Take-up Rates Research Articles

Payment Schemes of the Not-for-profit Operations on New Product Adoption and Fuel Saving in Developing Economies

To achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), an ever-growing number of not-for-profit humanitarian organizations promotes the environmental and health product in developing economies. In this context, we study the impact of payment type (including the traditional cash-and-carry, free trial and installment/time payment as well as the combination of the free trial and installment payment) upon selling a new durable product (e.g., a cooking stove). Motivated by the field study by Esther Duflo (Hanna et al., 2016), the functional performance of this product and its effect of reducing fuel consumption or greenhouse gas emission are sensitive to maintenance effort of the purchasing household. We characterize the household's maintenance effort, and prove that it is more likely for the household to exert low maintenance effort with more opportunities to return the product. So, a contract type with more opportunities of returning the product has the side effect of inducing low maintenance effort of the household, which results in a low value of this product in reality. Under each payment type, the amount of fuel saving and emission reduction depends upon the joint effect of increasing the household's adoption and motivating the household's high maintenance effort. The traditional cash-and-carry offer, though resulting in a smallest sales quantity, leads to a largest fuel saving over three other offers when the selling price is either too large or too small. Moreover, we quantify this joint effect for each contract type and solve when each contract type is preferred for achieving UNSDGs. This is particularly imperative because many contemporary policy evaluations focus on the take-up rates, i.e., the immediate adoption proportions of an intervention, and funding agencies are relatively reluctant to sponsor follow-up measures of long-term, persistent impacts. This can substantiate the trend of missing the true target and incentivize short-sighted strategies.

Eligibility, experience rating, and unemployment insurance take‐up

In this paper, we investigate the causes and consequences of “unclaimed” unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. A search model is developed where the costs to collecting UI benefits include both a traditional “fixed” administrative cost and an endogenous cost arising from worker and firm interactions. Experience rated taxes give firms an incentive to challenge a worker's UI claim, and these challenges are costly for the worker. Exploiting data on improper denials of UI benefits across states in the U.S. system, a two‐way fixed effects analysis shows a statistically significant negative relationship between the improper denials and the UI take‐up rate, providing empirical support for our model. We calibrate the model to elasticities implied by the two‐way fixed effects regression to quantify the relative size of these UI collection costs. The results imply that on average the costs associated with firm challenges of UI claims account for 41% of the total costs of collecting, with improper denials accounting for 8% of the total cost. The endogenous collection costs imply the unemployment rate responds much slower to changes in UI benefits relative to a model with fixed collection costs. Finally, removing all eligibility requirements and allowing workers to collect UI benefits without cost shows these costs to be 4.5% of expected output net of vacancy costs. Moreover, this change has minimal impact on the unemployment rate. Unemployment insurance take‐up rate experience rating matching frictions search E61 J32 J64 J65

Relationships between earthquake insurance take-up rates and seismic risk indicators for Canadian households

This study investigates relationships between earthquake insurance take-up rates and seismic risk indicators for residential housing stocks in Canada. The insurance take-up rates are estimated by analyzing Canadian insurance data at the spatial granularity of the 2016 Canadian Census's Forward Sortation Areas, whereas objective seismic risk metrics (annual expected loss) are computed at the same spatial resolution based on a valid earthquake catastrophe model for Canadian wood-frame houses. The results clearly show that households in British Columbia and Quebec respond to earthquake risks differently. The take-up rates for British Columbia residents are proportional to exposed risk levels (increasing from 10% to 70%), whereas those for Quebec residents are consistently low irrespective of exposed hazard and risk levels (3%–4%). Following that, possible explanations and remedies for the observed differences of the earthquake insurance take-up rates between British Columbia and Quebec are discussed by referring to recent surveys and public campaigns that were conducted in the two provinces.

The impact of COVID-19 on small business outcomes and expectations

To explore the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on small businesses, we conducted a survey of more than 5,800 small businesses between March 28 and April 4, 2020. Several themes emerged. First, mass layoffs and closures had already occurred-just a few weeks into the crisis. Second, the risk of closure was negatively associated with the expected length of the crisis. Moreover, businesses had widely varying beliefs about the likely duration of COVID-related disruptions. Third, many small businesses are financially fragile: The median business with more than $10,000 in monthly expenses had only about 2 wk of cash on hand at the time of the survey. Fourth, the majority of businesses planned to seek funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However, many anticipated problems with accessing the program, such as bureaucratic hassles and difficulties establishing eligibility. Using experimental variation, we also assess take-up rates and business resilience effects for loans relative to grants-based programs.

Case study: measuring sustainability in a Malaysian property and construction company

The property and construction sector is known to be a laggard in the adoption of sustainability practices, possibly due to its fragmented nature. Yet there is an increasing demand from key stakeholders, such as institutional investors, as well as civil society, for greater transparency on sustainability disclosures. This paper highlights a case study conducted in a publicly listed Malaysian property and construction company on their journey towards establishing sustainability measures, in particular: the strategy adopted, the processes put in place in terms of data monitoring, challenges faced and proposed solutions. This company has developed an in-house sustainable development index (SDI) which covers a range of sustainability-related issues. The findings from this study seem to suggest as well that lower SDI scores are associated with lower take-up rates; however, high SDI scores do not necessarily lead to higher take-up rates. The approach taken by this company is comprehensive, and the metrics used, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index or FTSE4Good Index, could be adopted by third-party rating agencies in evaluating the sustainability performance of property and construction companies. It is expected that the insights from this paper would also be useful to both construction and facility-management practitioners who are interested in benchmarking and improving their own practices.

AQUA-TNET lifelong learning strategy changes E & T attitudes towards ECVET implementation and the EQF

In 2011, the EU ERASMUS Thematic Network AQUAT-NET (representing the fields of aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic resources management) began a study on lifelong learning needs in the sector in order to find ways to tackle issues of articulation between different types of qualification frameworks. The survey (1913–1915) (37 organisations (universities, research institutions, associations and private companies providing lifelong learning (LLL) courses) from 16 European countries) examined their use of, and opinions concerning, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the corresponding European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). The survey, published in 2015, revealed that two thirds of the respondents (65%) agreed or strongly agreed that there was a genuine need to establish the ECVET system of credit points in education and training and a majority of those respondents (58%) considered that the ECVET system of credits should be put into force as soon as possible, though with certain caveats. If the raft of new educational initiatives created by the European Union since then is considered along with the redefinition of key terminology in the EQF (i.e. competences) and the delayed rollout of the ECVET credit system, these AQUAT-NET results take on renewed significance, e.g. the admittedly low take-up rate of ECVET credit points. According to Reports and Evaluations on the state of ECVET implementation (e.g. CEDEFOP (2016) and the much later 2019 European Commission study on VET instruments ECVET and EQAVET), both the concept and the definition of ECVET credit points need to be revised (rather than removed). One acknowledged obstacle to the acceptance of the entire ECVET package lay in the absence of a large, well-organised peer learning group able to disseminate up-to-date relevant information. Within the small aquatic sciences sector, the steady flow of information concerning new lifelong learning initiatives to all stakeholders accounted for the success of the AQUA-TNET approach in promoting informed decision-making at the relevant level. This continues to be one of the recommended best practice approaches, while surveys such as ours are relegated to the vast unread mountains of EU studies.

Usage Pattern of Carbamazepine and Associated Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions in Singapore Following Implementation of HLA-B*15:02 Genotyping as Standard-of-Care.

In April 2013, the Ministry of Health and Health Sciences Authority of Singapore jointly issued recommendations for HLA-B*15:02 genotyping before starting carbamazepine (CBZ) in new patients of Asian ancestry as standard of care. The Ministry of Health also approved a 75% subsidy for HLA-B*15:02 genotyping to all patients on subsidy at public healthcare institutions. To understand the impact of these regulatory decisions, we researched the usage patterns for CBZ and levetiracetam, the trend of Stevens–Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis [Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)] reports associated with antiepileptic drugs and the take-up rates of HLA-B*15:02 tests in Singapore. In the 5-year post-policy period, we found that the annual number of reported SJS/TEN cases associated with all antiepileptic drugs was significantly decreased by 57% (p = 0.015); SJS/TEN cases associated with CBZ and phenytoin reduced by 92% and 42% respectively. New CBZ users decreased by 31% while new levetiracetam users approximately doubled. The annual number of HLA-B*15:02 tests conducted increased from 444 to approximately 1,200. Regulatory recommendations for HLA-B*15:02 genotyping as standard of care coupled with government subsidy for the test had contributed to a reduction in CBZ SJS/TEN in Singapore by >90%, in line with that observed in other Asian countries with similar policies. Additionally, the number of phenytoin-SJS/TEN cases also declined. Taken together, this represents a successful example of precision medicine through implementation of a genotyping program to reduce a rare but serious adverse drug reaction among at-risk individuals, while preserving the availability of an effective and low-cost medicine for the broader population.

Determining the optimal electric vehicle DC-charging infrastructure for Western Australia

Take-up rates of electric vehicles (EV) are increasing and are predicted to accelerate rapidly. Public EV charging networks will be required to support future EV fleets. If unplanned, public charging networks are highly likely to be suboptimal. Planners need to understand and plan for future EV charging infrastructure requirements, particularly public DC fast charging networks, as both the upfront investment costs and the consequences of misallocation are high. However, the task of determining the optimal locations and allocations (types and numbers) of public EV charging infrastructure is complicated as it requires knowledge of many variables. These include EV driver behaviors, driving patterns, predicting evolutionary changes in EV and EV charging technologies, future EV take-up rates, and what investment may or may not occur in the absence of government funding support.

A review of the safety and clinical utility of contrast echocardiography.

There are limitations to the sensitivity and specificity of conventional two-dimensional echocardiograms in making an accurate diagnosis in certain patient populations. This led to the development of specific contrast-enhancing agents with the following characteristics: small enough to cross the pulmonary capillary bed, remain stable throughout the length of the procedure, do not dissolve in blood, and rapidly cleared from the body with low toxicity. Unfortunately, the use of contrast echocardiography has not taken off as expected. The low take-up rate among clinicians can largely be attributed to the black box warning by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2007, after the coincidental occurrence of four patient deaths and about 190 severe cardiopulmonary reactions shortly after contrast agent administration. In this article, we address the clinical safety of contrast agents, share our institution's experience in using it and elaborate on the clinical indications of contrast echocardiography.

Mechanical behavior of ropes based on polypropylene (PP) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) multifilament yarns for Achilles tendon partial substitution

In some clinical cases, attending to the type and extension of the Achilles tendon injury, a partial replacement of the tissue may be needed. Driven by this, the authors developed different structures based on polypropylene (PP) or poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) multifilament yarns, using a textile technology-based technique, in order to mimic the fibrous structure of tendons. Those structures are based on a core/shell system, being the core composed by several sub-components (braids) and the shell based on braided yarns enclosing the core. It was observed that the load at failure of ropes is mainly defined by the number of yarns that compose it, but the strain level is mostly influenced by the production take-up rate of the core braids and consequently by the braid angle. The ropes stiffness level results from a combination of the yarns number and braid angle of the core braids. The structure based on PET yarns revealed a non-linear force-strain curve similar to a typical curve of a natural Achilles tendon (AT), presenting a load at failure, strain to failure and stiffness levels very promising for AT replacement. Moreover, the PET rope also revealed a very promising fatigue and appropriate creep resistance for the final application, being in accordance with what has been reported for native AT.

Narratives of sanitation: Motivating toilet use in India

One of the largest gaps between policy intent and actual public behavior lies in the area of sanitation. Despite well-established health benefits as well as intense government efforts, there remains a continued preference for open defecation (OD) in India. Previously vaunted participatory efforts such as Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) have also had limited empirical success. We explore this puzzle in Andhra Pradesh (AP) where large investments in latrines have been accompanied by low take-up rates. A survey of 300 residents reveals that the majority of latrine users are highly satisfied with the experience of using latrines, while the majority of non-users are highly dissatisfied with OD. At the same time, we find little or no resource impediment to the adoption of latrines. To explain these highly paradoxical findings, we conducted a quantitative investigation into the narratives of sanitation and find two key themes; the first describes a “technology society” with discourses on health, modernity and infrastructure; the second a “green society” with discourses on traditions, closeness with nature and practical conduct, which provides a strong defensible narrative for OD. Understanding these competing worldviews of the environment provides policy makers with a good premise for motivating latrine use as India urbanizes. It also explains the failure of CLTS methods which rely on “shame” and “disgust” to motivate long term behavioral change.

How Much More Secure Does the SECURE Act Make American Workers: Evidence From EBRI’s Retirement Security Projection Model®

How Much More Secure Does the SECURE Act Make American Workers: Evidence From EBRI’s Retirement Security Projection Model®

How Does Daddy at Home Affect Marital Stability?

ABSTRACTWe investigate whether paying fathers to stay at home with their newborn child affects marital stability. Our empirical analysis is based on a reform in Iceland that offered one month of parental leave earmarked to fathers with a child born on or after January 2001. This reform created substantial economic incentives for fathers to be more involved in caring for their children during their first months of life, and the take-up rate in the first year was 82.4%. We apply a regression discontinuity framework to assess the effect of this reform on the probability of separation among couples and find that parents who are entitled to paternity leave are less likely to separate. The effect persists throughout the first 15 years after the child is born. Interestingly, paternity leave has the strongest impact among couples where the mother has higher, or equal, educational attainment to that of the father.

The Earthquake Insurance Protection Gap: A Tale of Two Countries

In this paper, we examine reasons why take-up rates for earthquake insurance are significantly higher in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia than in western Washington state even though earthquake risk is largely the same. Achieving and maintaining high insurance take-up rates for catastrophic events matters because this can play an important role in improving the resiliency of communities. After exploring several factors known to influence the supply and demand of insurance for high-severity but low-frequency events, we find only two key differences: 1) disaster assistance is more readily available in the U.S.; and 2) Canadians are more willing to purchase earthquake insurance when they are told they should. We conjecture that many policy options to increase insurance take-up rates, such as product redesign or cross subsidization, are not likely to be effective in Washington. Making insurance mandatory—either via legislation, making earthquake coverage a prerequisite for a mortgage or embedding it into property taxes—might be the only viable way to increase take-up rates, although these options may be politically difficult to enact.

Salience and Households' Flood Insurance Decisions

Flooding is one of the most costly natural disasters faced by US households, yet policymakers are puzzled by the low take-up rates for flood insurance. In this paper, I argue that households' insurance purchases are affected by the low salience of flood risk. Leveraging novel transaction-level data, I use two empirical strategies to support my hypothesis. First, I exploit a staggered national reform that publicizes already freely-available flood risk information across US counties. Insurance purchases, in response to the reform, increase by 30.6%, with the strongest effect in counties where the ex-ante salience of flood risk is low. Second, I exploit variation in salience induced by flood events shared through social media. Households purchase significantly more flood insurance after their geographically distant peers experience floods. My results suggest that behavioral frictions have a major impact on households' insurance decisions.

How Are Small Businesses Adjusting to COVID-19? Early Evidence From a Survey

To explore the impact of COVID on small businesses, we conducted a survey of more than 5,800 small businesses between March 28 and April 4, 2020. Several themes emerged. First, mass layoffs and closures had already occurred – just a few weeks into the crisis. Second, the risk of closure was negatively associated with the expected length of the crisis. Moreover, businesses had widely varying beliefs about the likely duration of COVID-related disruptions. Third, many small businesses are financially fragile: the median business with more than $10,000 in monthly expenses had only about two weeks of cash on hand at the time of the survey. Fourth, the majority of businesses planned to seek funding through the CARES act. However, many anticipated problems with accessing the program, such as bureaucratic hassles and difficulties establishing eligibility. Using experimental variation, we also assess take-up rates and business resilience effects for loans relative to grants-based programs.

Estimating Treatment Effects with Big Data When Take-up is Low: An Application to Financial Education

Abstract Low take-up of interventions is a common problem faced by evaluations of development programs. A leading case is financial education programs, which are increasingly offered by governments, nonprofits, and financial institutions, but which often have very low voluntary participation rates. This poses a severe challenge for randomized experiments attempting to measure their impact. This study uses a large experiment on more than 100,000 credit card clients in Mexico. The study shows how the richness of financial data allows combining matching and difference-in-difference methods with the experiment to yield credible measures of impact, even with take-up rates below 1 percent. The findings show that a financial education workshop and personalized coaching result in a higher likelihood of paying credit cards on time, and of making more than the minimum payment, but do not reduce spending, resulting in higher profitability for the bank.

Free lunch for all? The impact of universal school lunch on student misbehavior

South Korean primary and secondary schools have been providing free lunches only to low-income students since the 1980s. In the early 2010s, the Free School Meal Program (FSMP) expanded the provision of free lunches to all students, without altering the nutritional content of the school meals or the school meal take-up rate, which has always been very high. We investigate the impact of this universal school lunch program on the incidence of misbehavior in schools. We find that FSMP reduces the number of behavioral incidents, particularly physical fights between students, by about 35%.

Social Welfare Programs and Trust: Evidence from Six Latin American Cities

Abstract Using individual-level data that are representative at the city level for six Latin American capital cities (Bogota, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Lima, Montevideo, and San José), we find that participation in government social welfare programs is negatively associated to trust, a result that is robust to the inclusion of individual risk measures and a broad array of controls. Our findings support the notion that low take-up rates may be linked to stigma and not to high transaction costs as commonly suggested (JEL D01, O12, O10).

How is the trade-off between adverse selection and discrimination risk affected by genetic testing? Theory and experiment

We develop a theoretical analysis of two widely used regulations of genetic tests, Disclosure Duty and Consent Law, and we run an experiment in order to shed light on both the take-up rate of genetic testing and on the comparison of policyholders’ welfare under the two regulations. Disclosure duty forces individuals to reveal their test results to insurers, exposing them to a discrimination risk. Consent Law allows them to hide any detrimental information, resulting in adverse selection. The experiment results in much lower genetic tests take-up rates with Disclosure Duty than with Consent Law, showing that subjects are very sensitive to the discrimination risk. Under Consent Law, take-up rates increase with the adverse selection intensity. A decrease in the test cost, and in adverse selection intensity, both make it more likely that Consent Law is preferred to Disclosure Duty.