Page 311 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 4

CPS2234 Rafliza Ramli et al.
linear way (Fan, W., & Yan, Z., 2010). According to American Association for
Public Opinion Research, the response rate is generally defines as the number
of completed units divided by the number of eligible units in the sample (Fan,
W., & Yan, Z., 2010).
Obtaining significant response rate via e-survey has been a major concern
for survey researchers. Habsah, S. (2014) found that the response rate was very
low in the first two years after the implementation of e-survey, mainly due to
the inexperienced or disinclined of respondents to response to the new
system. Various strategies have been introduced to increase participation of
e-survey including organising a hands-on session with respondents (Jamaliah,
J., 2012). Offering hands-on session can benefit the respondents as they will
be guided on how to fill in and complete the questionnaire via e-survey
system. The session can be held at the researcher’s premise or respondent’s
premise.
Rewarding the respondent with an incentive is often used to increase the
response rate of e-survey (Fan, W., & Yan, Z., 2010). Incentives for e-Survey
normally in the form that can be easily transferred in the electronic
environment such as redeemable loyalty points, gift certificates and provision
of survey results. A combination of financial incentives, online and traditional
advertising, public relations and marketing efforts might also be used to
attract response rate via e-survey (Singer, E., & Ye, C., 2013).
In line with the modernisation of data collection, the Department of
Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has started using e-survey since 2008 for the
International Trade-In Services Survey. The application of the method was then
extended to various surveys including Quarterly Construction Survey (QCS).
According to Habsah, S. (2014), the implementation of e-survey is to
accomplish the DOSM’s aspiration to have a better management of data
collection operation, whereby: (1) data submission by the respondent become
more efficient, (2) duration for data production become shorten, (3) operation
cost are reducing, and (4) respondent’s confidence level is improving.
In 2015, at the beginning of the introduction of e-QCS, the e-QCS
response rate for the state of Perak was very low. The response rate was less
than 4.0 percent in the first two years. Various approaches have been
implemented to encourage respondents to use the e-QCS system. In this
study, we shared the most significant and successful approach undertaken by
DOSM Perak to increase the e-QCS responses using a reward system in
collaboration with CIDB Perak.

2. Methodology
In 2006, DOSM conducted the Quarterly Construction Survey (QCS) which
was based on the project approach for the reference period of first quarter
2006. The survey covers all main contractors with value of projects of

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