Abstract
This chapter presents a practical framework useful to both young and well-seasoned researchers who are about to embark on qualitative research studies requiring interviews with the elite, ‘a short-hand term for those actors who [people] perceive as more powerful or privileged than some undefined group’ (Woods, 1998: 2101).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aberbach, J. D. and Rockman, B. A. (2002) ‘Conducting and Coding Elites Interviews’, Political Sciences and Politics, 35 (4): 673–6.
Ackroyd, S. and Hughes, J. A. (1981) Data Collection in Context (London: Longman).
Antle, B. J. and Regehr, C. (2003) ‘Beyond Individual Rights and Freedoms: Metaethics in Social Work Research’, Social Work, 48 (1): 135–44.
Arendell, T. (1997) ‘Reflections on the Researcher–Researched Relationship: A Woman Interviewing Men’, Qualitative Sociology, 20 (3): 341–68.
Aristotle (1908) The Works of Aristotle, ed. D. Ross, 12 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press).
Barfield, O. (1988) Saving Appearances: A Study of Idolatry (2nd edn.) (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press).
Berg, B. L. (2007) Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences (6th edn.) (London: Pearson International Edition).
Berry, J. M. (2002) ‘Validity and Reliability Issues in Elite Interviewing’, Political Sciences and Politics, 35 (4): 679–82.
Berry, R. S. Y. (1999) ‘Collecting Data by In-depth Interviewing’. Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex at Brighton, 2–5 September.
Bourdieu, P. (1986) ‘The Forms of Capital’. In J. Richardson (ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (New York: Greenwood Press), 241–58.
Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods (3rd edn.) (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Carlson, N. and McCaslin, M. (2003) ‘Meta-Inquiry: An Approach to Interview Success’, The Qualitative Report, 8 (4): 549–69.
Covey, S. R. (1992) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic (New York: Simon & Schuster).
Davies, P. H. J. (2001) ‘Spies as Informants: Triangulation and the Interpretation of Elite Interview Data in the Study of the Intelligence and Security Services’, Politics, 21 (1): 73–80.
Fitz, J. and Halpin, D. (1995) ‘“Brief Encounter”: Researching Education Policy-Making in Elite Settings’. In J. Salisbury and S. Delamont (eds.), Qualitative Studies in Education (Aldershot: Avebury), 65–86.
Goethe, J. W. von (1781/2003) Wie herrlich leuchtet die Natur: Gedichte und Bilder (Berlin: Insel Verlag).
Goggin, M. L., Bowman, A. O., Lester, J. P. and O’Toole, J. L. (1990) Implementation Theory and Practice: Toward a Third Generation (London: Scott, Foresman).
Goldstein, K. (2002) ‘Getting in the Door: Sampling and Completing Elite Interviews’, Political Sciences and Politics, 35 (4): 669–72.
Granovetter, M. (1992) ‘Problems of Explanation in Economic Sociology’. In N. Nohria and R. G. Eccles (eds.), Networks and Organisations: Structure, Form and Action (Boston: Harvard Business School Press).
Hertz, R. and Imber, J. B. (eds.) (1995) Studying Elites Using Qualitative Methods (London: Sage).
Hirsch, P. M. (1995) ‘Tales from the Field: Learning from Researchers’ Accounts’. In R. Hertz and J. B. Imber (eds.), Studying Elites Using Qualitative Methods (London: Sage), 40–64.
Hunter, A. (1993) ‘Local Knowledge and Local Power: Notes on the Ethnography of Local Community Elites’, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 22 (1): 36–58.
Janesick, V. (1998) Stretching: Exercises for Qualitative Researchers (Thousand Oaks: Sage).
Kahl, J. (1957) The American Class Structure (New York: Rinehart).
Kakabadse, N. and Kakabadse, A. (2009) ‘Thinking about Research’, Research Seminar, Copenhagen Business School (CBS), 19 March.
Kakabadse, N., Kakabadse, A. and Kalu, K. (2007) ‘Communicative Action through Collaborative Inquiry: Journey of a Facilitating Co-Inquirer’, Systemic Practice and Action Research, 20 (3): 245–72.
Knapp, N. (1997) ‘Interviewing Joshua: On the Importance of Leaving Room for Serendipity’, Qualitative Inquiry, 3 (3): 326–42.
Kolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall).
Lee, R. (1995) Dangerous Fieldwork. Qualitative Research Methods Series, vol. 34 (London: Sage).
Lewin, K. (1942) ‘Field Theory and Learning’. In K. Lewin, Field Theory in Social Science: Selected Theoretical Papers, ed. D. Cartwight (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), 238–303.
Lord, M. (2000) ‘Corporate Political Strategy and Legislative Decision Making’, Business and Society, 39 (1): 76–93.
Mayer, J. D. and Salovey, P. (1997) ‘What is Emotional Intelligence?’ In P. Salovey and D. J. Slayter (eds.), Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Educational Implications (New York: Basic Books), 3–31.
McCracken, G. (1988) The Long Interview (Newbury Park, CA and London: Sage).
McQueen. R. and Knussen, C. (2002) Research Methods for Social Science: An Introduction (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall).
Morrill, C., Buller, D. B., Buller, M. K. and Larkey, L. L. (1999) ‘Toward an Organisational Perspective on Identifying and Managing Formal Gatekeepers’, Qualitative Sociology, 22 (1): 51–72.
Peabody, R. L. et al. (1990) ‘Interviewing Political Elites’, Political Science and Politics, 23 (3): 451–5.
Powdermaker, H. (1966) Stranger and Friend: The Way of an Anthropologist (New York: W. W. Norton).
Rapley, T. (2004) ‘Interviews’. In C. Seale, G. Gobo, J. F. Gubrium and D. Silverman (eds.), Qualitative Research Practice (London: Sage), 15–33.
Revans, R. W. (1982) The Origin and Growth of Action Learning (Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Co.).
Richards, D. (1996) ‘Elite Interviewing: Approaches and Pitfalls’, Politics, 16 (3): 199–204.
Rodham, K. (2000) ‘Role Theory and the Analysis of Managerial Work: The Case of Occupational Health Professionals’, Journal of Applied Management Studies, 9 (1): 71–81.
Roulston, K. (2010) Reflective Interviewing: A Guide to Theory and Practice (London: Sage).
Schoenberger, E. (1991) ‘The Corporate Interview as an Evidentiary Strategy in Human Geography’, The Professional Geographer, 43: 180–9.
Tansey, O. (2007) ‘Process Tracing and Elite Interviewing: A Case for Non-probability Sampling’, Political Science & Politics, 40 (4): 765–72.
Ward, K. G. and Jones, M. (1999) ‘Researching Local Elites: Reflexivity, “Situatedness” and Political-Temporal Contingency’, Geoforum, 30 (4): 301–12.
Welch, C., Marschan-Piekkari, R., Penttinen, H., and Tahvanainen, M. (2002) ‘Interviewing Elites in International Organisations: A Balancing Act for the Researcher’, Paper presented at the 25th Annual Conference of EIBA, Manchester School of Management, 12–14 December.
Wong, L. M. (1998) ‘The Ethics of Rapport: Institutional Safeguards, Resistance and Betrayal’, Qualitative Inquiry, 4 (2): 178–99.
Woods, M. (1998) ‘Rethinking Elites: Networks, Space, and Local Politics’, Environment and Planning, 30: 2101–19.
Yeung, H. W. (1995) ‘Qualitative Personal Interviews in International Business Research: Some Lessons from a Study of Hong Kong Transnational Corporations’, International Business Review, 4 (3): 313–39.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2012 Nada K. Kakabadse and Eddy Louchart
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kakabadse, N.K., Louchart, E. (2012). Delicate Empiricism: An Action Learning Approach to Elite Interviewing. In: Kakabadse, A., Kakabadse, N. (eds) Global Elites. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230362406_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230362406_17
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-32655-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-36240-6
eBook Packages: Palgrave Business & Management CollectionBusiness and Management (R0)