Qualitative interviewing in the field of work and organisational psychology: Benefits, challenges and guidelines for researchers and reviewers

Abstract

AbstractEmpirical research in the field of work and organisational psychology has typically adopted quantitative methods such as surveys or experiments. Comparatively less research has adopted qualitative methods such as interviewing. The aim and purpose of this article is to provide a practical guide for work and organisational psychology researchers, especially those more familiar with quantitative methods, to get started with qualitative interview approaches. The authors decided to focus on qualitative interviews as they are the most common method adopted in qualitative work and are often combined with other qualitative techniques such as participant observation or quantitative techniques such as surveys or experiments. This article looks at the strengths of adopting a qualitative interview design when conducting empirical research in the fields of work and organisational psychology, and the challenges faced in publishing such research. Finally, the article provides researchers and reviewers with guidelines for effectively executing, publishing and evaluating research adopting a qualitative interview design, and highlights exemplary articles in top journals that adopt qualitative interview designs.