The 2006 EU Survey on R&D Investment Business Trends

This report presents the results of ¿The 2006 EU Survey on R&D Investment Business Trends" (Survey). It provides new insights into company expectations about future R&D investments and their motivations to invest in research. The results are drawn from the responses received from 110 large companies in the EU. They are responsible for a total global R&D investment of almost ¿25 billion, constituting a considerable share (24.3%) of total R&D investment of the European Scoreboard companies.JRC.J.3-Knowledge for Growt

Nudging Online Security Behaviour with Warning Messages: Results from an online experiment

This study is part of a larger effort to better understand online behaviour. We tested the effect on people’s security behaviour of different ways of warning them about cybersecurity threats with an online experiment (n=5,065) in Germany, Sweden, Poland, the UK and Spain. Participants had to make a purchase in a mock online store, and their behaviour was observed through four behavioural measures. Results show that making users aware of the steps they can take to minimise their exposure to risk is effective in generating more secure behaviour, as suggested by protection motivation theory. Gain and loss-framed messages, and a message with a male anthropomorphic character, also had some effect on behaviour compared to the control group. The study also included a questionnaire. Results showed that more risk-averse participants exhibited more cautious behaviour. Finally, although they influenced behaviour itself, warning messages based on behavioural insights did not affect participants' self-reported knowledge of how to prevent cyberattacks.JRC.B.4-Human Capital and Employmen

Testing the Effect of the Cookie Banners on Behaviour

We conducted a laboratory experiment (n=602) to test the effect on behaviour of six different cookie banner messages. These messages were based on four behavioural insights: defaults, information deficit model, protection motivation theory (PMT) and social norms. A control condition presented the traditional cookie banner message as recommended by the European Commission (EC). The behavioural measures were (a) the decision to accept cookies, (b) the decision to click on a link for more information about a website's cookie policy and (c) the time spent reading cookie policy pages. A default banner, which told participants that continuing to browse implied cookie acceptance, led to significantly higher cookie acceptance rates. Participants exposed to a message that included a combination of elements from PMT were less willing to click on a link for more information.JRC.B.4-Human Capital and Employmen

Applying Behavioural Science to EU Policy-Making

This report offers a brief introduction to behavioural science and its application in an EU policy context. It explains what needs to be taken into consideration when applying behavioural science to policy. It stresses the need to identify the behavioural element of a policy and select the appropriate method of research. The report also provides illustrations of how behavioural science has been applied in the past and offers practical recommendations for designing behavioural studies.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

The case for qualitative methods in behavioural studies for EU policy-making

This report is the third in a series of JRC Policy Briefs on applying behavioural insights to EU policy-making. It makes the case for qualitative methodology in behavioural studies for EU policy-making, building on the experience of the JRC in providing support to Commission services in this field.JRC.I.2-Foresight, Behavioural Insights and Design for Polic

Front-of-pack nutrition labelling schemes: a comprehensive review

This JRC Science for Policy report was produced in support of a Commission report on front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling. It provides a review of the scientific literature concerning FOP nutrition labelling and its effects on consumers, food business operators, and the single market. A major emphasis is placed on consumer attention, preferences, and understanding of different FOP schemes, as well as effects on food purchasing and implications for diet and health. The report also considers in how far producer efforts on food reformulation and innovation may be affected by the introduction of FOP nutrition labelling schemes, describes potential unintended consequences of introducing FOP nutrition labelling, and highlights knowledge gaps and directions for future research. An extensive, yet non-exhaustive overview of FOP schemes around the globe complements the literature review.JRC.F.1-Health in Societ

Monitoring Industrial Research: Industrial R&D Economic and Policy Analysis Report 2006

This paper addresses a series of key policy questions in industrial R&D. It questions whether EU growth suffers from underinvestment in R&D, or whether the lack of R&D is a reflection of more general imperfections of the single market. It also elaborates on the finding that EU companies in sectors with traditionally high levels of R&D spend as much on R&D as their competitors. This is combined with evidence from surveys showing that lack of funding for R&D is not the most binding constraint for investing companies. It also builds on the notion that the internationalisation and outsourcing of R&D appears to carry on regardless of differences in government financial support. One conclusion, therefore, is that market-oriented reforms and complementary policies to improve the structure of the European economy may be more effective in raising R&D expenditures – and in generating growth through innovation – than direct incentives.JRC.J.3-Knowledge for Growt

Assessing the Benefits of Social Networks for Organizations: Report on the Second Phase of the SEA-SoNS Project

Deliverable 2 of the SEA-SoNS ("Assessing the Benefits of Social Networks on Organizations”) project brings together results from different research activities, both qualitative and quantitative. Together, these results paint a picture of the benefits to organisations of social media, the barriers they face, and the scope for policy action. Phase 2 of SEA-SoNS, which built on the results of Phase 1, included a survey of 600 SMEs in six EU Member States (UK, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria and Latvia), five in-depth interviews conducted with micro firms (less than 10 employees) that use social media in four countries (Spain, Denmark, Netherlands and UK), and a summary of these findings with emphasis on identifying relevant factors for developing future scenarios. This report includes an executive summary and four annexes: the methodological report of the survey, the findings of the survey, the results of the in-depth interviews and a background document for the validation workshop that took place at Seville in July 2013.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Assessing the Benefits of Social Networks for Organisations: Report on the First Phase of the SEA-SoNS Project

The first phase of the SEA-SoNS ("Assessing the Benefits of Social Networks on Organizations”) project aimed to analyse the current market situation for a limited number of social media stakeholders, to identify and analyse best practices for these selected stakeholders, and to define and prioritise relevant policy options. It was observed that while social media technologies present several potential benefits to organisations, there are considerable challenges and bottlenecks affecting adoption that may warrant policy intervention. To accomplish the objective of developing suitable policy options, the project undertook a range of research and data collection activities, including: • An exhaustive and critical review of the academic, business and policy literature on the organisational use of social networking tools and social media platforms, as well as regular engagement with academic experts in this area • A scoping workshop hosted in Brussels in March 2012, at which the IPTS engaged various stakeholders and social media experts to identify and prioritise the major opportunities and challenges for organizational adoption and deployment of social networking and social media platforms • Ten semi-structured interviews with both technology providers (supply side) and organisational adopters (demand side), to understand and assess their perspectives on the organisational benefits of social technologies, the attendant challenges, best practices, and the wider policy environment • An online 'animation' of stakeholders whereby a larger number of users and experts (n=50) were able to reflect on the main benefits and bottlenecks as regards business and public administration use of social technologies, and to feed these insights into our parallel research activities • A brainstorming workshop in early June 2012, held in Seville, the main objective of which was to distil and synthesise the most important benefits, challenges, best practices, and policy options that emerged from the literature review, stakeholder interviews, and online stakeholder animation • A presentation at the Digital Agenda Assembly (DAA) 2012 that summarised our research to date and focused mainly on policy options for Europe in the area of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) adoption of social media technologies – and, in particular, how these technologies can help to facilitate economic growth and job creationJRC.J.3-Information Societ

Two converging paths: behavioural sciences and social marketing for better policies

This commentary argues that social marketing and the application of behavioural sciences to policy constitute two converging paths towards better policies. It highlights points of convergence and divergence between both disciplines and the potential benefits of further embedding social marketing principles and methods within the recent trend of applying behavioural sciences to policy. Design/methodology/approach – The commentary relies on a review of the behavioural sciences and social marketing literatures and on an analysis of institutional reports reviewing cases of behaviourally informed policies. Findings – Behavioural sciences are increasingly informing policies to promote societal well-being. Social marketing has seldom been explicitly considered as being part of this phenomenon, although it is de facto. Both disciplines share similar end-goals, inform similar policy applications and are rooted in behavioural analysis. They diverge in their theoretical frameworks, their relative emphasis on behaviour change and the span of interventions they generate. Several benefits of embedding social marketing principles and methods within the current way of applying behavioural sciences to policy are identified. Practical implications – Scholars applying behavioural sciences to policy are encouraged, when appropriate, to use the insights and methods from social marketing. Social marketing can engage in a dialogue with behavioural sciences to explore how to pilot the convergence of both approaches in practice. Originality/value – The novelty of this contribution lies in providing the first comparison of the application of behavioural sciences to policy with social marketing, and in using the policy-making cycle framework to map the contributions and complementarities of both disciplines.JRC.I.2-Foresight, Behavioural Insights and Design for Polic