The following information is required for you to participate in this research and describes important rights and protections. Please review the information, and at the bottom of the page, click the link to enter the survey.
INTRODUCTION
You
are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Stephanie Fuentes,
doctoral candidate from the Educational Leadership and Organizational Learning
(ELOL) department at the University of New Mexico. The results of this study will be used to complete the
requirements for the PhD dissertation. You were identified as a possible
volunteer in the study because your organization has been identified from public
sources to be using the Balanced Scorecard framework established by Robert
Kaplan and David Norton.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to conduct primary
research exploring the relationship between learning organization culture and
the use of the Balanced Scorecard framework in for-profit US organizations.
This research is required for fulfillment of the researcher’s doctoral
dissertation.
PROCEDURES AND
ACTIVITIES
For
the purposes of this study, learning organization culture is defined according
to seven categories (dimensions) of behavior: (1) create continuous learning
opportunities, (2) promote inquiry and dialogue, (3) encourage collaboration
and team learning, (4) create systems to capture and share learning, (5)
empower people toward a collective vision, (6) connect the organization to its
environment, and (7) provide strategic leadership for learning. These
dimensions have been identified through research by Dr. Karen Watkins and Dr.
Victoria Marsick, and comprise a survey instrument called the Dimensions of the
Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ), which is used in this research with
permission.
The
Balanced Scorecard framework is defined as the four perspectives of the
Balanced Scorecard – Financial, Customer, Internal, and Learning and Growth –
as identified by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, creators of the framework.
You will complete a
total of 48 questions in this online survey. You may come back to any question
prior to completion, or leave any question blank that you do not wish to
answer. You may quit the survey at any time. The questions are based upon your
perceptions of your organization today. All survey responses
will be kept confidential to the extent possible. If you are comfortable with being identified by
organization, you may consent to this by selecting this option at the end of
the survey, although providing your company's name prevents complete confidentiality. The survey will take
approximately 40 minutes to complete in one session. Please follow your
company’s computer use policies at all times. You may also complete this survey
from your home computer, or another publicly available computer (for example,
those available at your local public library). Upon completion of
the survey, you will be asked for permission to send you a summary of the
results. If you wish to receive a summary of the results, you must opt-into
this choice by providing your contact information. The survey will be
open for four weeks. I will then close the survey, and analyze the results.
Personally identifying information will be scrubbed from the data file and your
responses will be given a unique code prior to analysis. This preserves
confidentiality and reduces any bias I might have in analyzing the data.
The summary of
results will be available upon completion of my dissertation requirements at
the close of 2008. No compensation
(monetary or otherwise) is offered for participation. There is no penalty for
not participating. You may skip any question or quit the survey at any time. If you do not wish
to complete this survey online, you may request a paper copy by providing a valid
postal mailing address to stephief@unm.edu.
I will mail you a copy along with a self-addressed-stamped envelope for return.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND
DISCOMFORTS
Please adhere to your company’s computer use policies for completing this online survey. Violation of those policies could put you at risk. If you feel uncomfortable completing the survey at your place of business, you may also complete it from your home computer or from a public computer at your local public library or another public site. You may request a paper copy of the survey if you prefer not to answer online. Consult with your information technology provider or use a computer outside of work if you have concerns about security or appropriate use.
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Some organizations consider information about internal business processes to be confidential and proprietary. If you are concerned that this survey may reveal such information, please seek the advice of someone in your organization to identify if the questions are too sensitive. You may quit the survey at any time, leave any question blank, or choose not to participate.
Confidentiality of your identity in this study will be protected to the extent possible. You must opt-into providing your contact information to receive a summary of the results. It is possible, though unlikely, that this information could be breached or stolen. The researcher will do the utmost to ensure that your information is protected and used in accordance with research procedures accepted by the University of New Mexico. Personally identifying information will be scrubbed from the data file and your responses will be given a unique code prior to analysis. This preserves confidentiality and reduces any bias I might have in analyzing the data. If you choose to provide your company name to receive a company-specific summary of results, I cannot assure complete confidentiality, as I will have access to the name when assembling the data for your company-specific report.
It is possible that colleagues of yours who also participate in this survey could ask you about your answers. This could cause psychological harm or internal pressure. Please be aware that you are under no obligation to share this information, and I will not provide it if your organization requests it. Only a summary of results will be provided to you if you opt-into receiving it. No raw data will be released.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
I
cannot guarantee or offer any direct benefits to participating in this research
study. If you opt-into receiving the summary of results, you may find the
results informative or useful for conversation and dialogue within your
organization among your peers and colleagues.
This
research is intended to provide a benefit to society by expanding the knowledge
base about how learning in organizations is related to organizational
performance. Management researchers may find the results useful for informing
practice in organizations.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Any information obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or as required by law. SurveyMonkey protects your responses during the data collection process. I will secure and code your responses to ensure confidentiality is maintained during data analysis. If you are comfortable with and wish to be identified by company name, you must consent to do so and this prevents me from assuring complete confidentiality since I will know your company's name when assembling your company-specific report. You otherwise will remain anonymous to readers of the summary results and to my doctoral committee members. It is your choice whether to opt-into identification. No raw data will be provided to anyone – only final analyses and aggregated results will be reported in my dissertation and in any subsequent journal publications about the findings.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
You
can choose whether to participate in this study or not. If you volunteer to participate, you
may withdraw at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you might
otherwise be entitled. You may
also refuse to answer any questions you do not want to answer and still remain
in the study.
IDENTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATORS AND REVIEW BOARD
If you have any questions or concerns about this research, please feel free to contact:
Stephanie Fuentes – Doctoral Candidate and Principal Investigator
PO Box 357
Vail, AZ 85641
520-307-6138
Mark Salisbury, Ph.D – Faculty Sponsor
Educational Leadership and Organizational Learning (ELOL)
University of New Mexico
MSC05 3040
Albuquerque, NM 87131
505-277-9678
If you have other concerns or complaints, contact the Institutional Review Board at the University of New Mexico, 1717 Roma NE, Room 205, Albuquerque, NM 87131, (505) 277-2257, or toll free at 1-866-844-9018.
OFFICIAL CONSENT
I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I can print this form for my own copy.
I Consent - Take me to the survey