Focus Groups

The method and rationale for using focus groups as well as the focus group process are outlined in this section.

4.1.3.2.1 Method

Focus groups are any discussion in which the researcher is actively encouraging of, and attentive, to the group interaction amongst participants (Kitzinger & Barbour, 1999). Hence, in terms of method, the researcher enables a focused group discussion among the participants rather than mere interaction and the researcher moderates discussions attentively, with consideration to group discussion dynamics (Barbour, 2007).

4.1.3.2.2 Rationale

The focus groups with students allows the participants to probe each other’s reason for having specific perceptions or views. Students are able to listen to each other’s opinions and modify or qualify their view. Furthermore, focus groups foster individuals to collectively form a meaning of a phenomenon (Morgan, 1998).

4.1.3.2.3 Process

Participants were invited to participate voluntarily in the focus groups. In England, the invitation to participate in the study was forwarded to all undergraduate students by the representative of the respective undergraduate office. Since no undergraduate office for business studies existed at the Austrian university, the invitation to participate in the study was forwarded to all undergraduate students by the student representatives. Thereby, the invitation was made sensitively in order to ensure voluntary and open participation. Since the response was very low, after multiple reminders to second-year students in the UK, the researcher asked lecturers of second-year modules to announce the focus group in their lectures. An overview of the participants (number/focus group, gender), the structure and the documentation of the focus groups can be viewed in Table 15.

86 Table 16. Focus group description

To control for the focus group setting, all focus groups with Austrian participants took place within one meeting room at FH JOANNEUM, the focus groups with 3rd _{year students in the} UK took place in one meeting room at Aston University and the focus group with 2nd _year students in the UK took place in a seminar room at Aston University. The tables were arranged in a circle. The researcher had the audio recorder, the focus group guideline, note sheets, topic cards for the flipchart, and a name tag on the table. Each participant had a name tag with the first name and a participant number, a background questionnaire, a notes sheet, the relationship sheet with post-its, and blank paper and pens on the table. The note taker had the interview guideline, a notes sheet, a list of participant names and numbers, a second audio-recorder and blank paper and pens on the table. Behind the moderator was a flipchart which first showed a welcome note and then the relevant topics for discussion. Food and drinks were provided to make participants feel comfortable. Figure 4 provides a depiction of the focus group set-up in Austria, showing (from left to right) the moderator, the note taker, the flipchart, and the relationship sheet. The documentation of each focus group is carried out with tape records, notes from the neutral observer, transcriptions and memos made by the researcher.

Participants Final year undergraduate business students from Austria and England

Second-year undergraduate business students from Austria and England

Number and Size TOTAL: 8 focus groups, 48 participants (25 females, 23 males)

Subtotal final year students: 5 focus groups, 25 participants Subtotal second-year students: 3 focus groups, 23 participants Focus Group 1 Year 3 Austria 1: 4 (3 females, 1 male)

Focus Group 2 Year 3 Austria 2: 3 (3 males)

Focus Group 3 Year 3 England 1: 5 (2 females, 3 males) Focus Group 4 Year 3 England 2: 7 (4 females, 3 males) Focus Group 5 Year 3 England 3: 6 (2 females, 4 males) Focus Group 6 Year 2 Austria 1: 7 (3 females, 4 males) Focus Group 7 Year 2 Austria 2: 6 (5 females, 1 male) Focus Group 8 Year 2 England 1: 10 (6 females, 4 males)

Structure Semi-structured interview protocol

Documentation Tape recording

Notes from neutral observer and note taker Transcription

87 Figure 4. Focus group setting

The Austrian focus groups were conducted first. After this first wave of data collection via focus groups, it became apparent that third-year students tended to provide in-depth information, especially when expressing their emotions, and demonstrated willingness to reciprocate and engage. In contrast, second-year students tended to be more reluctant than third-year students to answer questions and were often caught up in details. The researcher concluded that there may have been insufficient experience and too high involvement in the direct service delivery process to give appropriate feedback on CS and CEBs. Therefore, in England, three focus groups with final year students were conducted in order to gain further insight from students in a very advanced stage of their study. In England, the focus group with second-year students was very difficult to set up, and when taking part in the focus group, the students appeared to be very resistant to providing answers. Hence, theoretical saturation with second-year students in England was reached at the conclusion of one focus group.

4.1.3.2.4 Moderator Involvement and Group Interaction

Moderator involvement refers to the management of group dynamics or group interactions in terms of relatively free participation to relatively high moderator control (Cohen, 2013). Cohen (2013) suggests, as a rule of thumb, to rely on structured interviews with high moderator involvement in order to make focus groups comparable. Yet, there should be room for free discussion in order to learn something new from the participants (Cohen, 2013).

The focus groups were standardised via a guideline with structured topics of discussion. The moderator and participant interaction has been analysed by counting the total number of statements per focus group, the total number of focus group participants, the total number of statements by focus group participants and the total number of statements by the interviewer. Based on these values, the following moderator and group interaction ratios could be calculated (see Table 17):

88 Table 17. Moderator - group interaction

Moderator/Group Interaction: Average across all Focus Groups

Average overall number of statements 134

Average number of statements by focus group participants 88.75

Average number of statements by moderator 45.25

Average number of focus group participants 6

Average number of statements per participant 15

Ratio of statements by participants / overall number of statements 66%

Ratio of statements by moderator / overall number of statements 34%

This analysis shows that moderator involvement accounted for approximately one third of an average focus group discussion, whilst group interaction accounted for approximately two thirds. Overall, a reasonable mix between standardisation, moderator involvement and participant involvement is evident.