
the interpretations of FCA regulations places the researcher in a less neutral position
as she undertakes this task within her own employing organisation. Interpretation is
likely to involve individual, heterogeneous social constructs that do not lend themselves
to the generation of externally valid generalisation. The latter required a partially
interpretivist perspective to be adopted. Consequentially, as elements of both
positivism and interpretivism are present, realism was the philosophy adopted here.
Research Strategy
Types of research strategy include experiments, case studies, surveys, ethnography,
grounded theory, action research as well as cross-sectional, longitudinal,
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exploratory, descriptive and explanatory studies (Saunders et al, 2003). Each one is
appropriate in different circumstances and Saunders et al note the choice of
research strategy is guided by the research objectives, and whether it will enable
them to be addressed.
As this study is based around the call quality requirements of clients of Phonetic
Limited, the case study strategy is appropriate. Robson (2002 p178 in Saunders et
al 2003) defines a case study as ‘a strategy for doing research which involves an
empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life
context using multiple sources of evidence’. The case study design is positioned inbetween the two extremes of positivism and interpretivism. Morris and Wood (1991)
believe this strategy should be used ‘if you wish to gain a rich understanding of the
context of the research and the process being enacted’ (p93, Saunders et al 2003).
Secondary Data
Saunders et al (2003) identify secondary data as information gathered or created in
the past for some other purpose. Data generally falls into the category of
documentary, survey based data or those compiled from multiple sources. Bryman
and Bell (2007) define it as ‘the analysis of data by researchers who will probably not
have been involved in the collection of those data’ (p326).
Data for this study are documentary data as the call quality forms used by Phonetic
for monitoring agents on insurance campaign calls will be a key archive. They are
also the client’s internal call quality forms for their teams, where they are shared.
Finally it involved assessing the contract or form of agreement in place between
Phonetic and the client company to assess FCA responsibility.
Advantages of using secondary data include cost and time savings, potentially high
quality data, the opportunity for longitudinal, subgroup/subset/cross-cultural analysis
and more time for data analysis (Bryman and Bell 2007). However, factors that need
to also be considered include a lack of familiarity with the data, their complexity and
the lack of control over the data quality at the time it was collected.
This was chosen as the first method to establish the variances in place on Phonetic’s
insurance campaigns when call quality and compliance is assessed, which in turn
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shaped the questions asked in Method 2. This involved analysis by the author only
and no participant involvement (aside from clients providing a copy of their internal
call monitoring forms where they have internal teams that perform a similar function
to Phonetic). Four client organisations supplied the forms they use for their own
internal teams who perform the same or a similar function (continuation of lead
generation to sale in many cases). This is 67% of the insurance clients that Phonetic
work with and 100% of those that have a similar internal function (the remaining 2 do
not have teams performing related functions).
Method 2 – Self Completion Questionnaire
Saunders et al (2003) use de Vaus’s 2002 definition where ‘each person is asked to
respond to the same set of questions in a pre-determined order’ (p280) and note that
the design of the questionnaire needs to ensure that the responses will collect the
data required to answer both research objectives and questions.
Bryman and Bell (2007) observe that the structured interview and the self-completed
questionnaire are very similar but the latter is cheaper and quicker to administer; has
an absence of interviewer effects, no interviewer variability and is convenient for
respondents to complete when they want, and at the pace that they want. However,
the disadvantages include inability to prompt or probe, not being able to collect
additional data, a lower response rate and the fact the questionnaire can be read as
a whole which may influence responses. Easterby-Smith et al (2008 p220) refer to
studies that now use web based surveys – this has dramatically reduced the cost of
questionnaires, they can be more customised for individual respondents and pop up
instructions/drop down boxes can explain areas that may be more difficult to
understand. Finally data are downloaded with no risk of data keying errors.
The author used a web based survey for all the main reasons listed above. It also
ensured that the author and respondent are not distracted by other themes and
thought processes that may emerge in interviews. However issues to be aware of
include a lack of understanding of a question, or guessing a response if the answer
is not known or even not responding to the question at all. There is also the danger
that despite the offer of anonymity, respondents may give answers they believe the
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researcher wants to receive. The risk of this is low as most decision makers being
surveyed are senior within their organisation and are knowledgeable in the field of
outsourcing and call quality.
Further variables that may have influenced responses are the relevance of the
questions to the clients responding; whether they have their own tele-marketing team
in-house and how they treat and measure call quality internally; the type of contract
they hold with Phonetic (which company has FCA responsibility?); whether they
have a parent company that further influences compliance and quality control and
measurement; the relationship of the respondent to the author and finally the level of
experience of the respondent within the field of tele-marketing and call quality
compliance.
The author piloted the self-completed questionnaire with two contacts within one
client organisation. A further six clients within separate organisations were supplied
the final questionnaire with the request that one person from each organisation
complete the questionnaire. These clients are all within the insurance industry and
have arrangements with Phonetic to provide outbound lead generation services
through tele-marketing. Some have inbound teams that perform similar functions
and some have a specific compliance function responsible for digesting the FCA
guidelines into working policies and guidance. As compliance is a very specific job
role, those in specific compliance teams may be more willing to discuss their
knowledge and expertise as opposed to a client whose role encompasses
compliance but their main role is focused elsewhere within the business.
Method 3 – Semi structured interview
Saunders et al (2003) quote Kahn and Cannell’s (1957) definition of an interview as
‘a purposeful discussion between two or more people’. They believe it is the best
approach where there are a large number of questions to be answered, where the
questions are either complex or open-ended and where the order and logic of
questioning may need to be varied (p251). Easterby-Smith et al (2008) use
Burgess’s (1982) definition ‘(the interview) is the opportunity for the researcher to
probe deeply to uncover new clues, open up the dimensions of a problem and to
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secure vivid, accurate inclusive accounts that are based on personal experience’
(p144).
Bryman and Bell (2007) note there are many kinds of interview for the researcher to
select from, including structured, standardised, semi-structured and unstructured as
well as focused interview, focus group and group interview.
The semi-structured interview was selected by the author as the third method. This
refers to ‘a context in which the interviewer has a series of questions that are in the
general form of an interview schedule but is able to vary the sequence of the
questions’ (Bryman and Bell 2007 p213). This type of interview was appropriate due
to the issues that Jones (1985) highlights in Easterby-Smith et al (2008 p142)
‘researchers often enter the interview situation with some key questions; however
these questions are likely to change as new and interesting areas are uncovered and
researchers may want to tailor their questions depending on the participant’s position
or response’.
This method was chosen as the last as the author used data gathered from the first
two methods to design the questions that became the last piece of the jigsaw in
answering the research question and the research objectives. The primary aim was
to speak to the compliance contact within the author’s clients organisations who
decided on the level of compliance and quality required within their organisation and
when outsourcing tele-marketing.
There are a number of issues which can influence the success of the semi-structured
interview. These include the relationship of interviewer to interviewee and bias from
both parties. This can in turn bias the sample from whom data are collected
(Robson, 2002 in Saunders et al 2003 p253), as an interviewer may only get those
interviewees willing to share an opinion to agree to an interview and their responses
may not be indicative of the sample as a whole. However Sanders et al (2003)
report that managers are more likely to agree to be interviewed (rather than
complete a questionnaire) when the topic is interesting and relevant to their current
work.
Interviewer and interviewee bias can be overcome by considering a number of key
points that Saunders et al (2003) raise: the interviewer’s preparation, readiness and
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appearance at the interview the information supplied and the context set to the
interviewee and the interviewers approach to questioning the interviewee during the
interview. The author intends to make handwritten notes through the interviews.
Issues with this method include a requirement to note responses whilst composing
the next question; the speed of the interviewees response will need to be managed.
However it avoids the temptation when taping an interview to transcribe the whole
conversation. There will be up to 4 interviews with clients that have a specific
compliance contact or department within the company, as opposed to a person
within a company responsible for compliance but with another main role. They will
be a spread of small brokers to global organisations and an interviewee may be
more open and forthcoming with their responses if there is an absence of recorded
data that will be linked back to them
Thirdly, the interpretation of the data by the interviewer and therefore the reliability of
the conclusions drawn leads to data quality issues. A lack of standardisation can
lead to concerns about reliability, in other words ‘whether alternative researchers
would reveal similar information’ (Saunders et al 2003 p252). However they point
out Marshall and Rossmans’s (1999) observation that ‘the findings derived from
using non-standardised research methods are not necessarily intended to be
reputable since they reflect reality at the time they were collected, a situation which
may be subject to change’ (p253).
Other risks identified include being taken off track by the conversation or interviewee
and the skill of the interviewer in bringing it back on track as well as sample size. In
this case a maximum of 4 interviews will take place. However the advantage is there
will not be endless amounts of data to analyse and the time taken to complete these
interviews will be limited. The author intends to conduct face to face interviews for
Method 3.
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Triangulation
The framework presented below shows the comparison of the advantages and
disadvantages of each of the methods proposed and demonstrate that triangulation
can be achieved by using these methods in the case study.
Table 3: Framework to demonstrate methodological triangulation of methods used
Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of research methods
Secondary data
from employers
and client
organisations
Reduced
cost and
time to
complete
+
Data
current
and
therefore
high
quality
+
Lack of
anonymity
for client
supplied
call quality
forms -
Increased
time for
data
analysis
+
Data
structure
and format
could vary
from
employer to
client
organisation
-
Not
specific to
objectives
quality
data
-
Lack of
familiarity
with client
data
-
No
control of
client
data
supplied
-
Self completion
of
questionnaires
(closed
questions with
sections to
capture
opinion)
Minimal
cost and
small
amount of
time
required to
complete
+
High
quality of
recent
data
+
Anonymity
of
response
with
truthful
answers +
Easy to
distribute
(web
survey)
and low
time
impact
+
High quality
data and
separate
section for
ideas at end
+
Specific to
objectives
quality
data
+
Familiar
with the
data
+
Questions
specific to
objectives
+
Semi-structured
interviews
(open
questions)
Costs high
due to
location of
clients and
requirement
for face to
face
interviews
-
High
quality of
recent
data
+
Lack of
anonymity
with
interviewer
- lack of
truthful
answers
-
Not easy
to collect
and record
the data,
time
consuming
-
High quality
data and
easy to
capture new
ideas and
insight +
Specific to
objectives
quality
data
+
Familiar
with the
data
+
Questions
specific to
objectives
+
Triangulation
achieved
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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References
Bryman, A. and Bell, E. Business Research Methods (2007) Oxford University Press
(2nd Ed)
Dean, A. M. and Kiu, C. (2001) Performance monitoring and quality outcomes in
contracted services. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management 19
pp 396-413
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