Participant Information Sheet for Postgraduate Research Project on HR Practices for Employee Commitment at IBM UK

This participant information sheet provides details about the Postgraduate Research Project on HR Practices for Employee Commitment at IBM UK, including its purpose, benefits, risks, and data protection measures.

[PROJECT TITLE]
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET
You are being invited to take part in research on The Postgraduate Research Project: Dissertation Route
[POSITION] at Coventry University is leading this research. Before you decide to take part it is important
you understand why the research is being conducted and what it will involve. Please take time to read the
following information carefully.
What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the study is to demystify the role and influence of HR practices for improving employee
commitment in IBM UK. The primary purpose of the project is to analyse the role of HR in engaging
employees and gaining employee commitment to the company.
Why have I been chosen to take part?
You are invited to participate in this study because you being an employee of IBM can give us an idea about
the HR practices that IBM presently follows to enhance employee commitment. We believe that when it
comes to employee commitment, it would be effective to collect views of employees themselves.
What are the benefits of taking part?
By sharing your experiences with us, you will be helping Pavith Raja Senthil Kumar Mohanambal
and Coventry University to better understand the HR practices in relation to employee engagement that
business today applies to enhance the degree of employee commitment. Thereby, we can generate new
insight about the strategies of employee commitment.
Are there any risks associated with taking part?
This study has been reviewed and approved through Coventry University’s formal research ethics procedure.
There are no significant risks associated with participation.
Do I have to take part?
No – it is entirely up to you. If you do decide to take part, please keep this Information Sheet and complete
the Informed Consent Form to show that you understand your rights in relation to the research, and that you
are happy to participate. Please note down your participant number (which is on the Consent Form) and
provide this to the lead researcher if you seek to withdraw from the study at a later date. You are free to
withdraw your information from the project data set at any time until the data are destroyed on [ENTER
DATE]/until the data are fully anonymised in our records on [ENTER DATE]. You should note that your
data may be used in the production of formal research outputs (e.g. journal articles, conference papers,
theses and reports) prior to this date and so you are advised to contact the university at the earliest
opportunity should you wish to withdraw from the study. To withdraw, please contact the lead researcher
(contact details are provided below). Please also contact the Faculty Research Support Office (email
[e-mail]; telephone [phone]) so that your request can be dealt
with promptly in the event of the lead researcher’s absence. You do not need to give a reason. A decision to
withdraw, or not to take part, will not affect you in any way.
What will happen if I decide to take part?
You will be asked a number of questions regarding how the HR managers and supervisors develops their
HR policies to identify employee needs with the purpose of enhancing the employee commitment. We may
ask you few questions about how the employees in your company are dealing with HR practices. In addition,
we may also ask your personal information like designation, tenure, wages, etc.
The questionnaire will take place in a safe environment at a time that is convenient to you. Ideally, we
would like to audio record your responses (and will require your consent for this), so the location should be
in a fairly quiet area. The questionnaire should take around 2 hours to complete.
Participant Information Sheet

Data Protection and Confidentiality
Your data will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (up until 24th May 2018) and
the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) thereafter. All information collected about you will
be kept strictly confidential. Unless they are anonymised in our records, your data will be referred to by a
unique participant number rather than by name. If you consent to being audio recorded, all recordings will
be destroyed once they have been transcribed. Your data will only be viewed by the researcher/research
team. All electronic data will be stored on a password-protected computer file in University Library. All
paper records will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the University. Your consent information will be
kept separately from your responses in order to minimise risk in the event of a data breach. The lead
researcher will take responsibility for data destruction and all collected data will be destroyed on or before
[ENTER DATE].
Data Protection Rights
Coventry University is a Data Controller for the information you provide. You have the right to access
information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance with the Data Protection
Act 1998 (up until 24th May 2018) and the General Data Protection Regulation thereafter. You also have
other rights including rights of correction, erasure, objection, and data portability. For more details,
including the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, please visit
www.ico.org.uk. Questions, comments and requests about your personal data can also be sent to the
University Data Protection Officer - [e-mail]
What will happen with the results of this study?
The results of this study may be summarised in published articles, reports and presentations. Quotes or key
findings will always be made anonymous in any formal outputs unless we have your prior and explicit
written permission to attribute them to you by name.
Making a Complaint
If you are unhappy with any aspect of this research, please first contact the lead researcher, [NAME,
CONTACT DETAILS]. If you still have concerns and wish to make a formal complaint, please write to
[INSERT DETAILS OF SUPERVISOR, LINE MANAGER OR ASSOCIATE DEAN RESEARCH]:
[NAME]
[POSITION]
Coventry University
Coventry CV1 5FB
Email: [EMAIL]
In your letter please provide information about the research project, specify the name of the researcher and
detail the nature of your complaint.
Participant Information Sheet