Table A1 Interview protocol Stage Script... | Emerald Publishing

Table A1

Interview protocol

Stage	Script	Follow-ups
Intro to study	Before we begin, do you have any questions about the consent form? Along with several researchers from the University of Barcelona, we are studying the customisation of working conditions in start-ups, either before or after contract signing, and their consequences for start-ups and employees These informal, individualised negotiations can enhance start-ups’ flexibility and competitiveness. We aim to learn How is your organisation structured? What types of individualised negotiations have you been involved in? What were your initial aspirations? What is the negotiation process like? Which available or absent resources influence reaching these agreements? What benefits do these agreements bring to you, the organisation, and the team? All data will remain anonymous, and the results will be presented in aggregate form To gather sufficient information, we plan to interview 20–30 health technology start-ups. Do you have any questions so far? Are you okay with us recording this interview? Thank you, we’ll start recording now
Job context	*These initial questions are for context about you and your background
Job context	How long have you been here and what do you do in your role? Do you have any direct reports?	What is your position? How many co-founders does the [start-up] have? Do all the co-founders work at the [start-up]?
I-deals context	*The next set of questions focuses on your i-deal experience
I-deals context	There are two negotiation models. Some companies follow a standardised approach in which everyone in the same category has the same working conditions. Others start from a standard contract and encourage individual negotiations on specific terms. Which approach best describes your start-up?
Option A – All the same conditions
	* Next, I’ll ask more detailed questions to confirm that no one has negotiated individualised agreements
	4.1 Has no one negotiated a schedule change or asked for a salary review? 5.1 Why are working conditions not negotiated? 6.1 Has anyone ever proposed it? 7.1 What happened?	If yes continue with Q4.2
Option B – Different conditions
	*Now, we’ll move on to detailed questions about the content, your aspirations, the process, and the overall benefits of negotiating i-deals
I-deals content	4.2 Have you ever been involved in any of these negotiations?	If yes, could you provide examples of specific negotiations, including timing? Examples include Professional opportunities (e.g. conferences, publications, teaching assignments) Tasks (e.g. shadowing, changing responsibilities) Financial aspects (e.g. stock options, performance bonuses) Flexible working arrangements (e.g. reduced hours)
Aspirations	5.2 What initial goals or aspirations did you have?
I-deals process	6.2 Who started them? Why? 7.2 With whom did you negotiate? 8.2 How was/will the change be communicated in the start-up? 9.2 What resources influence i-deal negotiations in your start-up?	Were multiple rounds of negotiation required? Which resources, either available or lacking, influenced the negotiation of i-deals?
Benefits	10.2 What have you gained with this change? And the start-up? 11.2 Do you think anyone else has benefited from the change? 12.2 What economic consequences do you think these negotiations have had?	How do i-deals enhance talent attraction, motivation, and retention?
Equal opportunities	13.2 Do you think all start-up workers can negotiate? 14.2 What do you think is non-negotiable in the start-up?
Extra topics	*I have a few additional questions on how different working backgrounds influence the negotiation process
Extra topics	15.2 Did you prepare for the negotiation? How? 16.2 How does the C-level’s professional background influence the type and outcome of negotiations? 17.2 And the STEM employee’s background? 18.2 Do you see any differences in individual negotiations when hiring senior professionals from the pharmaceutical or medical device industries?	Have you done any negotiation training, or did you prepare for it ad hoc?
Conclusion	19. As we near the end, are there any additional information or thoughts you’d like to share? If you’re interested, I can email you a summary of the results once the research is complete

Stage	Script	Follow-ups
Intro to study	Before we begin, do you have any questions about the consent form?Along with several researchers from the University of Barcelona, we are studying the customisation of working conditions in start-ups, either before or after contract signing, and their consequences for start-ups and employeesThese informal, individualised negotiations can enhance start-ups’ flexibility and competitiveness. We aim to learn How is your organisation structured? What types of individualised negotiations have you been involved in? What were your initial aspirations? What is the negotiation process like? Which available or absent resources influence reaching these agreements? What benefits do these agreements bring to you, the organisation, and the team? All data will remain anonymous, and the results will be presented in aggregate formTo gather sufficient information, we plan to interview 20–30 health technology start-ups. Do you have any questions so far?Are you okay with us recording this interview? Thank you, we’ll start recording now
Job context	*These initial questions are for context about you and your background
Job context	How long have you been here and what do you do in your role? Do you have any direct reports?	What is your position?How many co-founders does the [start-up] have?Do all the co-founders work at the [start-up]?
I-deals context	*The next set of questions focuses on your i-deal experience
I-deals context	There are two negotiation models. Some companies follow a standardised approach in which everyone in the same category has the same working conditions. Others start from a standard contract and encourage individual negotiations on specific terms. Which approach best describes your start-up?
Option A – All the same conditions
	* Next, I’ll ask more detailed questions to confirm that no one has negotiated individualised agreements
	4.1 Has no one negotiated a schedule change or asked for a salary review? 5.1 Why are working conditions not negotiated? 6.1 Has anyone ever proposed it? 7.1 What happened?	If yes continue with Q4.2
Option B – Different conditions
	*Now, we’ll move on to detailed questions about the content, your aspirations, the process, and the overall benefits of negotiating i-deals
I-deals content	4.2 Have you ever been involved in any of these negotiations?	If yes, could you provide examples of specific negotiations, including timing? Examples include Professional opportunities (e.g. conferences, publications, teaching assignments) Tasks (e.g. shadowing, changing responsibilities) Financial aspects (e.g. stock options, performance bonuses) Flexible working arrangements (e.g. reduced hours)
Aspirations	5.2 What initial goals or aspirations did you have?
I-deals process	6.2 Who started them? Why? 7.2 With whom did you negotiate? 8.2 How was/will the change be communicated in the start-up? 9.2 What resources influence i-deal negotiations in your start-up?	Were multiple rounds of negotiation required?Which resources, either available or lacking, influenced the negotiation of i-deals?
Benefits	10.2 What have you gained with this change? And the start-up? 11.2 Do you think anyone else has benefited from the change? 12.2 What economic consequences do you think these negotiations have had?	How do i-deals enhance talent attraction, motivation, and retention?
Equal opportunities	13.2 Do you think all start-up workers can negotiate? 14.2 What do you think is non-negotiable in the start-up?
Extra topics	*I have a few additional questions on how different working backgrounds influence the negotiation process
Extra topics	15.2 Did you prepare for the negotiation? How? 16.2 How does the C-level’s professional background influence the type and outcome of negotiations? 17.2 And the STEM employee’s background? 18.2 Do you see any differences in individual negotiations when hiring senior professionals from the pharmaceutical or medical device industries?	Have you done any negotiation training, or did you prepare for it ad hoc?
Conclusion	19. As we near the end, are there any additional information or thoughts you’d like to share? If you’re interested, I can email you a summary of the results once the research is complete