Chapter 5 - Interviewing

1. Kinds of Information Sought
   • Opinions
   • Goals
   • Feelings
   • Informal Procedures
2. Planning the Interview
   • Five Steps in Interview Preparation
     1. Read Background Material
     2. Establish Interviewing Objectives
     3. Decide Who to Interview
     4. Prepare the Interviewee (set up appointment [45 minutes - 1 hour]
     5. Decide on Question Types and Structure
   • Question Types
     • Open-Ended Questions ex: "What is your opinion of the present computer system?"
     • Closed Questions ex: "How many reports do you generate in a month?"
       • Bipolar Questions ex: "Do you use the Internet to locate customers?"
     • Probes ex: "Can you give me an example?"
   • Question Pitfalls
     • Avoid Leading Questions: "You agree with other managers that inventory control should be computerized, don't you?
     • Avoid Double-Barreled Questions: "What decisions are made during a typical day and how do you make them?"
   • Arranging Questions in a Logical Sequence
     • Using a Pyramid Structure - specific to the general
     • Using a Funnel Structure - general to the specific
     • Using a Diamond-Shaped Structure
   • Structured (Planned) vs. Unstructured Interviews
   • Making a Record of the Interview
     • Making an Audio Recording
     • Notetaking
   • Before the Interview (reconfirm, be prepared, arrive early)
3. Conducting the Actual Interview
   • Beginning the Interview
4. Writing the Interview Report (do immediately)
5. Joint Application Design
   • Conditions that Support the Use of JAD
     1. User groups are restless and want something new, not a standard solution to a typical problem.
     2. The organizational culture supports joint problem-solving behaviors among multiple levels of employees
     3. Analysts forcast that the number of ideas generated via one-on-one interviews will not be as plentiful as the number of ideas possible from an extended group exercise
     4. Organizational work flow permits the absence of key personnel during a two-to-four-day block of time.
   • Who is Involved (session leader, analysts (as observers), users, executives)
   • Planning for the JAD Session
   • Where to hold JAD Meetings (preferably offsite)
   • Accomplishing a Structured Analysis of Project Activities
   • Potential Benefits of Using JAD in Place of Traditional Interviewing (15% time savings)
   • Potential Drawbacks of Using JAD

Transparencies

Exercises: (due - noon Sept. 22, 1998)
e-mail to summers_wayne@ColumbusState.edu your answers to the following problems: 1, 3

turn in on Sept. 22th a solution to Group Project #1 (this may be completed in a small group of 3 to 4 students)
Explore the MRE HyperCase company and e-mail the answers to the questions[This can be done in a group of 2-3]