Table A2. Sample interview questions... | Emerald Publishing

Table A2.

Sample interview questions

Sample interview questions	Reasoning	Broader links to analytical model
• What challenges does company X face when it comes to sustainability and how are you overcoming these? • What are some of the novel things that company X is doing when it comes to sustainability in comparison to its competitors? • To gain an understanding of how company X works with “sustainability” issues and the strategic direction it plans to take	To understand the strategic design of controls to guide, monitor and motivate	Strategic design of controls to guide, monitor and motivate
• What digital systems/software do you use in your daily work? • What is the role of digitalisation in supporting sustainability? How have digital tools improved your own sustainability work? Any problems? • How are digitalisation, automation and electrification ambitions connected in the aftermarket?	To gain an understanding of the types of digital technologies used in the interviewee’s daily work and any connections to sustainability	Types of digital technologies used to develop, analyse and respond to information for circular decision-making
• How do you communicate the value of smart services to your customers? • How do you get information/feedback from customers and what role do digital technologies play in this? • How do you make use of feedback from both customer and data systems? • What happens with this data?	To gain an understanding of the types of digital technologies used to obtain customer information for decision-making, monitoring, motivating and guiding purposes	The use of digital technologies for control functions (i.e. decision-making and behavioural alignment)
• How well is company X doing in driving the sustainability transformation/innovations of the industry? • How well is company X doing in ensuring the reduced environmental impact of products and processes? How does this compare to competitors and what can it do better?	To gain an understanding of the circular transitions of case company	Circular performance outcomes
• How important have digital technologies been for company X on this sustainability/circular journey and what challenges have they brought up? For example, what new skills are needed for company X and how have internal systems or controls changed? • What role do upstream and downstream actors have in this?	To gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges of obtaining data that can be used as information from digital technologies in the aftermarket for circular PSS	Connections between accounting information (via digital technologies) and both intra- and inter-organisational circular control decisions

Sample interview questions	Reasoning	Broader links to analytical model
• What challenges does company X face when it comes to sustainability and how are you overcoming these?• What are some of the novel things that company X is doing when it comes to sustainability in comparison to its competitors?• To gain an understanding of how company X works with “sustainability” issues and the strategic direction it plans to take	To understand the strategic design of controls to guide, monitor and motivate	Strategic design of controls to guide, monitor and motivate
• What digital systems/software do you use in your daily work?• What is the role of digitalisation in supporting sustainability? How have digital tools improved your own sustainability work? Any problems?• How are digitalisation, automation and electrification ambitions connected in the aftermarket?	To gain an understanding of the types of digital technologies used in the interviewee’s daily work and any connections to sustainability	Types of digital technologies used to develop, analyse and respond to information for circular decision-making
• How do you communicate the value of smart services to your customers?• How do you get information/feedback from customers and what role do digital technologies play in this?• How do you make use of feedback from both customer and data systems?• What happens with this data?	To gain an understanding of the types of digital technologies used to obtain customer information for decision-making, monitoring, motivating and guiding purposes	The use of digital technologies for control functions (i.e. decision-making and behavioural alignment)
• How well is company X doing in driving the sustainability transformation/innovations of the industry?• How well is company X doing in ensuring the reduced environmental impact of products and processes? How does this compare to competitors and what can it do better?	To gain an understanding of the circular transitions of case company	Circular performance outcomes
• How important have digital technologies been for company X on this sustainability/circular journey and what challenges have they brought up? For example, what new skills are needed for company X and how have internal systems or controls changed?• What role do upstream and downstream actors have in this?	To gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges of obtaining data that can be used as information from digital technologies in the aftermarket for circular PSS	Connections between accounting information (via digital technologies) and both intra- and inter-organisational circular control decisions

Source: Author’s own creation