Types of Interviews Conducted In Marketing Research

The types of interviews conducted in marketing research are three. They are structured, unstructured and depth interviews.

Unstructured Informal Interview

This is normally conducted as a preliminary step in the research process to generate ideas/hypothesis about the subject being investigated so that these might be tested later in the survey proper. Such interviews are entirely informed and are not controlled by a specific set of detailed questions. Rather the interviewer is guided by a pre-defined list of issues. These interviews amount to an informal conversation about the subject. Informal interviewing is not concerned with discovering ‘how many’ respondents think in a particular way on an issue (this is what the final survey itself will discover).

The aim is to find out how people think and how they react to issues, so that the ultimate survey questionnaire can be framed along the lines of thought that will be most natural to respondents. The respondents is encouraged to talk freely about the subject, but is kept to the point on issues of interest to the researcher. The respondent is encouraged to reveal everything that he/she feels and thinks about these points. The interviewer must note/or tape-record) all remarks that may be relevant and pursue them until he/she is satisfied that there is no more to be gained by further probing. Properly conducted, informal interviews can give the researcher an accurate feel for the subject to be surveyed. Focus group, discussed later in this unit.

Structured/Standardized Interview

With structured standardized interviews, the format is entirely different. A structured interview follows a specific questionnaire and this research instrument is usually used as the basis for most quantitative surveys. A standardized structured questionnaire is administered where specific questions are asked in a set order and in a set manner to ensure no variation between interviews.

Respondents’ answers are recorded on a questionnaire form (usually with pre-specified response formats) during the interview process, and the completed questionnaire are most often analysed quantitatively. The structured interview usually denies the interviewer the opportunity to either add or remove questions, change their sequence or alter the wording of questions.

Depth Interview

These are one-on-one encounters in which the interviewer makes use of an unstructured or semi- structured set of issues/topics to guide the discussion. The object of the exercises is to explore and uncover deep-seated emotions, motivations and attitudes. They are most often employed when dealing with sensitive matters and respondents are likely to give evasive or even misleading answers when directly questioned. Most of the techniques used in the conduct of depth interviews have been borrowed from the field of psychoanalysis. 

Dept interviews are usually only successful when conducted by a well trained and highly skilled interviewer. Depth interviewers can be particularly effective where the study involves an investigation of complex behaviour or decision-making process; when the target respondents are difficult to gather together for group interviews (e.g. farmers, veterinary surgeons, haulage contractors surgeons, government officials).

Advantages of Personal Interview

Since the investigation is present, he will be able to explain certain questions which are not clear to the respondent.

The investigator will be able to assess the situation under which the respondents will be answering the questions.

The two parties will be able to reach a compromise on some.

Disadvantages of Personal Interview

The interviewers have to be catered for in terms of accommodation, transportation, feeding and other allowances. Hence, this method is quite expensive.

The appearance of the interviewers, especially his mode of dressing and his approach to questions may cause biasness in the mind of the respondents. Intellectual dishonesty in the form of intimidation may arise.

Telephone Method/Interview

This research method involves the use of telephone by the researcher to gather information from respondents. It is very useful where telephone communication network is efficient.

Whilst telephone interviews among consumers, are very common in the developed world, these are conducted with far less frequency in the developing world. The reason is somewhat obvious, i.e. only a relatively small proportion of the total has a telephone in the house. Moreover, telephone owners tend to be urban dwellers and have above average incomes and are therefore unrepresentative of the population as a whole.
To a greater extent, telephone interviewing has potential in surveys of businesses, government agencies and other organizations or institutions.

Even then, it is still the case that telephone surveys are rarely without bias. Whilst it is true that many businesses have a telephone, small businesses and even medium-sized enterprises are far less likely to have access to telephones. Telephone interviews afford a certain amount of flexibility. It is possible, for example, for interviewers to put complex questions over the telephone. The interviewers can probe, skip questions that prove irrelevant to the case of a particular respondent and change the sequence of questions in response to the flow of the discussion, and earlier replies can be revisited. The interaction between interviewer and interviewee that is possible over the telephone simply is not achievable through a mailed questionnaire. In comparison to personal interviews, telephone interviews do not appear to enjoy any margin of advantage. Perhaps the only advantages are those of speed and cost in developing countries tend to be very low and so only speed remains as a potential advantage over personal interviews.

In the developed world, the era of computer – assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) has begun.
Researchers conduct the telephone interview whilst seated at a computer. Responses are entered directly into the computer, by the interviewer. The screen displays the questionnaire and any skipping of questions, due to earlier responses directing that some questions are not applicable in the case of the interviewee, is controlled automatically by the computer. Since the responses are entered directly into the computer, the data is instantaneously processed. The computer can also be programmed to produce standardized marketing reports.

Advantages of Telephone Interview

1. The cost is low 
2. There is no clustering in the sample 
3. There is absence of interviewers bias 
4. Respondents can consult others for information and take their time to consider their answers. 

Disadvantages of Telephone Interview

The interview has inadequate control over the identity of the respondents. The interviewer cannot control whom he consult

1. He cannot control the order of questions 
2. He cannot use complex questions 
3. He cannot secure spontaneous reaction 
4. The interview is not a position to observe certain attributes of the respondent. 

Definition and Meaning of Instrumentation

With regard to instrumentation; two perspectives become obvious the first perspective concerns the development of an instrument as a major focus or purpose of a study. In this regard, this kind of study. In this regard, this kind of study is an instrumentation design study (IDS). The second perspective concerns the development/modification/adaptation of an instrument for the sole purpose of data collection.

Forms of Interview Instrumentation

Development Studies: These are very rigorous and indeed all instrumentation studies are also developmental, regardless of the purpose of an instrument for a research, the;

Face Validation

This is the second approach to developing a valid instrument. This involves given an already developed instrument to experts or range of experts who are supposed to build in element of clarity internal consistency and even the overall appearance of the instrument. Persons selected for face validation may not necessarily be so identified merely because they are of great integrity and highly placed or because they are many as much as merely because they are expert. Ideally, no matter the instruments someone from measurement and evaluation and in curriculum should be included as face validators but more importantly it is advisable that suggestions of experts be included in the final draft of the instrument