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The information sheet explained the research in an individualised way which
enabled the participant to decide whether to participate or decline (refer to appendix 3). The
researcher was aware and prepared that participants may decline to participate in the study.
Acceptance was determined with the participants reply to the email. A majority of
participants responded by return email. Those that did not reply to the original email were
contacted by telephone approximately a week later. Following a positive response, the
researcher arranged a time and place to interview the participant. If the participant was to
be interviewed via telephone, a consent form (refer to appendix 4) was sent to a provided
address, which was sent back to the researcher in a provided self-addressed envelope.
However, at face-to-face interviews the consent form was distributed to the participant at
the time on the interview, signed, and collected by the researcher.
3.3.4 Responses
A number of participants at both organisations were willing to be interviewed by the
researcher. Therefore, it was decided to use these organisations as a single case study.
Participants were entitled to decline to participate in the study, or withdraw at any time
without explanation.
3.4 Interviews
Interviewing is one of the widely used methods in qualitative research (Gorden,
1980; Kayrooz & Trevitt, 2005). It is also the most popular approach in organisational
research, and it occurs mostly between two people in a specific setting where questions are
asked to extract information from the respondent (Bryman & Bell, 2003; Gorden, 1980;
Kayrooz & Trevitt, 2005). The interviews used a semi-structured approach, where a
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