Walsham (2006) states that interviews are a part of most interpretive studies as a key
way of accessing the interpretations of informants in the field. Therefore, an in-depth
interview is considered as a common data collection instrument in qualitative research
and exploratory study, where a researcher seeks to obtain a deep understanding of the
topic and intends to develop theories or hypothesis rather than testing them (Creswell
2007; Creswell 2008; Minichiello et al. 1995; Stebbins 2001). In this research, in-depth,
semi-structured interviews were primarily used to collect data to gain insight into the
participants‘ current constructions of their feelings, motivations, and concerns, their
reconstructions of past collaborative experiences in their business, and their projections
of collaborations in the future (Given 2008; Kvale & Brinkmann 2008). Furthermore,
semi-structured interviews offers the researcher the flexibility to probe into
organisational and other contextual issues that a questionnaire survey method would otherwise miss (Creswell 2008). This gives the participants more freedom to express
their perspectives in their own unique way (Silverman 2005, 2009). According to Guba et
al. (2000), interviews serve several purposes that include obtaining people‘s
constructions, reconstructions, projections, and verifications. The semi-structured format
allowed conversations to be directed toward the chosen theme of this study and left
respondents free to openly express their view (Guba et al. 2000). This type of interview
format allowed specific information to be sought through basic guideline questions, while
still allowing for emerging questions and issues to be explored.
In the data collection process, literature on SMEs, organisational factors, technological
factors, environment factors, innovation in SMEs, value creation and performance in the
organisation were reviewed. An interview schedule was then created using the literature,
conceptual framework and research questions. The focus of the interviews was to study
the individual experience of the business owners in different industries in order to explore
and gain more understanding about the value creation that is derived from different
factors such as organisational, technological, and environmental factors from each
organisation. All interviews took place at the participants‘ premises and in a location that
was flexible and relaxing for the interviewees. The interviewer followed a general
interview guide, which consists of key questions (located in Appendix A3). Further detail
of the interview process adopted in this research is provided in section 3.3.4.
The following section discusses the research procedure, which explains how this research
was conducted.