Interview Design

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Figure 8. Company C Structure

3.4 Interview Design

3.4.1 Data Collection

As this paper is based upon SMEs in Taiwan to find a competitive advantage through competitive intelligence and human intelligence, with determinants that help start-up innovative companies to build a team through human resource and

information gathering, thus introducing a new terminology Human Intelligence. The data collected are through means of interview, onsite observation and website knowledge.

3.4.2 Outline interview questions

In reference to table 3, part 1 of the interview question reference to Teece (2010), where the question tries to gain insight to innovation business model that are used to evaluate against the current business ecosystem, the following are what the part 1 questions are aiming to find out; (1) As innovation requires the provision of complements, is the necessary complement already available to the consumer with the convenience and price that is desirable (or possible)? (2) Strategic requirements are likely to be different in the pre- and post-paradigmatic periods. (3) Both lateral and vertical integration and outsourcing issues need to be considered. Contract

theory/transaction cost economics is a useful lens through which to view many of

Art Director

Project Manager Executive

Assistance

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these issues. So is dynamic capability theory where Blyler and Coff (2003) identified the specific role of social capital in a dynamic capability and linking social capital to rent appropriation patterns. That also proposes social capital as an essential

component of a dynamic capability in that it enables resource management.

Part 2 questions are directed to human resource practices, mainly to find out what changes were made due to environment or culture influence. It is also to find out what roles does the company’s human resource play in its innovation and how does it profit. Where part 3, aims to see what importance aspects part a team needs, the determinants that need to be analyzed to ensure that the team will be successful during its run time.

Table 3. Interview questions

Part 1 : Innovation

1. How does the product or service bring utility to the consumer? How is it likely to be used?

2. Where is the industry in its evolution? Has a ‘dominant design’ emerged?

3. What are the (contractual) structures needed to combine the activities that must be performed to deliver value to the consumer?

Part 2: Human Resource Practice

1. How has the dynamic of a team influenced the structure of the business model? Has it changed over time due to different team structure or different company development stage?

2. What would you say is the core culture of the business? How does it influence day-to-day activity?

3. What is your ideal team? What are the characteristics of your team members? What is the reason behind the dynamic of the team initial?

4. As a team leader, have you transformed your way of leadership over time?

Why or why not? What kind of transformation have you undertaken?

5. During the training phrase for newly recruited what would you say is the most important culture they have to learn? Why these culture?

6. Does the combination of team and organization culture, play an important role within your competitive intelligence development? Why?

Part 3: Human intelligence

1. If you are given the term “Human Intelligence” what elements do you think

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2. On a scale of 1-10, how will you rate your team performance? Why?

3.4.3 Interview Respondents

Purposive sampling could also be used with both qualitative and quantitative research techniques (Tongco, 2007). This research uses purposive sampling for the qualitative research. The method means that interviewer could find the samples fit for the research based on personal judgement, after a deep research (Wu, 1995). The principle of the chosen interview respondent is as followed:

1. One of the key person when the company started, to be more precise the innovator, since HI is directed more toward innovation company team building elements. The key person would be the attraction of how the team started.

2. Has led more than one team, this is to ensure that the respondent has met problems while carrying out an assignment.

Table 4 shows the basic information of the respondent, as each of the

respondent are all the founder or co-founder of the company, from when the company started. They all have insight and hardship of when the company was formed how it managed to raise up through the market and sustain.

Table 4. Interviewee’s Profile

Company Position

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3.4.4 Interview Principle

According to Yin (2003), the principals of the purposive sampling interview for acquiring the information are as follows.

(1) Researcher need to remind interviewee all content he/she illustrates will be keep in secret, this is to allow interviewee to speak freely

(2) Always use neutral and short terms to lead the questions during the interview. This is to ensure that the interviewee does not get mislead.

(3) The order of the questions will be adjusted based on the different interview situations and the answers from interviewee.

(4) In order to let the interviewee be involved deeply, interviewer need to encourage interviewees to talk but not to guide them to the answers wanted on purpose. It is very important not to release any opinions in the interview.

(5) The interview environment must be comfortable and non-stressful environment.

(6) When interviewing, interviewers should respect to what the interviewees say and give interviewees the freedom to respond in an open way. Interviewer should not question an interviewees’ answer.

(7) All the interview process will be recorded for subsequent research.

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