Page 310 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 4

CPS2234 Rafliza Ramli et al.

Incentives to improve response rate through
electronic survey
Rafliza Ramli, Maslina Samsudin, Nor Rafidah Mat Hashim@Kasim
Department of Statistics, Malaysia

Abstract
In line with the recent technology development, Department of Statistics
Malaysia (DOSM) has introduced electronic survey (e-survey) to expedite the
collection process for Quarterly Construction Survey (QCS) since first quarter
of 2015 known as e-QCS. Various approaches have been implemented to
encourage respondents to use the e-QCS. However, the most significant and
successful approach is the rewarding of additional Continuous Contractor
Development (CCD) points to respondents who attended e-QCS Hands On
Session conducted regularly by DOSM Perak and responded via e-QCS before
the deadline. The 5 CCD points was awarded by Construction Industry
Development Board (CIDB) for state of Perak as an incentive to respondents
i.e. contractor for the purpose of renewal their CIDB’s licence. Since the
introduction of this award in early 2017, a significant increase of more than
30.0 percent has been recorded in e-QCS response rate for the state of Perak.

Keywords
Electronic survey; Quarterly Construction Survey (QCS); Continuous Contractor
Development (CCD) points

1. Introduction
With nearly ubiquitous computer network access around the world, online
data collection via e-survey are being made available to researchers. E-survey
is a web-based survey instrument, constituting the questionnaire in the server
network that can be accessed by other organisation through a web browser
(Karen, J. J., Kevin, G. C., & Bernard, J. J., 2007; Habsah, S., 2014). E-survey
provides a fast and easy alternative to hardcopy submission. Generally, the
real time data is available through the esurvey and analysis can be
accomplished through integrated system.
According to Karen, J. J., Kevin, G. C., & Bernard, J. J. (2007), three most
common reasons for choosing an e-survey over conventional face-to-face
interview are (1) decreased costs, (2) faster response times, and (3) increased
response rates. Although previous studies has been mixed on the realization
of these benefits, basically, researchers agree that faster response times and
decreased costs are attainable benefits, while factor influencing the response
rates vary based on variables beyond administration mode alone. Research
also shows that the amount of incentives does not improve response rate in a
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