Monday 16 May 2011

Reward

In Germany the official reward when you find and return something is 3%. In Russia it is 25%. Let's think about this...

We all have an intrinsic motivation to do the right thing, e.g. to return something that does not belong to us. A reward adds external incentive to the internal motivation to ensures the right thing is really done --> reward substitutes moral.

Obviously the German lawmakers consider 3% a reasonable incentive. In Russia 25% is needed. Very interesting, especially considering that this 25% were already used in sovjet (pre-capitalistic) times.

Personally I think the 25% are ridiculous high. But then, it explains why people were so surprised when I found in RU their wallets/cells and returned it.

Anybody knows, how much rewards are usual in other countries?

Tuesday 12 April 2011

roads and rain

The budget for their 0,9 million kilometer of roads in Russia is higher than the U.S. budget for their 6.5 million kilometer of roads.

Ok, from something the Oligarch have to life and the to send their kids to the private school in Europe. I do understand that all this billionaires and state officials need their share.

But can they not even take care for that the streets in the center of their capital are a bit better. Just e.g. african standard? (I was not long ago in Tanzania and the streets are much better).


Tuesday 5 April 2011

Airport Security Check

7 people operating 1 security gate...
... as slow as possible :o

Thursday 6 January 2011

Freezing Rain

About this blog

This blog is a close up on Russia and the CIS. I am not giving you the big picture.
I would anyway fail. I am too long here. So beauty & decay,
education & corruption, high culture & kafka-style administration are meanwhile normal for me.
So this blog is like a painting from from Roy Lichtenstein... when you are with your nose on it :) You will just see the dots, not gaining any understanding of the whole.

Most things will look strange in this blog. But you can be sure, I would not live here, if there would not be a lot of great things here. Unfortunately, the weired stories are more interesting to tell & read.
Don’t judge Russia on this blog, if you want to know the country, come over and take a look by your own.

Gilles