Using Industrial Key Informants: Some Guidelines

Abstract

Outlines some guidelines for the use of key informants to help researchers decide whether the informant represents the openness of the group. Positive indications for their use include low-intra/high-inter-firm heterogeneity; respondents having interests in the study, complete and specialized knowledge, and identical, high ranking positions in the organization; similar perspectives and biases as other decision-making unit members; small organizations; concrete, observable study phenomena; and modified rebuys of older and less complex products. There is increasing evidence that single interviews to gather data on what has traditionally been seen as a group decision may well be appropriate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)