Master’s Series on Field Research
Interview with Professor George Lombard
Professor, Harvard Business School
Introduction -
Peter Blanck interviews George Lombard about his career in field research. The interview begins with Lombard explaining how his career got started and his early studies at General Motors and Macy’s. Lombard discusses getting access to a company, the importance of asking the right questions, and different methods employed to make his interviewing and observing techniques useful to business organizations. Blanck asks Lombard about the skills needed for a field researcher and the changes in his work that occurred following World War II. Lombard goes on to talk about a “prediction study” that culminated in a book titled The Productivity Satisfaction in the Development of Workers, the hardships in gathering usable data, and the development of training programs for researchers. The interview concludes with Lombard discussing ethical concerns in field research.
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