Incentive Programs Research Articles

U.S. Federal Nutrition Policy and the Legal Geographies of Precision Welfare

Produce prescriptions are nutrition incentive programs that focus on specific populations diagnosed with chronic diseases. Since 2010 these programs have multiplied across the United States, with much of this growth attributed to expanded federal funding in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. Framed as both “commonsense” solutions and a novel approach to food access and public health, they have been institutionalized within the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program. Although framed as novel, prescriptions and dietary interventions are not new areas within nutrition policy. This article brings nutrition policy into the realm of legal geographic inquiry to examine how recent federal appropriations relate to not only social anxieties over diet and nutrition, but historical and contemporary concerns over public use of, and government spending on, federal benefit programs for targeted populations. This examination expands legal geographies literature through discussions of the “body” within law and how federal power comes to govern specific contexts. It argues we are seeing a new enclosure of federal benefits through the precision welfare of targeting individual bodies and their metabolic functions.

Low-Income Participants' Preference Between Financial Incentives for Behavioral Goals vs Weight Loss Targets and Associations With Behavioral Goal Adherence.

Examine associations between whether participants' were matched to their preferred financial incentive design and behavioral goal adherence in a weight management intervention. Secondary quantitative analysis incorporating qualitative survey data. Primary care clinics in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in New York City and Los Angeles. 668 participants (mean age 47.7 years, 81.0% female, 72.6% Hispanic) with obesity were enrolled in the Financial Incentives foR Weight Reduction (FIReWoRk) intervention. We explored qualitatively participant's reasons for hypothetically choosing a behavioral goal-directed vs a weight loss outcome-based financial incentive program. Additionally, behavioral adherence to different goals was collected at the 6-month timepoint, categorized by match to preferred financial incentive design. Logistic regression was used to examine if participants with certain demographic and higher psychosocial factors were more likely to choose goal-directed over outcome-based incentives. Additionally, logistic regression was used to test for associations between preference and behavioral adherence, using incentive type as an interaction term. 60.2% of participants preferred the goal-directed incentive, with the majority stating that it was more structured. Married participants were more likely to prefer goal-directed incentives (OR = 1.57, CI = 1.06-2.33, P = .025). Moderation analysis revealed that participants who preferred goal-directed and were matched to goal-directed had greater rates of behavioral adherence for program attendance and self-weighing, but not dietary tracking and physical activity tracking, compared to those who preferred outcome-based and were matched to outcome-based. Receiving one's preferred incentive design may not play a strong role in behavioral goal adherence during financially incentivized weight loss interventions.

English-Medium Master's Degree Programs at a Saudi University: Attitudes, Experiences, and Obstacles

English-medium instruction has become a prevalent strategy for increasing the internationalization opportunities of Saudi universities and the international employability of their graduates. The findings of an interview (12 professors and 30 students) and an observation of three established Science, Social Science, and Engineering master's degree programs at a major Saudi university in Riyadh are presented in this article. In order to facilitate the implementation of English-taught master's degree programs, the purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives, experiences, and obstacles of higher education stakeholders regarding English-medium instruction. Findings showed that English-medium instruction is generally preferred by both professors and students. Although the need for support measures was not as high as expected, certain challenges remain, which can be addressed through focused initiatives. Notable issues include stakeholder unhappiness, a high workload for students, varying degrees of prior knowledge among students. The research highlights how crucial it is to include English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction in the curriculum and recommends adding more tools and resources to support teacher development. These measures could involve voluntary participation and incentive programs.

Location-Specificity and Relocation Incentive Programs for Remote Workers

The precipitous growth of remote work has given rise to a new phenomenon: the emergence of relocation incentive programs that localities use to compete for the physical presence of remote workers. Remote workers with high general human capital may create value for their new destinations and reverse net talent outflow from smaller cities in middle America and globally. However, localities seeking to attract, retain, and create value from remote workers face significant challenges because such workers may have a low attachment to their new destination. Analogizing these challenges to the problem of creating and capturing value from workers with general human capital, we argue that localities can benefit from using relocation incentive program by leveraging location-specific attributes that create value for the individual and the locality. We examined these ideas in the context of Tulsa Remote, a program that provides relocation incentives and a bundle of services to increase engagement and embeddedness in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We found that Tulsa Remote increased community engagement, real income, and entrepreneurship of remote workers, benefiting both the community and the individual. Tulsa Remote increased the worker’s willingness to stay, and local community engagement is a key driver of this relationship. This work thus suggests that location specificity enables localities to both create and capture value from remote workers. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.17712 .

Guaranteed Cash Incentives Boosted COVID-19 Vaccinations Of Young Adults: Evidence From West Virginia.

Guaranteed small cash incentives were widely employed by policy makers during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, but the impact of these programs has been largely understudied. We were the first to exploit a statewide natural experiment of one such program implemented in West Virginia in 2021 that provided a $100 incentive to fully vaccinated adults ages 16-35. Using individual-level data from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, we isolated the policy effect through a difference-in-discontinuities design that exploited the discontinuity in incentive eligibility at age thirty-five. We found that the $100 incentive was associated with a robust increase in the proportion of people ever vaccinated against COVID-19 and the proportion who completed or intended to complete the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. The policy effects were also likely to be more pronounced among people with low incomes, those who were unemployed, and those with no prior COVID-19 infection. The guaranteed cash incentive program may have created more equitable access to vaccines for disadvantaged populations. Additional outreach may also be needed, especially to unvaccinated people with prior COVID-19 infections.

How does eligibility for GusNIP produce prescriptions relate to fruit and vegetable purchases and what factors shape the relationship? A protocol for a secondary analysis of nationally representative data in the USA

IntroductionUS Department of Agriculture (USDA) Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Programme (GusNIP) produce prescription programme (PPR) ‘prescriptions’ provide eligible participants with low income, risk for diet-related chronic disease and food insecurity...

Now or Later? Examining Social and Financial Decision-Making in Middle-to-Older Aged Adults.

Contextually driven decision-making is multidimensional, as individuals need to contend with prioritizing both competing and complementary demands. However, data is limited as to whether temporal discounting rates vary as a function of framing (gains vs. loss) and domain (monetary vs. social) in middle-to-older aged adults. It is also unclear whether socioaffective characteristics like social isolation and loneliness are associated with temporal discounting. Temporal discounting rates were examined across monetary gain, monetary loss, social gain, and social loss conditions in 140 adults aged 50-90 during the Omicron stage of the pandemic. Self-report measures assessed loneliness and social isolation levels. Results found evidence of steeper temporal discounting rates for gains as compared to losses in both domains. Social outcomes were also more steeply discounted than monetary outcomes, without evidence of an interaction with the framing condition. Socioeconomic and socioaffective factors were unexpectedly not associated with temporal discounting rates. Community-dwelling middle-to-older aged adults showed a preference for immediate rewards and devalued social outcomes more than monetary outcomes. These findings have implications for tailoring social and financial incentive programs for middle to later adulthood.

Participant perspectives on incentives for TB preventative therapy adherence and reduced alcohol use: A qualitative study.

Economic incentives to promote health behavior change are highly efficacious for substance use disorders as well as increased medication adherence. Knowledge about participants' experiences with and perceptions of incentives is needed to understand their mechanisms of action and optimize future incentive-based interventions. The Drinkers' Intervention to Prevent Tuberculosis (DIPT) trial enrolled people with HIV (PWH) in Uganda with latent tuberculosis and unhealthy alcohol use in a 2x2 factorial trial that incentivized recent alcohol abstinence and isoniazid (INH) adherence on monthly urine testing while on INH preventive therapy. We interviewed 32 DIPT study participants across trial arms to explore their perspectives on this intervention. Participants described 1) satisfaction with incentives of sufficient size that allowed them to purchase items that improved their quality of life, 2) multiple ways in which incentives were motivating, from gamification of "winning" through support of pre-existing desire to improve health to suggesting variable effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, and 3) finding value in learning results of increased clinical monitoring. To build effective incentive programs to support both reduced substance use and increased antimicrobial adherence, we recommend carefully selecting incentive magnitude as well as harnessing both intrinsic motivation to improve health and extrinsic reward of target behavior. In addition to these participant-described strengths, incorporating results of clinical monitoring related to the incentive program that provide participants more information about their health may also contribute to health-related empowerment.

Profit before principle? An experimental assessment of incentive schemes encouraging consumers’ role in product end-of-life returns

In the circular economy, an effective reverse supply chain is crucial, necessitating consumers to return end-of-life products rather than discard them. However, voluntary returns lack consistent motivation. While incentive programs might enhance return behaviors, the driving factors – whether based on sustainability principles or profit motives – remain unclear. Using self-determination theory, our study examines these dynamics in the cosmetics industry to uncover incentive efficiency and underlying mechanisms. We conducted an online experiment with 509 participants to empirically test four incentive schemes: 1) none, 2) financial, 3) sustainable, and 4) financial and sustainable incentives combined. Mean value comparisons indicate that the willingness to return increases for all participants after being informed about return opportunities, with financial and combined incentives differing significantly from the other groups, displaying the strongest intention to return. Experimental group-specific structural equation modeling analyses indicate that in all experimental groups, perceived intrinsic and extrinsic values positively affect the attitude towards returning packaging, which in turn is positively related to willingness to return. On the other hand, green consumer value only has a positive effect on willingness to return in the context of sustainable incentives. This study represents the first systematic approach to EOL incentive schemes, building on a new theoretical perspective and providing actionable strategies for retailers to advance the role of consumers in the circular economy.

Мотивация сотрудников к профессиональному обучению

The article discusses the main ways to motivate employees for professional training and their comparison. motivating staff to learn remains relevant in light of the rapidly changing business environment and the need of companies to maintain the qualifications of their employees at an up-to-date level. Organizations that pay attention to this topic and develop effective training incentive programs can gain a competitive advantage and long-term success.

Spatial-temporal identification of commuters using trip chain data from non-motorized mode incentive program and public transportation

Distinguishing commuters from non-commuters is important for transportation planning and traffic demand management. A framework to identify commuters using public transit is proposed based on a spatial-temporal clustering algorithm. The framework extracts commute trips by mining spatial-temporal travel patterns depending on whether the travelers' trip chains are complete. The commuting features in terms of travel frequency, time regularity, and spatial regularity are utilized to compare the difference in travel behavior between commuters and non-commuters. The framework is applied to trip data collected from an incentive program implemented by the Metropolitan Transport Commission of Korea. The data records spatial and temporal information on travelers' boarding and alighting points, as well as actual origins and destinations. One trip record constitutes a complete trip chain for travelers who joined the incentive program. The results show that commuters exhibit a higher travel frequency and more regular spatial-temporal travel patterns than non-commuters. It is found that not all commuters travel during morning and evening peaks; some commuters leave work after evening peak. The proposed identification framework based on the spatial-temporal clustering approach is capable of exploiting the inherent spatial-temporal travel patterns of travelers to achieve a reliable identification of commuters.

Are crop insurance discount programs for cover crops effective? Evidence from Iowa

AbstractCover crops are promoted by agronomists and governments due to their on‐farm and off‐farm benefits. Incentive programs were created because high planting costs have hindered cover crop adoption in the United States. Crop insurance discount programs are novel incentives that subsidize farmers’ crop insurance premiums by $5 per acre ($12.36 ha−1) on cover cropped land. While this payment is smaller than those typically offered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and state‐level cost‐share programs, crop insurance discount programs have the potential to reach a significant proportion of farmers who purchase crop insurance. This paper uses data from a survey of Iowa farmers to quantify whether participation in the Iowa Crop Insurance Discount Program (ICIDP) affects the area planted to cover crops. I find that 11% of the ICIDP area would not have been planted to cover crops in the absence of the program, which is similar to other programs after considering the lower payment rate.

A Study of Employee Satisfaction with a Focus on Employee Incentives

This research endeavors to examine the relationship between employee satisfaction and the effectiveness of employee incentives within organizational settings. Employee satisfaction is a critical factor influencing productivity, retention, and overall organizational success. This study specifically investigates how various incentive programs contribute to employee contentment and engagement. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, this study combines qualitative data gathered through employee interviews and focus group discussions with quantitative surveys to explore and analyze the impact of employee incentives on overall satisfaction. The qualitative approach seeks to uncover nuanced insights into employees' perceptions and experiences, while quantitative analysis aims to identify trends, correlations, and statistical significance. The research will delve into various aspects of employee incentives, including financial rewards, non-monetary recognition, career development opportunities, and workplace culture. It aims to discern the preferences and motivational factors that influence employee satisfaction and engagement. The findings from this research are expected to provide valuable insights for organizational leaders, human resource professionals, and business decision-makers. Understanding the dynamics of employee satisfaction in relation to incentive programs can guide the development of effective strategies to attract, motivate, and retain talent. This study contributes to the broader understanding of employee motivation and satisfaction, serving as a foundation for further research and informed decision-making in the realm of human resource management.

Effectiveness of a periodontal re-evaluation incentive program for patient compliance.

Effectiveness of a periodontal re-evaluation incentive program for patient compliance.

A Literature Review of the Macroeconomic Implications of Entrepreneurship: A Research Perspective of the Future

This study reviews the literature on entrepreneurship from several angles, including the entrepreneur's point of view, finding opportunities, creating a business plan, securing finance, and entrepreneurship's effect on economic well-being. The authors stress the importance of entrepreneurs in developing novel products and services, expanding economies, and developing new methods of doing things. Employment, economic growth, and tax revenues are all highlighted as key benefits of entrepreneurship. In addition, the article delves into what factors, such as taxes, the price of real estate, the nature of government oversight, the need for funding, and the difficulty of enforcing contracts, make up an entrepreneurial ecosystem. It indicates that a good regulatory environment and tax cuts encourage entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the report offers predictions for the future of entrepreneurship, including an increase in low-tech, socially-minded businesses that concentrate on solving local problems. It suggests further studies be conducted on the relationships between various forms of entrepreneurship and their respective development prospects. The report also emphasizes the need of future research using a wide range of dependent welfare factors, as well as foreign comparative studies on entrepreneurship utilizing various common metrics. It also stresses the need for more study into the link between entrepreneurship and social and environmental progress in underdeveloped nations. In its last section, the research stresses the significance of learning about the factors that influence entrepreneurs and how those factors affect incentive and support programs for entrepreneurs.

Financial incentive programs and farm diversification with cover crops: assessing opportunities and challenges

Farmers in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. face tremendous pressure to reduce nutrient losses from agriculture. Increasing crop rotation diversity with overwintering cover crops can support ecological processes that maintain productivity while improving multiple ecosystem functions, including nutrient retention. We conducted a mixed-methods study to understand how financial incentive programs impact transitions to cover cropping in Michigan. Michigan farms span a wide range of soil types, climate conditions, and cropping systems that create opportunities for cover crop adoption in the state. We tested the relationship between Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) payments for cover crops and cover crop adoption between 2008–2019, as measured by remote sensing. We coupled this quantitative analysis with interviews with 21 farmers in the Lake Erie watershed to understand farmers’ perspectives on how incentive programs could support greater cover crop adoption. Panel fixed effects regressions showed that EQIP increased winter cover crop presence. Every EQIP dollar for cover crops was associated with a 0.01 hectare increase in winter cover, while each hectare enrolled in an EQIP contract for cover crops was associated with a 0.86–0.93 hectare increase in winter cover. In semi-structured interviews, farmers reported that financial incentives were instrumental to cover crop adoption, but that program outcomes fall short of intended goals due to policy design problems that may limit widespread participation and effectiveness. Thus, strengthening EQIP and related conservation programs could support broader transitions to diversified farming systems that are more sustainable and resilient.

A circular economy with tax policy: Using collection channels and returns to mitigate distortions in steel production and recycling

The purpose of this research is to show how taxation of intermediate items produced from virgin and recycled materials negatively impacts closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) results (labor, capital, returns, outputs, prices, profits, and dead-weight-loss). It offers remedies to alleviate tax inefficiencies. After formulating upstream and downstream production functions and recycling process, a Stackelberg game framework is analytically solved and data from steel industry and automobile stimulus program in the US are used to obtain numerical results. The results show that an optimum collection channel along with endogenous consumer return behavior can improve outcomes and reduce inefficiencies stemming from output taxation. The principal policy implication is that American, Chinese, Canadian, and German governments’ tax incentive programs applied to items produced from recyclables are a sound strategy in the way of spurring their circular economies, improving environmental sustainability, and reducing economic loss.

Sustainability, profitability, and resiliency of the fast fashion industries during a pandemic

The size of the global textile market was estimated at nearly one trillion USD in 2021 and the circularity of fashion items are of utmost practical and economic interests. Many postconsumer textile wastes are not recycled, and are sent to landfills for permanent disposal. This study examines the profitability of the selected fashion companies and compares the financial performance through weighted average net profit margin and business characteristics. The 10 companies are divided into 2 groups (conventional and sustainability) for analysis. The conventional fashion companies have a total sales revenue approximately 23 times higher than that of the sustainability fashion companies. The weighted average net profit ratio of the conventional fashion industry averaging +4.7 during the 5-year study period, much higher than the sustainability fashion group. Sustainability fashion industry is emerging and appears more sensitive to fluctuations in business expenses and COVID lockdowns. Net profit was negative for the sustainability group in 2022, and more aids such as government initiatives and incentive programs may be critical to the growth of the sustainability fashion sector. Both sustainability and conventional groups have positive relations between net profit and number of employees and net profit and market shares, respectively. The results suggest that fashion industry has opportunities to be more profitable by adopting socially responsible goals.

Comparison of externalities of biogas and photovoltaic solar energy for energy planning

The Brazilian electricity matrix is around 80% renewable, and it has registered continuous growth in the expansion of biogas and photovoltaic (PV) systems. The main current Brazilian incentive program for the distributed generation of renewable energy, through a single net metering tariff, that is, a generation compensation system in credits to the consumer who owns the generating unit, does not seem to be effective to promote the expected growth of the biogas. Thus, the objective of this paper was to evaluate quantitatively and qualitatively a set of significant externalities for both sources to contribute to a more realistic energy planning. The externalities quantitatively evaluated for these two renewable sources were: avoided emissions, employment and income, biofertilizers for biogas and use as a constructive element for PV systems. A significant result was that the economic value of the externalities of biogas can exceed those of PV systems for the rural producer by more than 11 times, for society by 1.7 times. It is concluded that, due to the value of biogas externalities being much higher economically than those of PV systems, Brazilian public policies for energy planning should prioritize biogas over solar photovoltaic energy systems.

The Role of Monetary Incentives for Enhancing Employee Performance with Special Reference to Selected Financial Institutions in the Bhilai Region

Employee motivation in a competitive workplace is greatly aided by monetary incentives, sometimes known as financial rewards for performance. The economic research claims that cash rewards are a very popular way for organizations and businesses to improve employee performance. Utilizing a normative survey method, the current investigation was conducted. The technique of stratified random sampling was employed. A sample of 123 employees from the Bhilai region was chosen by taking into account different strata of gender, location, and institution type. According to the study's findings, financial incentives have a good impact on employee performance, but employees in the financial institution industry place a higher importance on non-financial rewards. The study's findings about employees' preferences for monetary incentives will help employers and HR managers in the financial institution sector design incentive programs that will motivate workers and improve performance. The study's findings will also be helpful to future researchers who want to understand how different incentives affect employees' performance.