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232 DATA COLLECTION METHODS

be some bias in their responses. Before recording or videotaping interviews, one
should be reasonably certain that such a method of obtaining data is not likely
to bias the information received. Any audio or videotaping should always be
done only after obtaining the respondent’s permission.

Review of Tips to Follow in Interviewing

Establishing credibility as able researchers with the client system and the organi-
zational members is important for the success of the research project.
Researchers need to establish rapport with the respondents and motivate them
to give responses relatively free from bias by allaying whatever suspicions, fears,
anxieties, and concerns they may have about the research and its consequences.
This can be accomplished by being sincere, pleasant, and nonevaluative. While
interviewing, the researcher has to ask broad questions initially and then narrow
them down to specific areas, ask questions in an unbiased way, offer clarifica-
tions when needed, and help respondents to think through difficult issues. The
responses should be transcribed immediately and not be trusted to memory and
later recall.
Having looked at unstructured and structured interviews and learned some-
thing about how to conduct the interviews, we can now discuss face-to-face and
telephone interviews.

Face-to-Face and Telephone Interviews
Interviews can be conducted either face to face or over the telephone. They
could also be computer-assisted. Although most unstructured interviews in orga-
nizational research are conducted face to face, structured interviews could be
either face to face or through the medium of the telephone, depending on the
level of complexity of the issues involved, the likely duration of the interview,
the convenience of both parties, and the geographical area covered by the sur-
vey. Telephone interviews are best suited when information from a large num-
ber of respondents spread over a wide geographic area is to be obtained quickly,
and the likely duration of each interview is, say, 10 minutes or less. Many mar-
ket surveys, for instance, are conducted through structured telephone interviews.
In addition, computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) are also possible, and
easy to manage.
Face-to-face interviews and telephone interviews have other advantages and
disadvantages. These will now be briefly discussed.

Face-to-Face Interviews
Advantages. The main advantage of face-to-face or direct interviews is that the
researcher can adapt the questions as necessary, clarify doubts, and ensure that
the responses are properly understood, by repeating or rephrasing the questions.
The researcher can also pick up nonverbal cues from the respondent. Any dis-
comfort, stress, or problems that the respondent experiences can be detected