Eliciting trade-offs between water charges and service benefits in Scotland. ESRI Working Paper No. 655 March 2020

If it is the responsibility of a regulatory body to decide where to prioritise future investment, then it is important to understand the priorities of the citizenry it represents. This paper, in collaboration with the OECD and the Scottish water industry, presents the results of an online (n= 500) and face-to-face laboratory (n= 99) study that utilised experimental behavioural science to explore how Scottish citizens trade-off costs and potential improvements to their water service. Participants’ priorities for investment were elicited using a novel ‘slider task’ methodology that forced them to explicitly consider the trade-offs required to allocate limited resources across multiple possible water service improvements. The provision of additional cost and timing information was systematically varied. Results suggest that citizens are increasingly accepting of price rises when provided this information. Results also suggest that citizens’ priorities for specific improvements are not sensitive to the costs of different improvements but are sensitive to the lengths of time improvements take to be made. Findings from this study are designed to inform the regulatory process of the Scottish water industry and highlight the potential role of behavioural science in regulation more generally

“Cold Coach = Victory” and other Guidelines to the Director’s Playbook

ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook argues that cold coaches, ones who expose themselves to the same elements their players are facing by wearing light jackets instead of warm parkas, are more likely to lead their teams to victory. The same is true for great stage directors; if we, as artistic leaders, expect our colleagues to open themselves up and be vulnerable in process, we must lead by example. This essay includes other insights into the director\u27s process, including working with actors, designers, and assistant directors, as well as working on specific types of plays (Shakespeare, Chekhov, musicals, American realism, etc.); it should be used the same way a football coach might flip through a colleague\u27s playbook. I have crafted an approach to the work based on my particular strengths and rooted in my training, which is largely realistic, relationship driven work produced in Chicago storefront theaters

Preparation and Characterization of Conducting Polymer Materials for Electrochromic Devices

An attempt has been made to improve the physical-chemical properties of conducting polymers by switching from aqueous solutions towards ionic liquids as novel electrolytic media in order to fabricate novel electrochromic materials. Formation and electrochemical characterization of Poly (2,3,5,6- Tetrafluoroaniline) (PTFA) was performed in aqueous solutions. The optical response was observed in order to establish the electrochromic properties of this material. Electrochromic activity of PTFA conducting polymer in aqueous conditions was investigated. Results indicated a slow colour change of 40 seconds, from delicate orange to a much intense orange colour. Electrochemical copolymerization of two monomers pyrrole (Py) and 3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was performed in an ionic liquid employing a novel ‘micro-cell’ in order to use the materials efficaciously. Characterization of the copolymers electrochemical features was performed for different Py : EDOT ratios (1:2, 1:1, 2:1) in both aqueous and ionic liquid electrolytes. A series of spectroscopic and microscopic studies were also carried out in order to prove the copolymer formation. All three copolymers presented different absorbance spectra, while the FTIR were not very clear. However, the morphology investigation highlighted the different features of copolymers which showed various distributions of globules, pores and holes. Ionic movement between aqueous phase and ionic liquid was studied, and a model was developed to describe the interfacial processes occurring between two immiscible liquid phases. In the present work the Ferrocene ion transport across the ionic liquid / water interface was studied experimentally and in comparison to a model for a thin film of ionic liquid. Results obtained from experimental and modelling data had similar trends of increase in the peak to peak separation with increased scan rate, but the peak to peak separation in the experimental was larger. A new, cost-effective prototype of ‘micro-sandwich electrochromic cell’ was fabricated, based on an ‘ion jelly’ electrolyte. The ‘ion jelly’ solid state electrolyte was a successful replacement for the costly ionic liquids. This prototype of electrochromic cell showed dark-bluish and light-blue colours upon redox switch, but optimization is needed in order to reach the desirable features of a high-performance electrochromic device

Dampak Kualitas Layanan dan Kualitas Produk pada Niat Membeli Ulang di Kidz Station Tunjungan Plaza Surabaya

Kualitas layanan dan kualitas produk telah menjadi perhatian bisnis hingga sekarang ini. ­Kebutuhan dan harapan pelanggan yang terus berubah-ubah me­nye­bab­kan to­­­­ko retail perlu untuk terus mengembangkan dan meningkatkan bis­nis­nya. Hal ini yang membuat kualitas layanan, kualitas produk, dan niat mem­beli ulang ini menarik untuk diteliti. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kausal dengan metode kuantitatif. Data diolah menggunakan Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS). Sampel diambil dari 111 pelanggan Kidz Station di Tunjungan Plaza Surabaya yang membeli mainan di tempat itu. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kualitas layanan dan kualitas produk berdampak positif pada niat membeli ulang