At what point does a craft spirit no longer qualify as craft? For centuries on the archipelago nation Cabo Verde off Africa’s west coast, farmers have produced a sugar cane-based craft spirit known as “grogue.” The liquor – an effervescent spirit with light grassy notes – has a rich cultural legacy and has historically been...
Commerce
Flexible, Supportive Company Culture Makes for Better Remote Work
The pandemic made remote work the norm for many, but that doesn’t mean it was always a positive experience. Remote work can have many advantages: increased flexibility, inclusivity for parents and people with disabilities, and work-life balance. But it can also cause issues with collaboration, communication, and the overall work environment. New research from the...
Allies Seek Big-Business Investment to Rebuild Ukraine at London Conference
Diplomats from dozens of countries are meeting Wednesday in London to drum up funds to rebuild Ukraine, a mammoth task whose cost is estimated by the World Bank at more than $400 billion – a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of the 16-month war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to...
Big Money Bought the PGA Tour, but Can It Make Golf a Popular Sport in Saudi Arabia?
The recent merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf – now being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice over antitrust concerns – stunned the golf community. A year ago, the idea that Saudi Arabia – an absolute monarchy with few golf courses, scant public interest in the sport and...
Meat Processing Plants: What Factors Are Critical for Survival?
Meat processing plants in the U.S. have garnered considerable public attention in recent years, often focusing on production and labor issues. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vulnerability of large, concentrated plants, as major shutdowns led to reduced output and higher meat prices for consumers. Policy makers have launched initiatives at the state and federal levels...
Can Movie Reviews Predict Box Office Success?
When one thinks of movie reviews, one might see them as harbingers of success or failure at the box office. Some researchers have previously found that both positive and negative reviews correlate to box office revenues, and the effect of negative reviews diminishes over time. However, researchers at the University of California, Davis, suggest that...
When Countries Cut Taxes for New Ideas, Capital Investments Rise
Corporate tax breaks for innovation lead to two kinds of economic growth: in capital investment and highly compensated jobs, according to a new study from a researcher at The University of Texas at Austin. Because innovation is key to growth in high-tech economies, one strategy has been to give companies a tax break for it....
The Importance of Social Media in Corporate Social Responsibility
A new study by Dr. Lucie Kvasničková Stanislavská from Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague published in PeerJ Computer Science titled ‘Global analysis of Twitter communication in corporate social responsibility area: sustainability, climate change, and waste management’ has found that social media is an increasingly important tool for companies to communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. The study analyzed...
Research Revealed the Advantages of Digital Technologies for Business Processes
While the integration of business processes and digitization always were fundamental aspects of Industry 4.0, the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the digital conversion of activities. However, while the benefits of digitization are apparent, it also poses new challenges to businesses. New digital tools and systems appear every day, and there is a constant need to integrate...
In ‘Air,’ Michael Jordan’s Silence Speaks Volumes About the Marketing of Black Athletes
The film “Air,” which tells the story of Nike’s signing of Michael Jordan, isn’t actually about Michael Jordan at all. It’s about the beauty of design and the seduction of marketing. It’s about power suits, purple Porsches and Rolexes. It’s about white men languishing through midlife crises who salivate over the branding potential of a...