Research Consent Form

Introduction

We invite you to take part in a research study conducted by the psychological research team at EBW Global, supported by a global network of EBW Certified Assessment Partners. This project aims to understand how Business Emotional Intelligence (Business EQ) can support neurodivergent individuals in diverse roles and industries. Your participation will involve completing the EBW Assessment and providing some information related to your neurodivergent identification (e.g., whether you self-identify or have an official diagnosis).

Your involvement is entirely voluntary. Before you decide whether to participate, please read the following information carefully. Feel free to ask for clarification if there is anything that is not clear or if you need more information.

1. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research is to investigate how using a Business Emotional Intelligence (Business EQ) approach can:

• Support neurodivergent individuals in the workplace,

• Enhance understanding of how neurodivergent individuals approach work,

• Contribute to inclusive performance and development strategies, and

• Improve our collective knowledge about how EQ assessments can better serve diverse individuals and teams.

By participating, you will be helping us identify evidence-based approaches to foster inclusivity and personal development within organisations.

2. What Participation Involves

• EBW Assessment: You will be asked to complete the EBW Business Emotional Intelligence assessment.

• Neurodivergent Information: We will record how you identify your neurodiversity (e.g., self-identification vs. formal assessment/diagnosis).

• Usercode: You will be asked to provide your (or your client’s) EBW Usercode.

• Feedback Insights: You will be invited to share any relevant insights from the assessment feedback that you feel were particularly helpful or noteworthy.

Total time commitment is typically around 20 minutes to complete the assessment, plus approximately 60 minutes discussing your assessment feedback.

3. Voluntary Participation and Right to Withdraw

• Your participation is entirely voluntary.

• You are free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason and without penalty.

• If you decide to withdraw, any data you have provided up to that point will be securely deleted, provided it is still identifiable and has not been aggregated or anonymised.

4. Potential Benefits

• Personal Insights: You may gain valuable insights into your own behavioural and emotional drives at work.

5. Potential Risks and Discomfort

• There are no known major risks involved in this study.

• Some participants might find it uncomfortable to reflect on personal strengths and challenges.

6. Anonymity, Confidentiality, and Data Protection

• All data collected will be treated in strict confidence and used only for the purposes of this research.

• Your responses will be coded so that personal identifiers are removed or securely pseudonymised.

• Only the research team and individuals who are authorised under data protection regulations will have access to your raw data.

• Results from the research may be published in reports, articles, or conferences, but no individual participant will be identifiable in any publications.

EBW Global adhere to the British Psychological Society (BPS) Code of Human Research Ethics, ensuring compliance with ethical and professional standards. We also follow data protection guidelines (including GDPR) to safeguard your information.

7. Data Storage and Retention

• Your data will be stored securely on password-protected systems in line with the BPS guidelines and data protection laws.

• It will be retained for a minimum of 18 months (as per EBW Global data policy) before being deleted or anonymised.

• If you withdraw, any identifiable data will be securely destroyed, as long as it has not been irreversibly anonymised or aggregated into group-level data.

8. Contact Information

If you have any questions about the study or your rights as a participant, please contact:

Principal Researchers:
Name: Stephen Walker & Dr Neil Scott
Role: Occupational Psychologists
Organisation: EBW Global
Email: info@ebwglobal.com