BUS 3830
Carlson
Interviews on Paid Family Leave Paper GUIDELINES:
Due date: See syllabus
Goal(s): Students will conduct in-depth interviews with an employed mother and an employer on their perspectives and practices regarding paid maternity leave for employees following the birth of a child. Students should focus the interview on each party’s attitudes surrounding paid maternity leave, their actual practices (e.g, did they take it; do they offer it), the participants stated reasons for those practices, and whether they are consistent with their stated ideals. In addition, to handing in transcripts from their interviews, students will write a 6-page paper summarizing their findings, comparing and contrasting employee and employer’s responses, and relating the findings to course materials.
Interview Schedule, Transcripts, and Quotes: Students will conduct semi-structured interviews with an employed mother and an employer. Students will develop a set of questions to ask during interviews. These interview schedules will be turned in along with the paper. Students should aim to design questions that avoid yes/no answers. Students are encouraged to explore themes or responses further by asking impromptu follow-up questions.
Students should aim for interviews to last ~ 20-30 minutes. This would likely entail 10-15 scheduled and follow-up questions. Students are encouraged to record interviews (with approval of participants) or take detailed notes. Detailed transcripts/notes of interviews will be turned in with paper.
Students should embed no fewer than 4 quotes from their interviews into their paper.
Format: Your paper should be ~6 pages (no less than 5.5; no more than 7); one-sided, double-spaced, using Times New Roman, 12pt font, with standard 1” margins. Students should use either APA or MLA format for citations using the page number when appropriate.
Paper is properly formatted 10 points
Interview schedule and transcript are included with paper 20 points
Student includes required number of quotes in their paper 10 points
Student discusses (in)consistencies between actual and ideal maternity leave practices 20 points
Student compares and contrasts mother and employer perspectives on family leave 30 points
Student relates findings to course materials 10 points
Total points: 100