Thematic analysis of observed interviewer misbehaviours: An audit approach

Abstract

While survey research has expanded rapidly in recent times, little scholarly work has examined interviewer misbehaviour. Inspired by audit principles, this paper aims to identify themes of misbehaviours associated with interviewing. Using thematic analysis, it provides exploratory insights into misbehaviours vis-à-vis audit reports prepared by auditors through their observations of interviewers administering face-to-face surveys. 398 audit reports were reviewed and scrutinised for depictions of misbehaviour, and a total of eight themes were derived. These themes were then aggregated into three domains: issues with asking questions (78%), issues with probing answers (16%), and issues with conduct (5%). Analysis of the themes reveals behavioural patterns that point to actionable areas that researchers and market research agencies can adopt to curb misbehaviour. The findings are also discussed with respect to the utilisation of the audit perspective in deepening our understanding of interviewers and their behaviours.