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Focus groups, Management, Equal value
Abstract
Traditional focus group methodology involves an individual trained moderator who manages the whole process from writing the focus group guide that directs the topics pursued, the interaction with participants, to interpretation, reporting and client feedback. Since their training, personality and orientation can vary differentially, this may lead to moderator bias. Proposes a new method that involves a series of complementary moderators that target specific areas of the guide that allows them to specialise in their particular experiences and orientations. These moderators are used sequentially on the same groups that offer the potential to avoid many of the problems associated with single-moderator discussion groups. Moreover, the chance to moderate the moderator keeps a check on how the sessions of each focus group develops, building in feedback between moderators, and reduces the prospects of misinterpretation and side-tracking by a single moderator.
Introduction
Focus group methodology traditionally calls for an individual, trained moderator who personally elicits information in accord with some pre-defined purpose. The information is obtained from an assembled group, often comprised of six to 12 eligible participants. Group participants are selected to be sufficiently diverse to generate lively and innovative ideas, but sufficiently similar to bring common discourse to the session (Morgan, 1996). Participants of focus groups are also expected to convene only once (Zmud, 1988). Accordingly, participants are typically exposed to a single moderator or facilitator who engages one or several groups to discuss directed research topics. Since moderators vary in their training, personality and leadership styles, and interests, focus groups are open to moderator bias.
We begin by discussing the different characteristics between moderators that reflect the problems associated with using single moderators in focus group research, and suggest an extension to the existing methodology that involves using moderator teams.
Training
Concern has been raised at the quality, training, and experience of the moderators that ultimately affect the efficacy of the focus group technique (Axelrod, 1975). This concern is reflected in the client's frequency for observing focus groups, in order to evaluate the moderator (Robson and Wardle, 1988). Moreover, in view of client concerns raised above, clients may resort to using their own in-house moderators because they are closest to the product, more conveniently accessible,...