3.1.2.2 Respondents

The development and execution of the research project was conducted between May 2014 and July 2015. For the collection of data, various methods were employed. Primarily, we examined the Belgian legislation regarding VSO and we collected legal data concerning the three social enterprises such as their AoAs, annual reports and other documents produced and published by them. We also collected empirical data using the method of semi-structured interviews and developing subsequent transcriptions of the interviews. In total, we conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with three social enterprises in Belgium that have adopted the VSO label, i.e. CORE, Microstart, and Volkshuisvesting. A minimum of four interviews were conducted with each social enterprise. From every social enterprise in our sample, we interviewed at least four persons who represented four corresponding organisational layers. These layers were (a) shareholders; (b) external stakeholders, i.e. client or beneficiary; (c) directors; and (d) employees. Different questionnaires were developed for the respondents per organisational layer. With CORE we conducted two additional interviews, i.e. with a stakeholder and an employee, to enrich our data. In that way we achieved collecting responses from at least one respondent per organisational layer from every social enterprise while collecting at least three interviews per organisational layer in total. By means of selecting respondents from different and various organisational layers, we achieved plurality in the responses and variety in the representation of various angles and perceptions. We also achieved to validate and cross-examine the existing data.

The interviews were of a broad nature and had a semi-structured character. Draft tables and memos were used to systemise the methodological, observational and theoretical input during the analytical process, whereas during the interview stage interview reports were also used and coded. Interview transcriptions were supplemented with observations and information that was retrieved from the relevant legal documents. All interviews were transcribed by professional transcribers in the original language in which the interview was conducted, i.e. English or Dutch. All transcriptions were translated by professionals in the English language.