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on Nudge and Boosting |
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Issue of 2026–11–02
two papers chosen by Marco Novarese, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Gallo, Misty (University of Arkansas); Wolf, Patrick (University of Arkansas); Patrinos, Harry (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville) |
| Abstract: | Government programs often experience low take-up, limiting their potential positive impact. We examine whether reducing registration frictions can increase participation in a state-financed literacy intervention program. In a randomized field experiment, families received either encouragement and a simplified enrollment process, or these interventions plus text message nudges, relative to a business-as-usual control group. We find that encouragement and simplified registration increased take-up by more than 10 percentage points, while a fuller treatment of encouragement, simplified enrollment, and text nudges increased take-up by 6 percentage points. We also estimate the impact of these treatments to promote use of funding and amount of funding used to access tutoring. We find positive intent-to-treat effects with the fuller treatment showing a strong impact on use and amount of funding used. These low-cost interventions offer a promising strategy for increasing participation in government programs. |
| Keywords: | literacy, tutoring, take-up, nudge, behavioral economics, encouragement, regulatory friction, parental engagement, choice, implementation |
| JEL: | I21 D91 C93 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp19002 |
| By: | Carayannis, Elias G.; Zotas, Nikos R. |
| Abstract: | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly operate in environments characterised by technological acceleration, regulatory change, market volatility, sustainability pressures, and shifting competitive conditions. Strategic foresight can strengthen organisational preparedness by enabling firms to identify emerging developments, explore uncertainty, and consider alternative futures. Yet recognising strategically relevant change does not necessarily result in timely organisational response. This conceptual paper addresses this problem by introducing the Foresight- Action Gap, defined as the behavioural and organisational distance between recognising a strategically relevant future development and initiating an appropriate strategic response. Drawing on strategic foresight, behavioural decision-making, digital nudging, managerial attention, and dynamic capabilities, the paper develops a Behaviourally Enabled Strategic Foresight (BESF) framework tailored to the characteristics of SMEs. BESF integrates six functions: sensing, interpretation, anticipation, prioritisation, action, and organisational learning. The framework proposes that context-sensitive digital nudges can reduce specific behavioural frictions within this process while preserving managerial autonomy. Rather than assuming that nudging universally improves decisions, it emphasises friction-intervention fit and organisational context. The paper develops six theoretical propositions and a staged empirical agenda for validating the Foresight-Action Gap and the BESF framework. |
| Keywords: | strategic foresight, digital nudging, SMEs, strategic decisionmaking, managerial attention, dynamic capabilities, Foresight-Action Gap |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iedlwp:344251 |