Conducting an Investigation Flashcards
List the levels of observation
First impressions
Simple observation
Shadowing/Tailing
Formal observation methods
Describe the Hawthorne effect
The effect had on people’s behaviour when they know they are being observed. First observed at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works.
Describe Secret Shopper
When someone pretends to be a customer to find out how customers are treated. They will investigate how the workers/workplace reacts to different scenarios, for example when they make a complaint. This helps to avoid the Hawthorne effect.
List advantages of interviews
Ability to gather detailed information through a two-way dialogue.
The ability for candid, honest responses to be made.
Can lead to valuable insights when open-ended questions are used.
Responses can easily be quantified when closed questions are used.
Good for gathering qualitative data such as opinions and subjective descriptions of activities and problems.
List disadvantages of interviews
Analysts findings may be coloured by their perceptions of how similar business operations work.
The investigation may pose a threat to the interviewee through risk of redundancy. Therefore they may not answer honestly.
Interviewee may say what they think should happen rather than what actually happens.
Interviewing junior staff may not yield as much information as senior staff and vice versa.
List some questionnaire best practices
The target audience must be considered.
Use branching only when necessary.
Questions should be clear and unambiguous.
Multiple choice makes the questionnaire easier to complete and analyse.
Questionnaire should include required return date and person to whom it should be returned.
List some questionnaire disadvantages
Respondents are unable to clarify the meaning of questions with the analyst.
Cannot use verbal and non-verbal signals from respondent.
Low response rates meaning large sample size is needed.
