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THE LADDERING TECHNIQUEA way to conduct interviews

Tina Blegind ensenAar!us "c!ool o# Business

Den$ar% 

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&!at is it'

( Laddering is an interview tec!ni)ue used in se$i*structured interviews+

( Laddering is a $et!od t!at !el,s you elicit t!e!ig!er or lower level a-stractions o# t!e conce,tst!at ,eo,le use to organi.e t!eir world+

( T!e $et!od is ,er#or$ed -y using ,ro-es+ /ro-ing$eans to 0 peel back the layers1 o# t!e in#or$ant2se3,erience+

( Laddering and ,ro-ing is used to4 0understand theway in which the informant sees the world”

5Reynolds 6 Gut$an7 89::;+

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In w!ic! situations'

( Consu$er researc! to elicit consu$ers2 ,re#erences

towards certain ,roducts or services+

( Consu$ers2 ,re#erences are categori.ed into t!ree

di$ensions4

 

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In w!ic! situations'

( >rgani.ation researc! to elicit values and decision$a%ing structures in organi.ations+

( T!e laddering $et!od can -e used to elicit valuesa$ong $anagers or e$,loyees 5e+g+ wor% conditionsa$ong e$,loyees;+

( /re#erences are categori.ed into means and ends.

( E3a$,le4

 

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How is it ,er#or$ed'

( It is ,er#or$ed on t!e -asis o# a one*to*one inter*

viewing tec!ni)ue+

( In consu$er researc!7 you start out -y #ocusing on

a certain ,roduct or service and its attributes+

( In organi.ation researc!7 you start out -y #ocusing

on certain aspects related to a s,eci#ic wor%

situation=event+

( /ro-es are oriented towards ?w!y2*)uestions7 i+e+4

0Why is that (attribute/aspect) important to you1

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E3a$,le < consu$er researc!

( T!e e3a$,le is -ased on a salty*snac% study+( T!e consu$er is as%ed a-out t!e ,roduct2s

attri-utes+

( >n t!e -asis o# t!e attri-utes7 you start ,ro-ing40Why is that (attribute) important to you1

( E+g+4"el#*estee$ 5@;

Better #igure 5C;

Don2t get #at 5C;

Eat less 5C;

"trong taste 5A;

lavored c!i, 5A;

( And t!en you draw a $a, 5H@; t!at s!ow t!edi##erent conce,ts and relations 5ladders;+

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In $y /!D ,roect

(  Not a ,roductrat!er an event+( ocus is on an i$,le$entation o# an Electronic

/atient Record 5E/R; in a Danis! !os,ital+

( Interviews wit! nurses and doctors+

( What  do nurses and doctors consider as i$,ortantas,ects in t!e E/R i$,le$entation and why+

( Laddering and ,ro-ing as a $et!od to study user

 ,erce,tions+

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In $y /!D ,roect

( 8 cards were co$,osed -e#ore t!e interview7 eac!containing an activity or as,ect in t!e E/R

i$,le$entation ,rocess at a $ore or less a-stract level7

e+g+4

 

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Interview passage – EPR user training:

 $nter%iewer& What do you understand by '* user trainin+,

 -urse& hat the teacher is able to teach me the most basic

 functionalities in the system.

 $nter%iewer& What do you understand by the most basic functionalities in

the system

 -urse& ow to write a nursin+ note0 sa%e it and be able to find it

a+ain. 1ut these functionalities also concern procedures re+ardin+

the o%erall hospitali2ation of the patient.

 $nter%iewer& Why is it important that the teacher is able to teach you these

 functionalities in the system

 -urse& 1ecause it makes me confident when $ ha%e to use the system

later on. hen $ know that $ will be able to carry out my work as a nurse.

 $nter%iewer& What do you mean by 'feelin+ confident, and why is it important

that you feel confident when usin+ the system -urse& Well0 $ wish to pro%ide the best possible patient care!

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Summary ladder:

Best ,ossi-le ,atient care

Carry out $y o- as a nurse

eel con#ident a-out using t!e syste$

Being t!oug!t t!e $ost -asic #unctionalities

in t!e syste$

T!e teac!er2s co$,etences

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&!y use t!is tec!ni)ue'

( T!e laddering interview tec!ni)ue is a structured

a,,roac!+

( Fou get to %now what  is i$,ortant to t!e in#or$ants

and why it is i$,ortant t!e values+

( T!e in#or$ants -eco$e very re#lective+

( T!e in#or$ants are a-le to relate to t!is way o#

t!in%ing 5e+g+ #ocus grou, interview;+

( Re$e$-er to listen to t!e in#or$ants and let t!e$tal% a-out ot!er as,ects t!at are not $entioned on

t!e cards+

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Interview with Margunn

ention t!ree t!ings t!at are i$,ortant

#or you w!en conducting an interview