Tipping is an interesting, pervasive, and under researched form of consumer behavior. Tips are supposed to be an incentive/reward for good service. However, tipping is a complex behavior motivated by the desires to conform with social norms, compensate for poor service wages, display power/status, avoid the servers' envy and ill will, and express interpersonal attraction. It is possible that these other motives for tipping undermine its role as an incentive/reward. This possibility was examined in two original studies of restaurant tipping. The studies found that tipping is related to consumers' evaluations of service and the dining experience, but that these relationships are weak. This result suggests that tipping is, in part, a reward for good service, but that it may not provide a sufficient incentive for the delivery of good service.

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Improved turbine engine performance can be obtained by incorporating advanced materials which can tolerate higher turbine inlet temperatures. Higher inlet temperature in itself does not guarantee improved performance if a concomitant increase in cooling air is required. Such parasitic losses would reduce efficiency and can actually result in a net decrease in overall performance. Therefore the greatest likelihood for achieving a significant performance boost or durability increment will be obtained through a coordinated program that strives to improve both airfoil material temperature capability while maintaining or improving cooling efficiency. This paper describes a manufacturing process under development by General Electric which addresses these issues. In addition, Rybinsk Motor-Building Bureau, Russia, has been independently pursuing a similar technology and has been instrumental in demonstrating proof of concept of several key technological issues. Under development is a fabrication scheme for producing advanced turbine airfoils which will allow the use of novel materials and the flexibility of tailoring the microstructures while maintaining or improving cooling efficiency. In addition, these goals are targeted to be met at a cost which is comparable to current high performance airfoils. The process involves using electron beam physical vapor deposition for applying an outer skin on an inner spar made of conventionally cast single crystal Ni-base superalloy or an intermetallic.