Data Collection

Bryman and Bell (2015, p. 424) suggested “interviews are probably the most widely employed method in qualitative research” and they added it is the high degree of

flexibility for the researcher which make it one of the most attractive options. The two main types of interview involve structured and semi-structured formats; the former adopts a much more rigid approach and mirrors that of a more quantitative

approach, while the latter provides an opportunity for the interviewer to explore themes as they emerge. In his detailed examination of interviewing within

organisations, Whyte (1953, p.22) argued no single interview stands alone, “it has meaning to the researcher only in terms of other interviews and observations”. This

statement is important to consider as the interviewer needs to be particularly mindful

of making assumptions, which in turn may contribute to an issue of bias in the

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commented while interviews can be used in research as a single data collection method, they also lend themselves to being used as part of a combination of techniques.

The use of interviews in quantitative research should not be confused with that of qualitative because although there are similarities they are also inherently different. Bryman and Bell (2007) identified the central differences between quantitative and qualitative interviewing methods. They described the method of approach in qualitative interviewing as being considerably more flexible and open, therefore allowing the researcher much greater scope to discuss topics or themes in an in-depth manner, or as they emerge, whereas, in the employment of a

quantitative approach, the rigid structure of the interview format allows the researcher to obtain greater reliability and validity from the data collected. The design of interview questionnaires is focused on answering very specific questions, rather than using the interview as an opportunity to explore themes and topics more intensively. Further Robson (1993) suggested face-to-face interviews offer the opportunity of easily adjusting the line of inquiry depending on the participant’s

responses and Anderson (2009, p.188) supported this claim and suggested there is an opportunity for the researcher (in face-to-face interviews) “to probe interviewees further to build a more coherent picture of the topic being explored”.

There are advantages and disadvantages in the use of interviews. The main disadvantage with interviewing as a technique is because it requires a significant level of skill from the interviewer, which if lacking, can have a detrimental impact on the outputs and quality of the data collected. The skills required to carry out an effective interview need to be honed and practiced in preparation for the data collection phase commencing. Some of the other disadvantages are its time

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consuming nature and as such it is by the soft data collection method that some commentators profess. For example, Anderson (2009, p.188) suggested interviews lasting less than half an hour are unlikely to generate much in the way of valuable qualitative data but on the other hand interviewees are unlikely to be able to offer more than perhaps one hour of their time. This issue in-turn creates problems for the researcher, as the probability of their being able to generate more than a minimal number of interviewees is limited and therefore this contributes to rising concerns about the generalisability of any findings. The researcher also needs to be able to quickly build credible rapport with the participants in order to extract the richest quality data possible for meaningful analysis. There are also concerns about how the data collection can be recorded and Anderson (2009, p.188) drew our attention to issues with interviewees not permitting any or all of the interview to be audio or video recorded, particularly where there are matters which may be considered to be

commercially or legally sensitive.

Although it is unlikely to be intensively utilised for the purposes of this research, telephone interviews raise some interesting issues. The relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee is likely to be fragmented, especially if they have not met face-to-face prior to the interview being conducted (Anderson 2009, p.188). There is also a lack of opportunity for the researcher to focus on non- verbal cues from the interviewee and as a result it would be more difficult for the interviewer to probe an interviewee further on a particular issue if they cannot tell whether the participant feels uncomfortable about the line of questioning.

Consequently, it may be interesting to explore whether the use of platforms such as “Skype” or “Google Hangout” could mitigate this problem in the future and Anderson

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using Web 2.0 technologies should be a consideration for researchers. On a more positive note, interviews are really quite useful where the topic being investigated is relatively unknown and (in particular this research) attempts to explore a

phenomenon which has received little scholarly attention to-date. As such, there is an inherent usefulness in selecting interviews as the primary tool with which to collect the data for the purposes of this particular research.

Anderson (2013, p.212) illustrated the type of interview (fig 3.1) available and it was important to determine and select which type of interview would be the most appropriate choice at the outset of the study. Employment of in-depth interviews would be an excellent way to examine the topic. However in reality, the scope of the study participants’ availability because of time constraints means it would not be sensible to adopt this approach. Given this particular study’s intention is not to obtain

quantitative data, it seems clear that the semi-structured interview approach is the most logical choice. This will allow for the participants to spend some time thinking about their processes and practices in relation to recruitment and further it will also offer the researcher the flexibility to probe answers to questions which may lead to richer data collection. Powney and Watts (1987, Ch.2) referred to a different typology in interviews (although their focus is on educational research) and they make a differentiation between respondent and informant interviews. The former means that the interviewer stays in control guiding the interview, in a very similar way to semi- structured interviews. The latter appears to be very much lead by the interviewees agenda, though Powney and Watts also argued this is merely a perception.

Informant interviews are most akin to in-depth interviews.

Once all of the data has been collected via semi-structured interviews, it is anticipated a follow-up qualitative survey will be required. As such, the design of this

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will need to be carefully considered to ensure the richest possible data may be garnered from the participants. It is not unusual for case studies to involve this step in the process and it is highly likely the early data analysis of the interview data will produce further themes for exploration.

Figure 3.1 Interview Types (Anderson, 2013)

It is not unusual for case studies to involve this step in the process and it is highly likely the early data analysis of the interview data will produce further themes for exploration. The survey will be purely qualitative and will require free-form

answers from the participants as a means to probe further some interesting findings from the data collected. Yin (2009, p.13) argued researchers can use multiple methods in any case study design, for example a case study can include a survey and conversely a survey could include a case study and having considered the merit

of adopting semi-structured interviews as the most appropriate data collection tool,

the following section addresses the unit for analysis and analysis techniques to be utilised within this research.

In depth interview

 No (or few) questions

 Interviewer takes a “non- directive” approach

Semi-structured interview

 Themes and questions are known in advance but the questions and the order may vary depending on the flow of the interview

Structured interview

 Predetermined, standardised

questions are asked in a consistent manner

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The interview structure varied throughout the data collection phase of this inquiry. Where possible the interviews were carried out face-to-face and it was always requested that the interviews were undertaken the participants organisations and place of work. In the majority of face-to-face interviews this was possible and it allowed the researcher to observe the day-to-day HRM departments. In some

instances it was not possible to meet with the interviewee face-to-face and when this occurred the interviews were conducted by telephone or skype. Increasingly

researchers are turning to utilise tools such as Skype and Whatsapp to conduct interviews (Lo Iacono, Brown and May, 2016).While this facility was useful in terms of timescales and accessibility, there were some barriers to building up a rapport with the interviewees. The interviews were scheduled to last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours in length. The longest interview lasted one hours forty minutes and the

shortest was about fifty minutes. This duration of the interviews presented

challenges as they produced volumes of data. However careful reduction of the data mitigated the quantity.

The majority of interviews were conducted with an opening question which allowed the interviewee time to discuss their broad understand of social media in the context of HRM and in particular within the recruitment process. A schedule of the interview questions is included in the appendix to this thesis, however on occasion where the interviews were a little less forthcoming with information particularly if they felt that they were divulging information that might be legally contentious. Therefore on occasion the structure of the questions was revised during the interviews to elicit the richest information. Notwithstanding any adjustments during the undertaking of the interviews, the core meaning of the questions remained the same and all questions were addressed during the interviews.

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There were occasions whereby the interviews were conducted via telephone and via Skype, although this was limited. It required a slight alternation to the way in which the interviews were conducted. The feedback on the dictaphone on first interview was so loud it meant there was no possible way to utilise the interview and therefore a waste of time. However a further trail run ensured success on the next occasions. The nature of carrying out the interviews via Skype meant that there was little opportunity to build rapport with the participant. Once this was noticed a

preliminary telephone conversation was undertaken with the participant prior to the skype interview. This appeared to put the participant at ease. The interviews were recorded by dictaphone and were transcribed over a period of weeks. Although a time consuming activity it ultimately allowed for the researcher to become fully familiar with the data. The analysis of the data is explored next.