Tag Archives: Charity

A nudger’s paradox

Posted on March 4, 2022 by koenfucius

(featured image: Alan Geraghty/Flickr – CC BY ND 2.0) Trying to influence people’s behaviour ethically can get complicated – but it doesn’t have to When Richard Thaler, one of the most famous behavioural scientists, was once asked how he would … Continue reading →

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A nudger’s unease

Posted on August 9, 2019 by koenfucius

(featured image: Andrew Barclay CC BY) Should different norms apply when it is charities doing the nudging? In an old Russian fable, a frog is sitting on the bank of the river, when a scorpion approaches, asking whether the frog … Continue reading →

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Money talks (but do we understand what it says?)

Posted on April 26, 2019 by koenfucius

(featured image credit: Olivier Mabelly CC BY) What the flood of financial support for the rebuilding of the Notre Dame (and the reactions to it) tells us about ourselves Fires at famous landmarks understandably get a great deal of attention. … Continue reading →

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In whose interest?

Posted on September 21, 2018 by koenfucius

(featured image credit: gaelx CC BY) The relationship between charitable giving and nudging is an uneasy one Charitable giving is a challenging phenomenon for neoclassical economics. What homo economicus, what rational, self-interested, utility maximizing would willingly give money away? It could … Continue reading →

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A token of appreciation

Posted on September 22, 2017 by koenfucius

(featured image credit: Crishna Simmons) About the remarkably behavioural approach supermarkets have taken to buff up their image and engage their customers in the process Companies are learning that being seen to ‘do the right thing’ is good for their brand … Continue reading →

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The irrationality of charity

Posted on February 17, 2017 by koenfucius

Featured image: Howard Lake/Flickr When charitable donations are concerned, we seem to be even more irrational than otherwise What is an acceptable salary for a CEO who works in the charity sector? For the Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper, £200,000 would … Continue reading →

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