Workplace Friendship in relation to work satisfaction

Study title:
Workplace Friendship in relation to work satisfaction 

 You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before deciding, it is essential to understand why the research is being conducted and what it entails. Please take time to read the following information carefully. Please ask the lead researcher if anything is unclear or if you require further information. The researcher’s details are included on this form, should you wish to ask any questions before taking part. 

 Thank you for reading this. 

 What is the purpose of the study? 

 The core purpose of this study is to assess the association between job-related friendship and employee satisfaction with particular consideration of different factors that have an impact on this association for instance, coworkers and communication. Furthermore, we intend to extend on past studies that focus on the former topic using elements of the Job Satisfaction Survey 2 (JSS-2) as a different way of measuring friendship quality at work and the Short Index of Job Satisfaction for assessing job satisfaction. 

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Why have I been chosen?

 Do I have to take part? 

 It is up to you to decide whether to take part. If you decide to participate, you will be given this information sheet to keep and asked to sign a consent form. If you decide to participate, you are still free to withdraw without giving a reason.

If you wish to withdraw before completing the study please just close your browser, if you wish to withdraw after submitting your data you can do so by emailing the researcher within 72 hours of the date of completion of this study with your IP address, after this time the data will be fully anonymised after download and it will be impossible to identify your responses in the aggregated data. 

 What will happen if I decide to take part?

 You will start by being asked about your relationship with your coworkers and how you communicate with your colleagues, this will be achieved via the Job Satisfaction Survey 2 (JSS-2) as a measure of friendship quality at work. Next, you will complete the Short Index of Job Satisfaction for assessing job satisfaction. The questionnaire will consist of multiple-choice questions where participants will rate themselves on a Likert scale from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. The questionnaire will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Once the questionnaire is completed, you will be given a debrief of the study which will inform you of the research’s aims in further detail and contact details of the researcher will be provided in the event that you would like to find out more information or withdraw from the study. 

 What are the potential benefits and risks of taking part? 

 Although there are no direct benefits to you if you participate, taking part will provide a greater understanding of the impact of worker friendships which may ultimately benefit how we understand the way in which friendship quality affects job satisfaction. There are no risks to you in taking part outside of those you would experience in everyday life. 

 Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential? 

 Yes. All the information about your participation in this study will be kept confidential. The survey you completed will be stored on a password-protected computer only accessible to the researcher. Only the researcher and their supervisor working on the project will have access to the information, which may then be subject to external examination. You will not be identifiable in any report as the data will be grouped together, and all identifying information will be removed. 

 What will happen at the end of the research study?

 After you complete the questionnaire, the data will be collected and analysed to study the relationship between friendship quality and job satisfaction. In addition, the data generated will be used in the results section of an online master’s psychology dissertation project. 

 What if I have a problem or concern? 

If you have any concerns, please contact the Dean of Research Culture and Postgraduate Research, Prof. Laura Caulfield, at [email protected], or the administrative lead and research integrity manager, Jill Morgan, at [email protected]. 

 Who has reviewed the study?

 This study has been reviewed and approved as ethically appropriate by Paul Gardner and Helen Morley.

Contact for further information
If you have any questions, you can contact the researcher by emailing [email protected]. You can also contact the lead researcher’s supervisor Paul Gardner by emailing [email protected].

Thank you for your interest in participating in this study.