Canadian Retailer - Fall 2013 - 25

The Participatory Approach

Norris identifies three ways to approach an
interview.
One approach has the interviewer open the
interview with an introductory statement. The
introductory statement introduces the issue of
theft at the beginning of the interview. With
this approach, the interviewer might begin
by stating their expertise in retail and by explaining the reason for the interview.
Example: "I have been working at this store
for 25 years, I have taken courses in investigating store theft, and I am the one who created
our store's inventory system. I know it better
than anybody. Merchandise was taken from
our store. I know exactly how many dollars
have been stolen, I know when the merchandise was stolen and I need to ask some questions." The guilty person will react differently
to this kind of statement than an innocent person. The innocent person will probably want to
help. The guilty person might clam up or start
telling lies.
Another approach is the Accusatory Approach.
With this approach, the interviewer accuses the
interview subject of the crime. This approach
can be appropriate in some cases but it's also
confrontational. Rather than getting the subject
to confess, the Accusatory Approach can lead to
more lies and more difficulty for the retailer.
Example: "I discovered that merchandise has

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been taken from the backroom. I know exactly
how many dollars have been stolen, I know
when the merchandise was stolen and I know
you are the person who stole the merchandise."
The Participatory Approach is an approach
independent retailers will want to take in most
situations. It is a non-confrontational approach
that can create conditions where the guilty
party is willing to make a confession.
With the Participatory Approach, the interviewer engages the subject in a conversation
about their work. They try to create a relaxed
atmosphere-perhaps the interviewer begins
the interview with the kind of conversation they
often have with the interview subject. When
they make the shift into the information gathering stage of the interview, the interviewer will
want to ask biographical questions of the subject that will give them truthful answers.
Another avenue of discussion is to ask the
interview subjects about their jobs. Probe to
see if they understand how to do their jobs-
discern if they have knowledge of the job and,
in the end, of wrongdoing.
In the Participatory Approach, the interviewer should let subjects speak. Lock them
into an alibi. See what they say and how they
say it. Are they nervous? Are they speaking
too much? Does it look like they feel cornered?
"Let the interviewee talk. Let them say things
that might be valuable to you," says Norris.

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Canadian Retailer - Fall 2013

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