An executive interview, in this application, is almost like a journalistic interview, with a goal of discovering the subjects' opinions on a range of general, predefined issues. Because it lacks the rigid structure of quantitative telephone surveys, it allows researchers to probe at length and in depth, following new leads and evaluating underlying motivations.
In general, these qualitative studies begin with full discussion of the objectives with the client. Researchers then contact potential subjects and schedule an interview, either by phone or in person. An agenda is constructed that identifies the issues to be covered, but interviewers are not limited to those issues; nor are they bound to deal with each issue listed if time or other limitations prevent it.
Executive interviewers are specially trained to make judgments during the course of in-depth interviews about the importance of various issues that arise. They can independently recognize and pursue unexpected problems or sidetracks that can often lead to astounding revelations about perceptions and opinions. They have the option of changing approaches entirely in mid-interview or mid-study without invalidating results if the picture that emerges is radically different from what was expected.
The analysis produced in these studies is usually based on "consensus" rather than measurable quantity. If quantitative information is essential, it is possible to conduct a larger number of interviews, insuring that responses are obtained to a given set of questions in addition to the unrestricted exploration of issues. Among the small populations who are usually addressed in such studies, smaller sample sizes are often not a problem.
The greatest strengths of in-depth executive interview studies, however, are in their comprehensiveness and flexibility. Few techniques of gaining understanding are more effective than one person's saying to another, "What do you think about it?"