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Articles on Incentives

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A man pulls his kids behind an electric bicycle near the pier in Huntington Beach, Calif. Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images

E-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air

Many incentive programs promote e-bike use, but they aren’t necessarily targeting the right people for the right reasons.
Whistleblower Athol Williams, a former partner at Bain SA, testifies at the State Capture Commission in 2021. Papi Morake/Gallo Images via Getty Images

Corruption in South Africa: would paying whistleblowers help?

Whistleblowers should be entitled to financial support. But that has potential costs as well as benefits.
We feel rewarded by reactions to information we share, and that can lead to good and bad habits. Linka A Odom/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Social media can in fact be made better: Research shows it is possible to reward users for sharing accurate information instead of misinformation

Fighting misinformation doesn’t have to involve restricting content or dampening people’s enthusiasm for sharing it. The key is turning bad habits into good ones.
Penny for your thoughts? Randy Faris/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Want more good ideas from your workers? Try giving them a reward – and a choice

A recent study found that offering workers a choice of what type of reward they would like for offering good suggestions increased the volume of submissions and their creativity too.
Prompts like this sign in Coalinga, California, may get people to use less water – but paying them could be more effective. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A new strategy for western states to adapt to long-term drought: Customized water pricing

Even after January’s storms, California faces a water-scarce future. An economist and an engineer propose a way to test higher water prices as a conservation strategy without hurting low-income users.
After the 2018 wildfire in Paradise, Calif., many fire-damaged homes were razed. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A case for retreat in the age of fire

Managed retreat is already common in flood-prone areas, but what about in neighborhoods at high risk from wildfires? Here are four ways communities can pull back for safety.
Incentives like rebates for insulation or allowing homeowners to sell energy from solar panels were more popular than taxing for excess energy use. Lourdes Balduque via Getty Images

Americans support climate change policies, especially those that give them incentives and clean up the energy supply

A set of studies found people prefer incentives to disincentives, especially for individuals but also for businesses. They have views on clean energy and efficiency, too.
Many prizes that aim to spur innovation are winner-take-all. VCG for 2019 RoboMaster Robotics Competition Final Tournament via Getty Images

Want to solve society’s most urgent problems? Cash prizes can spur breakthroughs

Society has never faced more pressing challenges. Researchers are investigating how monetary prizes can help focus innovators’ attention, creativity and investment on finding solutions.

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