Contracting for Terroir in Sake

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-39
Author(s):  
J. Mark Ramseyer

Over the last century, Japanese consumers have steadily lost their taste for sake. Several large producers dominate the mass market through economies of scale, but the regional brewers have gradually gone out of business. In this environment, a small group of enterprising regional brewers began to create a market for premium sake with the environmental variations so important to French terroir. To produce this terroir sake, brewers must convince local farmers to grow high-risk and high-cost varieties of rice optimized for premium sake. The challenge involves unusually complex incentive and informational requirements. Yet the parties almost never draft elaborate contracts with verifiable terms, and rarely vertically integrate. Instead, they build dense and refined networks of social capital among themselves and combine short-term renewable (and hence terminable) contracts, extremely high (efficiency-wage level) prices, and close monitoring by the brewer. In the process, they give the farmers strong incentives to let the brewers intervene as needed in the farming. The brewers and farmers neither draft elaborate contracts nor vertically integrate for a simple reason: they do not need to do so. The combination of dense networks of social capital, terminable short-term contracts, and high prices gives them all the flexibility they need.

Sociology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1011-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Laurence

Extensive research has demonstrated that neighbourhood ethnic diversity is negatively associated with intra-neighbourhood social capital. This study explores the role of segregation and integration in this relationship. To do so it applies three-level hierarchical linear models to two sets of data from across Great Britain and within London, and examines how segregation across the wider-community in which a neighbourhood is nested impacts trust amongst neighbours. This study replicates the increasingly ubiquitous finding that neighbourhood diversity is negatively associated with neighbour-trust. However, we demonstrate that this relationship is highly dependent on the level of segregation across the wider-community in which a neighbourhood is nested. Increasing neighbourhood diversity only negatively impacts neighbour-trust when nested in more segregated wider-communities. Individuals living in diverse neighbourhoods nested within integrated wider-communities experience no trust-penalty. These findings show that segregation plays a critical role in the neighbourhood diversity/trust relationship, and that its absence from the literature biases our understanding of how ethnic diversity affects social cohesion.


2020 ◽  
pp. 009182962097237
Author(s):  
Simone Mulieri Twibell

Short-term missions provide opportunities for the formation of cross-cultural relationships and joint evangelistic endeavors. Scholars have challenged the typical unidirectional nature of short-term mission and partnership efforts, advocating for a more bidirectional flow of resources. This article analyzes the dynamics of reverse short-term missions with the goal of understanding their contributions from the perspective of the American hosts. The author suggests that reverse short-term missions bridge social capital across social networks and function as “networks of invigoration” by bringing information benefits to their hosts. These types of exchanges have the potential to help the American church reinterpret familiar experiences and see the mission of the church in a new way. Five perceptual outcomes are identified: alteration of perspectives; service opportunities for the hosts; renewal of spiritual commitments; first-hand exposure to a different culture; and contact with faith-mission models.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 237802312098032
Author(s):  
Brandon G. Wagner ◽  
Kate H. Choi ◽  
Philip N. Cohen

In the social upheaval arising from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we do not yet know how union formation, particularly marriage, has been affected. Using administration records—marriage certificates and applications—gathered from settings representing a variety of COVID-19 experiences in the United States, the authors compare counts of recorded marriages in 2020 against those from the same period in 2019. There is a dramatic decrease in year-to-date cumulative marriages in 2020 compared with 2019 in each case. Similar patterns are observed for the Seattle metropolitan area when analyzing the cumulative number of marriage applications, a leading indicator of marriages in the near future. Year-to-date declines in marriage are unlikely to be due solely to closure of government agencies that administer marriage certification or reporting delays. Together, these findings suggest that marriage has declined during the COVID-19 outbreak and may continue to do so, at least in the short term.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742098347
Author(s):  
John Farhall ◽  
Lisa Brophy ◽  
John Reece ◽  
Holly Tibble ◽  
Long Khanh-Dao Le ◽  
...  

Objective: In Victoria, Prevention and Recovery Care Services have been established to provide a partial alternative to inpatient admissions through short-term residential mental health care in the community. This study set out to determine whether Prevention and Recovery Care Services are achieving their objectives in relation to reducing service use and costs, fostering least restrictive care and leading to positive clinical outcomes. Methods: We matched 621 consumers whose index admission in 2014 was to a Prevention and Recovery Care (‘PARCS consumers’) with 621 similar consumers whose index admission in the same year was to an acute inpatient unit and who had no Prevention and Recovery Care stays for the study period (‘inpatient-only consumers’). We used routinely collected data to compare them on a range of outcomes. Results: Prevention and Recovery Care Services consumers made less subsequent use of acute inpatient services and, on balance, incurred costs that were similar to or lower than inpatient-only consumers. They were also less likely to spend time on an involuntary treatment order following their index admission. Prevention and Recovery Care Services consumers also experienced positive clinical outcomes over the course of their index admission, but the magnitude of this improvement was not as great as for inpatient-only consumers. This type of clinical improvement is important for Prevention and Recovery Care Services, but they may place greater emphasis on personal recovery as an outcome. Conclusion: Prevention and Recovery Care Services can provide an alternative, less restrictive care option for eligible consumers who might otherwise be admitted to an acute inpatient unit and do so at no greater cost.


Human Affairs ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Popper

AbstractThe article approaches the topic of social trust from an evolutionary perspective. It begins by summarising the most influential approaches that have defined specific and social trust and ascertains what causes differences in degrees of trust and how the potential risk of deception might be lowered. It then notes that the basis of morality had already been formed during the era of prehistoric man, who was able to create coalitions against aggressors and to socially control the behaviour of deviants. It points out, however, that having a certain predisposition to behaving cooperatively or an increased sensitivity to recognising and not tolerating behaviour aimed at abusing cooperation is not a sufficient guarantee of the fact that people will always (or at least in the majority of situations) favour cooperation over deception. One of the reasons for this is a tendency to favour short-term gains over long-term ones. The article argues that establishing norms (moral, social and legal) produces a higher level of social trust because it not only “encourages” individuals to behave in certain ways in particular situations but also works as a sanction which “discourages” the individual from socially deviant behaviour. The article then focuses on a debate about the causal relationship between social trust and social capital. It discusses the suggestion that political institutions, government and the judiciary may reduce rather than raise levels of social capital and consequently also the level of social trust. This is partly because of their powerful position and the consequent scope for corruption and partly because of the fact that even when attempting to act honestly, representatives of these institutions cannot sufficiently reflect upon dynamic change at the local level. Finally, the article ends by adopting the position that social trust is built primarily from bottom up and so it is risky to continually doubt the very existence and usefulness of social norms and morality and to be governed simply by legal norms.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (3) ◽  
pp. E395-E402 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Boyle ◽  
P. E. Cryer

We tested the hypotheses that growth hormone, cortisol, or both are involved in defense against but are not critical to recovery from prolonged hypoglycemia and that the putative roles of these hormones in defense against prolonged hypoglycemia are permissive rather than direct. To do so we studied control subjects (n = 10) and patients with growth hormone and cortisol deficiencies resulting from hypopituitarism both in the untreated state (n = 7) and with prestudy and basal intrastudy growth hormone and cortisol replacement (n = 6). Postabsorptive plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, and epinephrine concentrations were no different in the untreated patients and controls. Twelve-hour insulin infusions, in low doses adjusted over the 1st 2 h to produce plasma glucose concentrations of 3.6 mmol/l (65 mg/dl) and then fixed at that dose, resulted in significantly (P less than 0.0001) lower late plasma glucose concentrations in the patients, without and with replacement. The 12-h plasma glucose concentrations were 2.9 +/- 0.1 mmol/l (53 +/- 1 mg/dl) in the control subjects, 2.4 +/- 0.1 mmol/l (43 +/- 2 mg/dl; P less than 0.001 vs. control) in the deficient patients, and 2.5 +/- 0.1 mmol/l (45 +/- 2 mg/dl; P less than 0.01 vs. control) in the replaced patients. Rates of glucose recovery from hypoglycemia after discontinuation of insulin were identical in all three studies. Thus growth hormone, cortisol, or probably both play a demonstrable role in defense against prolonged, in contrast to short-term, hypoglycemia in humans. This does not appear to be the result of permissive actions of the hormones and is therefore best attributed to their increments during hypoglycemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Author(s):  
Mike Sosteric ◽  
Susan Hesemeier

<p> For some, “learning objects" are the “next big thing” in distance education promising smart learning environments, fantastic economies of scale, and the power to tap into expanding educational markets. While learning objects may be revolutionary in the long term, in the short term, definitional problems and conceptual confusion undermine our ability to understand and critically evaluate the emerging field. This article is an attempt to provide an adequate definition of learning objects by (a) jettisoning useless theoretical links hitherto invoked to theorize learning objects, and (b) reducing the definition of learning objects to the bare essentials. The article closes with suggestions for further research and further refinement of the definition of learning objects. </P>


Author(s):  
Vidhi Shah

Abstract: This research was conducted to gather data and understand the perception what the Indian population holds when it comes to investing in cryptocurrency. To do so, a survey was designed using the UTAUT model and was circulated by the means of google forms. A wide range of parameters were considered to avail the maximum possible accuracy for the data collected. Parameters like, the ease of investing crypto, short term and long term benefits, monetary benefits, social benefits were considered. All of these parameters were supposed to be answered on a scale of 5. After collecting all the data, the results were analyzed and evaluated using which the hypothesis made were proved. Keywords: Cryptocurrency, UTAUT, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, perceived monetary benefits, perceived safety, social influence, adoption intension.


Author(s):  
Miguel Antonio Mascarúa Alcázar ◽  
José Rubén Velázquez Vargas ◽  
Evelin Amador Mendoza ◽  
René Alejandro González Báez

El presente estudio urga sobre el potencial de la Mypes ante la industria 4.0, en el municipio de Xicotepec de Juárez, México, en donde se aplicó una encuesta a 393 microempresarios y se les preguntó acerca de sus percepciones sobre el gasto en inversión como un esfuerzo para superar la fragmentación de la industria por economías de escala en tecnología y metodología de administración del negocio, mediante el análisis multivariado de sus respuestas. Se demuestra que en el municipio existen importantes esfuerzos por parte de los negocios establecidos, mientras que aquello que no cuentan con registro, tienen retos desafiantes para el corto plazo. AbstractThis study discusses MSE's potential in response to industry 4.0, in the municipality of Xicotepec de Juarez, where a survey was applied to 393 micro-enterprises. Questions asking about their perception of investment expenditures as a means of overcoming industrial fragmentation due to technical economies of scale and the administrative methodology of their company through a multivariate analysis of the questions given. This research proves that there exist important efforts on behalf of registered businesses, while those businesses without registration face daunting short-term challenge.


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