Pilot Work: what it was and how it helped

My pilot work was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 took place in Lancaster, while phase 2 was carried out in Pakistan just before commencing my actual fieldwork. Since I was considering choosing the interview as my primary method, I decided to begin piloting by interviewing to see if this method could likely answer my research questions. After that I carried out an observation study to gain experience in this method, which I considered complementary to my main method of interviews.

5.6.1 Pilot interviews

Two pilot interviews were conducted in Lancaster with a lecturer and a recent overseas graduate of Lancaster University Management School. These interviews were more like discussions about my research topic and the approach I was using to address it. We also talked about question wording and the suitability o f other methods that could shed additional light on the topic.

In Pakistan, I interviewed two managers to see how managers in industry responded to my queries. These respondents were friends with whom I thereafter discussed my research project and collected useful tips, such as those about wording questions, managing interview time and tape recording. Regarding question wording, I kept the main research question fairly open-ended and did not intervene till my respondent had finished answering. My question was, ‘What, other than technical concepts, have you learnt from your MBA degree?’ My respondents spoke at length on this question, but contrary to what I was expecting, that is values about work, they covered skills instead. This indicated I needed more structure and probing to guide my respondents. In successive questions in actual interviews, I therefore asked, ‘What are some of the values being endorsed in your MBA programme?’ or added “Value ‘xyz’ is listed in your programme announcement for the year. How would you comment on it with regard to your MBA programme?” if need be.

Note-taking during pilot studies turned out to be helpful. For example, recognition of respondents’ emphasis on skills rather than values in the above question became apparent with my review of my interview notes. I also obtained insight into interviewing

practicalities, such as placement of the tape recorder, quality of recording, and average time required for an interview through these pilot studies. For example, since the interviews had taken around 45 minutes each, I decided to buy C90 tapes for the study. The quality o f the recording was also acceptable, so I decided to go ahead with my portable Panasonic recorder, rather than buying a more sophisticated digital recorder that some friends had recommended.

5.6.2 Pilot observation study

In order to obtain an insight into observing how people behave in group situations, how different ideas and values come to be regarded significant, how communication flows between members, as well as how the nature of surroundings (along with various artefacts) can impact upon the promotion of certain values and ideas, I carried out a pilot observation study at the Pioneer Academy. Working there as a lecturer, I did not have difficulty gaining access to an official meeting. Being a high level confidential meeting of senior administrators and policy makers of Pioneer, it required me to play the role o f a silent observer. As I sat quietly at the comer of the table, I noted down details varying from appearance of the furniture and quality of stationery provided, to my feelings of surprise, anxiety, disappointment, etc. Since I did not know the optimum amount of detail required for my study or whether my feelings could impact upon my interpretation later, I noted down everything I saw. As I began my formal research I appreciated the use of these detailed observations in helping me link values talked about in interviews or publications with those mentioned in classrooms or expressed through artefacts around campuses. However, as the fieldwork progressed and I began to feel the practical

challenge of detailed inquiry (as I will explain in the later paragraphs of this section), I began to look more for patterns of behaviour and relationships, while noting down any peculiar objects I could.

Through this pilot study I also realized that my observer role would not be chosen arbitrarily but would depend on the setting. For example, I had entered the above setting at Pioneer with an expectation of contributing to the discussion, but had soon realized that the strategic significance and protocol of the meeting could not permit me, as a young lecturer, to air my opinions; my participation and even obtrusive location could disturb the natural flow of events. This proved correct in subsequent observations in classrooms as I played by the rules of the actors in order to get access to their activities.

This study also highlighted the challenge of listening, seeing and note-taking at the same time. I soon realized that fixing my eyes on one small event at the setting, or on listening to one speaker at a time would prevent me from seeing and hearing others. I thus realized that I would have to make choices throughout my observation sessions to record some happenings and ignore others.

The importance of research ethics became apparent to me for the first time during this observation study when I participated in a confidential meeting and felt grateful for how much the organization had trusted me to let me sit through their private discussion. I felt responsible for maintaining the trust placed in me and for not reporting anything about respondents or organizations that was not meant for public usage.

As mentioned earlier, pilot work was more helpful in revealing the practicalities of interview and observation research rather than directly addressing my research questions. Pilot interviews served as a practice in my interview technique, while observation was primarily a study of the patterns of communication of senior Pioneer staff (and some artefacts at random). Hence, none of the data revealed from any of these studies was included in my findings.