Monday, August 2, 2021

The USTA sends out another survey, but requires agreeing to non-disclosure to take it?


I received an e-mail from the USTA this morning with a survey to fill out.  The e-mail contained this description of the purpose for the survey.

As we all get our bearings in this new world, we're looking to understand how we're doing among those closest to us: you!  We've commissioned a third-party research firm, the U30 Group, to conduct a very brief four-question survey to provide critical information to help the USTA understand what we're doing well and how we can improve.

This sounds good, I like survey's, and doing surveys shows a willingness on the part of the USTA to listen to their constituents, so all good right?

But upon clicking the link, it had a very ominous sounding introduction.  It reads:

By your participation in this survey, you hereby agree to keep all information about this survey and its contents completely confidential. You will neither use nor disclose to any other person or any other party any of this information. Further you agree not to attempt to copy, print or download any of this information.

You also agree that this information will remain the sole property of the organization, for whom this survey is being conducted, as will your responses to the survey questions, including any ideas or suggestions that may be contained in your responses.

This was presented to me before agreeing or disagreeing to anything so don't believe I've strayed outside of any rules by sharing the above, but what do you think of a survey beginning with this preamble?

Did you receive the survey e-mail?  Did you agree to the terms and take the survey?

Did the USTA intend for the survey to have this requirement?  Or is this boilerplate the survey firm uses for all surveys?

Should I agree and take the survey and then not be allowed to write about it?  Or should I protest and not take it?

Note, I don't dispute there are some surveys that genuinely need this sort of language as the questions may offer hints into what an organization may be planning to do and they don't want that disclosed to competitors.  I'm just curious why the USTA would feel such strong language is required for "brief four-question survey"?

What do you think?

1 comment:

  1. I didn't get the survey but since its 3rd party, it's probably just boilerplate like you said. I'm more curious to see what they do with that information and how survey results affected decision making at the USTA in the past.

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