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Methodological Dilemmas and Opportunities in Interviewing Organizational Elites
Author(s) -
Delaney Kevin J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2007.00028.x
Subject(s) - interview , elite , dilemma , sociology , qualitative research , quality (philosophy) , public relations , semi structured interview , social science , epistemology , political science , law , anthropology , politics , philosophy
This article discusses the challenges and opportunities encountered in interviewing organizational elites. Drawing on a wide range of experiences in elite interviewing, I offer suggestions for gaining access to elites, controlling the interview, obtaining the highest‐quality interview data, and writing effectively about those data. I also discuss the ‘dilemma of seduction’ that can occur in elite interviewing and suggests ways to both present and critique the worldview of elites when writing about qualitative interviews.