RESEARCH METHOD / PRACTICE GUIDE

Role + workflow comparison

How does responsibility change the workflow and information someone needs?

A repeatable workflow using Plan → Conduct → Report. Adapt recruitment, timing and depth to the decision, participants and evidence available.

1. 01

   Plan

   Identify the roles, permissions and decisions under comparison. Select a shared task or deal stage so differences remain interpretable. Create a comparison template for goals, inputs, authority, outputs and handoffs.

2. 02

   Conduct

   Gather concrete task examples from each role. Map what each person can see, decide and delegate. Compare the same stages across cases, checking whether differences arise from role, institution, experience or the particular situation.

3. 03

   Report

   Create a role-by-stage matrix with direct evidence and exceptions. Validate ambiguous responsibilities with participants. Translate the comparison into information architecture, access requirements and hypotheses for testing with each role.