Over the past decade, qualitative research has been the chosen method used in exploratory research designs. The main advantages of qualitative research include gaining preliminary insights into a research problem, and also the meaning of research questions. If we search “re-interview” (gathering qualitative data) on Google scholar, most of the studies presented are related to the subjects of medical science. Very little of management research has associated the re-interviewing. The aim of this study is to discuss the importance of re-interviewing in management research. A case study was discussed in order to analyse the necessity of re-interviewing in small business management. A special-purpose re-interview survey can address specific survey concerns more specifically.
The subject of social reputation from owner-managers’ points of view was explored in this study. According to the results of re-interviewed, owner-managers of small Chinese restaurants in Taiwan, they cannot be described as ‘ethical’. They are typically walking on the edge of the law. The motivation for this study stemmed from the different notions or descriptions of social reputation that were given by owner-managers of small Chinese restaurants, specifically between the two interviews (interviews and re-interviews) that were conducted with each of them. A major contribution of this study is that owner-manages may have different opinions about social reputation once they become aware of their customers’ points of view. Hence they may overturn their prior descriptions. Therefore, this study suggests that re-interviewing may be a critical research procedure in management studies, especially in the area of small business management. A re-interview can not only ensure the quality of quantitative data, but may also help researchers to understand the true notions rooted in owner-managers’ minds.
