IS 7021: The Philosophy of Science & Qualitative Research Methods

 

Dr. Mary C. Lacity

233 Computer Center Building

(314) 516-6127 (work)

(314) 516-6827 (fax)

mailto:mary.lacity@umsl.edu

http:/www.umsl.edu/~lacity

 

Sample Interview Guide from Theory

 

The Interview Guide.  The Interview Guide is designed to capture the six constructs in the initial model, to allow participants to freely explain their reasoning and values, and to explore uncharted constructs. Concerning the six constructs, the interview guide clearly prompted participants to respond to the model’s constructs so that we could later code their answers.  

 

Confidentiality Policy:

We are working on a research paper as part of our doctoral studies.  We are interested in understanding the reasons why Indian IS professionals intend to stay or leave their current employers. Specifically we are looking at IS professionals located at the supplier side (India) with 2 to 7 years of experience. We will highly appreciate your cooperation. The interview will be tape-recorded, but only the researchers will have access to the full transcriptions. Your name and company will be kept anonymous. Thank you for your participation.

 

Demographic Questions:

How long have you worked in IT?

What is your current position in the organization?

What responsibilities does your job entail?

How long have you worked in this company?

 

Construct: Job Satisfaction:

Are you satisfied with your job?

What parts of your job make you happy/unhappy?

Do you feel enthusiastic about your job?

Does your job give you fulfillment?

 

Construct: Rewards/Costs:

Are you generally satisfied with your compensation?

Concerning your current job, what do you like about the work you do?

Concerning your current job, what do you not like about the work you do?

Follow up prompts as needed:

§         Are you paid enough for the work you do?

§         Is it according to the industry norms- what others in the industry are getting for the same work?

§         Is there a lot of variety in your job?

§         Are you free to decide how you perform your tasks? Or is it controlled by your manager?

§         Do you receive adequate feedback at work?

§         Do you get any other benefits- flextime, bonus, or performance based rewards? Are you happy with it?

§         Do you feel your job is monotonous?

§         Do you experience a lot of stress and burnout in your job? (also assessed as Work Exhaustion)

§         Is your role clearly defined or is it ambiguous?

 

Construct: Organizational Commitment:

How do you feel about your company?

Does the organization mean a lot to you?

Do you feel emotionally attached to your company?

 

Construct: Investment in Current Organization:

Is your training and work experience portable to other organizations?

If you left this organization, would you lose any particular benefits?

 

Construct: Organizational Alternatives:

Are equal or better jobs readily available to you in other organizations?

Can you get another job easily of you want to?

 

Construct: Turnover Intentions:

Where do you see yourself in another year in the organization?

Would you prefer to keep working in this current organization?

Are you thinking of leaving this company? Why?

Do you regularly check if there are suitable jobs for you elsewhere?

Are you actively looking out for alternatives/other job avenues?
Have you updated your resume recently?

 

Finally, is there anything that we haven’t covered that is important to your overall satisfaction with your current job or current employer?