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PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET (Students, staff members and externally recruited adults)

Research Title: An investigation to the influence of e-service quality in online repurchases behaviours: a mixed method research study
Investigator: Miss Yu-Wei Hsu
Supervisor: Dr Lesley Gardner

Researcher Introduction
My name is Yu-Wei Hsu. I am a PhD student in the University of Auckland Business School. In order to complete the thesis for my Doctor of Philosophy degree, I have decided to identify the linkages between e-service quality and individuals’ intention to repurchase in auction websites. This project is coordinated by my supervisor, Dr Lesley Gardner.
Project description and invitation
Online shopping is a growing economy. It attracts retailers extending their business electronically, but not many of them have successfully expanded their businesses. Apart from the cost in controlling and managing their e-stores, the main problem is to retain existing customers. With a better quality of service, there is a better chance for customers to have enjoyable trading experiences. Previous studies evidence that happy customers will have stronger intention of repurchase. Thus, understanding what makes customers happy is a key to investigate their intention of repurchase, especially when competitors are only a mouse-click away. However, auction websites in New Zealand is in the initial stage, customers’ expectations of the service quality may differ from a mature online auction environment. Taiwan, with a comparatively mature and well-established auction environment, is selected. Comparing the two different auction environments is expected to provide a better insight in the relationship between e-service qualities and repurchase intention.

In order to have a brief understanding in current e-service quality and how e-service quality influences customers’ intention to repurchase, a survey would be carried out through a questionnaire in both countries. This survey would be targeted at all undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying in the University of Auckland and universities in Taiwan as they are more willing to use new technology and more willing to express their experiences and advices. It is expected that the result from survey will provide broad information in customers’ intention of repurchase. An interview will then be conducted to provide a detailed exploration of how satisfaction can be changed, how customers value e-tailers and what are the factors that affect their intentions to repurchase. It would be our pleasure to invite you to participate in this study. Both questionnaire and interview are anonymous, no personal information will be asked and we have no method of identifying participants.
Project Procedures
For online survey, the questionnaire is available at a secure survey website, Survey Monkey. If you choose to participant, we will direct you to Survey Monkey. For paper survey, the questionnaire will be printed out and bound into a booklet. It will be made available from the course coordinators or lectures. However, to protect the environment and participators, online survey is recommended. There is no expected physical, mental or social risks associated with participation in this study. The data would be collected from 1st July 2012 to 30th November 2012. The questionnaire would take no longer than 30 minutes to complete.

Once you have completed the questionnaire, you will be invited to an interview which would be no longer than 45 minutes. If you are willing to participant in interview, please contact for further information (such as time and location). You can choose from an online interview or a face-to-face interview. Questions are related to your online shopping experiences. It will be recorded by a recorder and take around 30 to 45 minutes.

Your participation is voluntary in this research study. Neither grade nor academic relationships with the department or members of the staff will be affected by either your refusal or agreement to participate. We are more than happy to provide you with an executive summary of the findings after we have finalised the initial analysis and it will be sent via email to your department's administrator, and will be made available to you on request.
Data storage/retention/destruction/future use
Any electronic data will be stored securely on the hard drive of the researcher. A backup copy will also be stored on a USB drive in a locked filing cabinet under the control of the researcher. Any paper data will be stored in a locked filing cabinet under the control of the researcher. The findings of this study will be published in my PhD thesis, and may also be included in published journal articles and conference processing. All data will be destroyed by securely erasing the files six years after completion of the research.
Right to Withdraw from Participation
The surveys (both web-based and paper-based) are done anonymously. By completing the survey, it is considered consent to participant. Due to there is no way for the researcher to link the survey with the respondent and so it cannot be withdrawn. If you choose to participant in an interview, you may only withdraw that information you have provided in the interview at any time up to one month from the date of the interview without giving a reason.
Anonymity and Confidentiality
We guarantee that the reported findings are anonymous. The data will be reported in a way that does not identify the source. Coding of the data and removal of identifiable material will be carried out where necessary to ensure all data is confidential. In case of any publication on the basis of further data analyses, the results will be anonymous in the same way as in the first analysis.

We would like to take this chance to thank you for your time and help in making this study possible. If you have any queries or wish to know more, you are more than welcome to contact us.

Investigator: Yu-Wei Hsu
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
Contact in New Zealand:
Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 (9) 373-7599
Email: yhsu026@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Contact in Taiwan:
Phone: +886 988 951 993
Email: yhsu026@aucklanduni.ac.nz

My Supervisor:
Senior Lecturer Dr. Lesley Gardner
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 (9) 373-7599, ext. 86638
Email: l.gardner@auckland.ac.nz

Head of Department:
Professor Michael D. Myers
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 373 7599 Ext. 87468
Email: m.myers@auckland.ac.nz

APPROVED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND HUMAN PARTICIPANTS ETHICS COMMITTEE ON May 23, 2012 for 3 years, Reference Number 7999

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