Ravalier PhD Theis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

155
interview process, providing more of an emphasis on the interviewee rather than the interviewer (Nyamathi &
Shuler, 1990). The focus group is a qualitative group interview research method which uses the interaction among
participants as a source of data (Chioncel et al., 2003). Proponents of focus groups believe that, when carried out
correctly, they allow the investigation of a multitude of perspectives and therefore realities within a particular area
(Nyamathi & Shuler, 1990). As such focus group interviews involve multiple respondents' views in the generation
of data, have a particular focus on phenomena of interest, and are facilitated by a trained researcher (Brewerton,
2001). A focus group can therefore be defined as:
“a research technique that collects data through group interaction on a topic determined by the researcher”
(Morgan, 1996, pp. 130).
Focus groups allow researchers to obtain in-depth comments and feedback from participants in a proactive,
semi-structured and interactive manner. The aim of conducting a focus group is to become closer to the
participants’ understanding and perspectives of certain situations. As such, it is a systematic study of the world of
everyday experience (Nyamathi & Shuler, 1990) via the generation of detailed narrative data, as opposed to
numerical data (Knafl & Howard, 1984). While focus groups are not usually geared toward the formal testing of
hypotheses (Brewerton, 2001), a series of focus groups can be effectively utilised for other purposes such as
evaluating the outcome of a study. Indeed, the HSE claim that (Health and Safety Executive, 2004) focus groups
are the ideal methodology for the development of change processes based on MSIT outcomes. Within the context
of the present study, focus groups are used in order to assess the feasibility of suggested changes gathered via the
previous research stages. Focus group participants consisted of representatives of employees and management