Data collection

8.2 Data collection  

The data was collected via six face-to-face expert interviews, with the duration of approximately one hour each. The interviews were conducted as semi-structured or so-called thematic expert interviews (Hirsjärvi & Hurme, 2011, 47). Each interview lasted for about an hour. As the topic of the research and even one of the concepts is quite context-dependent, it was required that the interviews have enough time and thematic space.

The interviewees were chosen by their position in the organization and the business function their tasks are related to. The profiles are as follows:

personnel from communications and HR functions, and white and blue-collar interviewees from operative, business front-end tasks. The target organization is a Finnish ICT company with over 10 000 employees worldwide. The organization operates globally, providing complex technology and IT services to private and public sectors. Some of these services are critical infrastructure services, such as IT-systems for national safety, health care and financial functions.

As the interviewees were all Finnish, the interviews were concluded in their native language. To be noted is that in Finnish language, both engagement and commitment translate into one word, sitoutuminen. This was the term used in the interviews. However, because the nature of the data collection and interview format, the topic and themes were not approached strictly via certain terms, but its linguistic form was personal for each interviewee.

Thematic interview is a comprehensive way to describe this type of interview as a method of data collection. It derives from the tradition of open interview that is loosely structured; thus it not just a discussion as it should serve the research aim of collecting information (Anttila 1998, 9.1.4.1). It does not limit itself to quantitative or qualitative research, nor to the number of interviews or the depth of the topic. It is relevant that the interview(s) proceed based on the chosen themes, taking strongly into consideration that people’s interpretation and the meanings they give, which arise in interaction. Thus, the interviewees’ message becomes clearer. Thematic interview is not completely unstructured, as the themes are the same for all, but in each interview, the formation and order of questions vary as well as additional questions and other matters. (Hirsjärvi & Hurme, 2011, 48.)

In the interview situation, language is essential. Those who participate have the goal of conceptually delivering their own mindful relation to the world.

The researcher aims to find out how the meaning of something is construed by the interviewee. Similarly, the interview situation itself creates new and shared sense-making: the answers are always also a reflection of the situation, the presence of the interviewer, the way of asking and the previous questions and answers. (Hirsjärvi & Hurme, 2011, 49.)

The interviews began with an explanation of the research and the method of the interview and situation. Taking research ethics into account, each interviewee signed a consent form before audio recording started, and allowed the interview to be taped. The interviews began with background questions, which were an easy way for the interviewee to adjust to the situation. The aim of the researcher was to ensure relevant, valid information from the interviewee and thus not guide too much what kind of answers were desired. Questions were unstructured and asked along with the natural flow of the conversation; some topics emerged on their own by the interviewee and questions related to those did not need to be concretely presented. Questions were also slightly adjusted to the position of the interviewee, i.e. those who worked with internal communications were asked about their own substance area as well as those working in the business front-end. The researcher did not comment on the answers, but asked definitive questions, answered the questions the interviewee asked and guided the interviewee to stay on the topic. An example of the interview frame is presented in Appendix 1.

All interviewees were very cooperative and participated out of their own will. They were recruited by a representative of the organization’s internal communications function, with little preliminary information. Two expressed some concerns about giving confidential information, but were explained that they could only give information they wanted, and should some confidential information be given, it could be asked to not be included in the data. After the interviews were concluded, no requests were presented to leave any part of the answers out of the data.

All interviewees were also interested in the study and were offered a chance to receive information on the results, and all did ask for that. One interviewee continued the discussion after the interview was finished by the researcher and the audio recorder was turned off, but as this discussion

presented relevant information, the interviewee was asked if this information could be included based on the notes made by researcher. The interviewee agreed to this.

9 Analysis

In this chapter, the data description is given and the method of analysis is presented thoroughly. After that, the concrete execution of analysis of this data is opened, with example extractions.