Accessing Large Corporations: Research Ethics and                     Gatekeeper-Relations in the Case of Researching a Japanese-Invested                     Factory

Grønning, Terje

doi:10.5153/sro.124

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Trond Undheim Élite studies have been important in the social sciences at least since Mills' (1956) classic study, but qualitative interviews are not so much discussed in this regard. While the literature is not abundant, a handful of monographs, edited books, articles and bookchapters deal with access to élite interviews or observation (Cassell, 1988;Coleman, 1996;Dexter, 1970;Grønning, 1997;Moyser, 1988, Moyser & Wagstaffe, 1987Ostrander, 1993;Spector, 1980;Spencer, 1982;Thomas, 1995;Winkler, 1987). Most scholars agree access is time-consuming and entails coping with rejection and scepticism by both formal and informal organizational gatekeepers that constrain fieldwork and interviews (Jackall, 1998;Smith, 2001;Thomas, 1995).…”

Section: The Interview In Social Science Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting Connected: How Sociologists Can Access The High Tech Élite

Undheim

2015

TQR

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Élite studies have been relatively neglected in the qualitative methods literature (Coleman, 1996, p. 336; Hertz & Imber, 1995) . As a consequence, the interview methods literature in the social sciences does not adequately address the issue of access to élite interviews. Nor does it address the élite interview process itself (Breakwell, Hammond, & Fife-Schaw, 1995; Brenner, Brown, & Canter, 1985; Crabtree & Miller, 1992; Fog, 1994; Fowler & Mangione, 1990; McCracken , 1988; Stewart & Cash, 1997; Sudman & Bradburn, 1982; Weiss, 1994) . Despite its élite sample (scientists, engineers, policy- makers) the science and technology studies (STS) community (Undheim, 2002) suffers from the same lack of attention to access, with Traweek (1995) as a notable exception. The author discusses the small literature on qualitative élite studies ( Hertz & Imber, 1995; Walford, 1994) as well as contributions on élite interviewing (Burgess, 1988; Cassell, 1988; Dexter, 1970; Moyser, 1988; Spector, 1980; Thomas, 1995) . Practical consultation for interview practice is also given. Seeing access as an ongoing, precarious process, the author recommends improvisation by ways of a threefold journalistic, therapeutic, and investigative modus operandi. The author draws on a study of the situated nature of high tech practices and is based on interview experience with knowledge workers, experts, and high tech CEOs in the United States, Italy, and Norway. As well, he brings experiences from a previous study of regional innovation in Norway and Great Britain (Thorvik & Undheim, 1998) .

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Section: The Interview In Social Science Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting Connected: How Sociologists Can Access The High Tech Élite

Undheim

2015

TQR

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“…6.7 At my first meeting I met Emma [18] , who I believed could become a valued gatekeeper to gaining ‘conditional access’ to the movement's inside operations (Lee 1993 cited in GRONNING 1997). I decided from the outset that in order to gain Emma's trust, I'd need to be fully honest with her.…”

Section: The Challenge Of Cultivating Relationships With Gatekeepersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At least, they will wish to safeguard what they perceive as their legitimate interests. Gatekeepers may therefore attempt to exercise some degree of surveillance and control, either by blocking off certain lines of inquiry, or by shepherding the field worker in one direction or another (HAMMERSLEY and Atkinson 1995 cited in GRONNING 1997).…”

Section: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: Working Against Negative Media Coveragementioning

confidence: 99%

In Testing Times: Conducting an Ethnographic Study of UK Animal Rights Protesters

Upton

2011

Sociological Research Online

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This article reflects upon the experience of conducting research into a UK-based, though internationally-renowned, animal rights group. The article firstly rationalizes the ethnographic research methodology used to approach Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). Secondly, it describes the effect of unforeseen factors (from adverse media attention to ongoing criminal investigations) on the Author's ability to forge research relationships with informants within the movement, and how these challenges were overcome. Given the interdisciplinary focus of the project, this manuscript will be of interest to scholars wishing to investigate ‘hard-to-reach’ social groups, and particularly those who have written on reflexivity and power in research relationships.

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Conducting Qualitative Research in Organizations Ethically: Organizationality as a Heuristic to Identify Ethical Challenges

Scheytt,

Pflüger

2024

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

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The consideration of research ethics to protect the research participants is a central element of empirical social research. Empirical research in organizations has certain characteristics: the research field is organized hierarchically and characterized by formal membership, specific control mechanisms, positive and negative sanctions, etc. Drawing on existing literature, we use the concept of “organizationality” to argue the characteristics of organizations lead to specific ethical challenges, for example dealing with layered field accesses, power asymmetries, and potentially strong sanctions. These challenges make it difficult to ensure confidentiality and non-maleficence and protect participants from risks. We present ethical challenges that typically arise at critical stages of the qualitative research process (planning, field access, the field, data storage, publication, and data archiving). This paper offers a heuristic to identify ethical challenges in qualitative organizational research. It extends the debate on research ethics in qualitative social research to organizational contexts, thereby bringing into focus the structural dimensions of harm.

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Accessing Large Corporations: Research Ethics and Gatekeeper-Relations in the Case of Researching a Japanese-Invested Factory

Cited by 4 publications

References 4 publications

Getting Connected: How Sociologists Can Access The High Tech Élite

Getting Connected: How Sociologists Can Access The High Tech Élite

In Testing Times: Conducting an Ethnographic Study of UK Animal Rights Protesters

Conducting Qualitative Research in Organizations Ethically: Organizationality as a Heuristic to Identify Ethical Challenges

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