Discussion Willingness in the Exit Interview: A Role-Play Field Investigation

The study sought to determine the effect of feelings on willingness to discuss issues during exit interviews. Using a role play methodology, subjects were asked to role play either positive or negative feelings toward their company. They were then asked to role play how willing they would be to discuss particular work-related issues. Results show that while diverging feelings toward the company yield few differences in willingness to discuss issues, differing feelings toward the interviewer yielded greater willingness to discuss issues. Additionally, it was found that on a number of issues, greatest willingness to discuss was evident when there was a positive feeling toward the company and the interviewer