Informational Interview

Informational Interview 

The informational interview involves meeting and interviewing an entrepreneur, business owner, or financial professional to gather information. You should not wait until the due date to prepare, as meetings may be difficult to arrange at short notice. If your work schedule inhibits such preparation, you may conduct the interview by telephone or via online/e-mail format.

Required Elements to include in the Informational Interview Write Up:

Students are responsible for developing questions that will garner the responses necessary to address the key elements of the assignment.

Include all of the following elements in your interview report:

• The type and nature of the business (products/services offered) and the scope of the business (whether it is local in nature, national, or international in scope);
• Why did the person decide to go into business, and how he/she proceeded;
• The business form (is the business is operated as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation–even an individual can form a corporation–a franchise, etc.) and the particular advantages and disadvantages of that form from the owner’s perspective when compared with other forms he/she might have chosen;
• The challenges and rewards of business ownership;
• The business owner’s position on ethical behavior and responsibility;
• The impact of each environment of business (economic, competitive, technological, legal, and global) on the company and the owners response;
• The owners strategy for gaining and maintaining new business opportunities;
• Keys to success, from the owner’s perspective;
• What the person would do differently if he/she had it to do all over again.
• Critically assess the current status of the business based on concepts presented in class.  What would you say is the future for this business? Would you invest in this business? Why or why not?       

·         Interview questions must be included as an addendum to the assignment; however, these should not be counted toward the length requirement of the paper. 

Required Formatting of Informational Interview Report:

• This report should be double spaced, 12-point font, and three to five pages in length excluding the title page and reference page;
• Title page;
• Introductory paragraph and a summary paragraph;
• Use headings;
• Write in the third person;
• Use APA formatting for in-text citations and a reference page.  You are expected to paraphrase and not use quotes. Deductions will be taken when quotes are used and found to be unnecessary;
• Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder.

• Rubric Name: Interview w/Entrepreneur (20%)

  Criteria demonstrates a high degree of critical thinking, is consistent in accurately interpreting questions & material; provides solid assumptions, reasoning & claims; thorough analysis & evaluation with sound conclusions shows good critical thinking; accurately interprets most questions & material; usually identifies relevant arguments/reasoning/claims; offers good analysis & evaluation with fairly sound conclusions shows occasional critical thinking; questions & material is at times accurately interpreted; arguments/reasoning/claims are occasionally explained; offers fair analysis & evaluation with a conclusion shows little critical thinking, misinterprets questions or material; ignores or superficially evaluates; justifies little and seldom explains reasoning; draws unwarranted conclusions lacks critical thinking consistently offers biased interpretations; ignores or superficially evaluates; argues using poor reasoning, and/or unwarranted claims arguments or positions are well-supported with evidence from the readings/experience; ideas go beyond the course material and recognize implication and extensions of the material and concepts arguments or positions are mostly supported by evidence from the readings and course content; ideas presented demonstrate student’s understanding of the material and concepts arguments are more often based on opinion or unclear views than on position grounded in the readings of material or external sources of material arguments are frequently illogical and unsubstantiated; student may resort to ad hominem attacks on the author instead of making meaningful application of the material a meaningful attempt to explain or support ideas does not exist questions are logical and effective;  enables writer to fully understand the facets of the entrepreneur’s job and the skill sets involved in carrying out the day to day responsibilities of the business questions are somewhat logical but slightly limiting; enables writer to achieve a degree of understanding but a key facet of the business or responsibility of the entrepreneur is missing questions demonstrate a degree of logic but are very limiting;  hinders writers ability to fully understand the nature of the business and the scope of the entrepreneur responsibilities some questions are appropriate but key points are missing; enables writer to understand either the facets of the business or the scope of the entrepreneur’s responsibilities but not both questions are irrelevant and fail to draw essential information demonstrated full understanding of requirements; responded to each aspect of assignment demonstrated understanding of requirements; missed one minor aspect of assignment demonstrated some understanding of requirements; missed a key element or two minor aspects of assignment failed to show a firm understanding of requirement; missed two key elements or several minor aspects of assignment did not demonstrate understanding of assignment requirements writing is clear and easy to follow; grammar and spelling are all correct; formatting gives a professional look and adds to readability most ideas are presented clearly; occasional spelling and/or grammar issues wordy; some points require rereading to understand fully; more than an occasional spelling and/or grammar unclear and difficult to understand; frequent spelling and grammar issues largely incomprehensible writing/poorly written in terms of mechanics and structure no APA style errors attempts in-text citation and reference list but 1 or 2 APA style errors are present attempts in-text citation and reference list; APA style errors are present; inconsistencies in citation usage can be found throughout the document attempts either in-text citation or reference list but omits the other no attempt at APA style Overall Score