Consumer Vs Producer Misperception: The Case of French Wine

Aims: The study aimed at assessing the similarities and the differences between French wine producers’ perception of Belarusian consumers and the actual behavior of Belarusian consumers. Study design: Questionnaires filled in individually were used to compare consumers and producers’ perception. The questionnaire was made up of general questions addressing socio-demographic data, the kind of beverage preferred, the frequency of consumption of wine, the type of wine preferred, the origin of the wine preferred (producer country), the price and the criteria for purchasing wine. The aim was to get to know their profiles, their habits regarding purchasing and consuming alcohol and more specifically wine. Place and Duration of Study: Consumer survey was undertaken in 2018 in Belarus and producers survey was undertaken in 2019 in France. Methodology: Subjects were all volunteers. Belarussian consumer subjects were healthy (especially no addiction to alcohol, no food disorders) and adult. French participants were experienced producers or novices separated in two sub-samples. Comparison between answers used t-test and z-test. Results: Producers have a correct representation of the type of wine sought by Belarusian consumers and of the criteria to select it but misperceive who shop for wine and how it is consumed. In addition, French producers imagine their wine to be preferred while it is this of Moldavia. Conclusion: This may lead the producers to offer the wrong product for the wrong consumer target and contribute to explain why French wines only ranked fourth regarding importation of wine in Belarus while France is the world's leading wine exporter. This also suggests that the teaching program in French wine schools might be adapted.

Niat Beli Sepatu Merek Lokal oleh Generasi Muda: Pengaruh Consumer Ethnocentrism, Perceived Quality, Perceived Price, dan Perceived Brand Image

Indonesia is one of the top 4 world footwear producers. On the other hand, there are many well-known foreign brand shoes in Indonesia. Ventela is one of a famous shoes local brand in Indonesia. The local consumers have preferences concerning the shoe producer country of origin. Local people prefer to buy local brand shoes if they have an ethnocentric taste and good perceptions about the local brand. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of consumer ethnocentrism, perceived quality, perceived price, and perceived brand image toward a willingness to buy Ventela shoes. The survey was conducted using an online questionnaire and collected data from 205 young generations. Multiple linear regression in SPSS software was used to analyze the collected data. This study shows that consumer ethnocentrism, perceived quality, and perceived price significantly affected willingness to buy. Meanwhile, the perceived brand image had no significant effect on willingness to buy. Further research is suggested to compare several local fashion brands with different positioning. The results of this study can be used as input for Ventela shoes in facing business competition and business development by paying attention to the variables used.

Review of Chemical EOR Projects in Venezuela: From Light to Extra-Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Venezuela is widely recognized as an oil producer country of great potential thanks to its huge hydrocarbon resources located in Eastern Venezuela and Maracaibo basins, comprising the largest oil reserves in the world, with around 302 billion barrels according to recent OPEC and EIA estimates [1]. Despite those immense hydrocarbon resources, oil production in Venezuela is a challenge in mature and waterflooded reservoirs, as well as in thin highly viscous oil reservoirs where thermal IOR/EOR methods are not technically and/or economically feasible. This is the case of many oil fields in Lake Maracaibo and in La Faja Petrolifera Del Orinoco (La FPO), where the application of Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (CEOR) methods is being envisaged with a view to increasing oil recovery factors. The objective of this article is to review most of the Venezuelan CEOR projects reported in the literature to identify the main insights/status of each reported project and its potentiality of application to increase oil recovery. A detailed description of each project and its main conclusions is given. According to this literature review, CEOR project evaluations for Venezuelan reservoirs have been performed mostly at laboratory and numerical simulation scales, including several pilot test designs. Only 2 executed pilot tests have been reported (ASP flooding at VLA-6/9/21 Field in Lake Maracaibo and polymer flooding at Petrocedeño Field in La FPO). Despite the encouraging results in terms of oil recovery at laboratory scale, the greatest challenges related to the application of CEOR methods in Venezuelan reservoirs are linked to technical and economic aspects (e.g. high adsorption/retention of chemicals, mobility control, complex emulsions, separation of phases, water treatments, costs of investment, oil prices, etc.).

Customs brokers as intermediaries in international trade

Recent studies suggest that intermediaries like merchants facilitate international trade by reducing fixed trade costs for producers that trade through them instead of exporting or importing directly. This study argues that customs brokers–a type of intermediary rarely studied in economics before–play a similar role by reducing fixed costs of clearing goods through customs for firms that use them instead of self-declaring. Using panel data of Norwegian trade transactions, the paper shows that the majority of manufacturing producers participating in international trade use such brokers, and that the brokers typically handle large trade values on behalf of several different produces. In an econometric analysis, the author finds that the share of a producer’s market specific trade that is self-declared rather than handled by brokers increases with the traded value. This is in line with predictions from theoretical models on trade intermediaries and holds after controlling for observed as well as unobserved factors at the producer, country and product level. Results are similar for exporting and importing, indicating that brokers facilitate both modes of trade.

The Law Applicable to Petrolume Contract

As the oil industry is the largest industry in the world, and with the oil contract as the object of these activities, it is imperative to discern some of the issues surrounding it. Producing countries intend to maximize profits from the exploitation of their natural wealth, while consuming countries want to guarantee supply at the lowest possible price. It is important to understand the focus of conflicts in this sector. These are linked, on the one hand, to the need for oil, the decrease in new reserves and the increase in its exploitation. On the other hand, we have the political instability of the producing countries, the disrespect for the environment and social rights of the population on the producing States. This contract has the State and the investor as protagonists. They are often concluded under the aegis of bilateral or multilateral investment agreements between the producer country and the investor's country of origin. Since they are strategic natural resources, the producing State seeks to safeguard the interests of its population. Thus, it is common to include special clauses, maxime stabilization clauses and arbitration clauses. In its regulation, whether in the negotiation or conclusion stages of the contract or even in the dispute resolution phase, an appeal to International Commercial Law is required, covering both UNIDROIT principles and Lex mercatoria, configured here in Lex Petrolia.

EOR Techniques Tailored to Venezuelan Conventional and Unconventional Oils: Critical Review

Venezuela has been ranked as a potential oil producer country thanks to its huge reserves of conventional and unconventional oils. Conventional reservoirs with complex fluid systems, located in the North of Monagas state, where it is possible to observe thick fluid columns with significant compositional gradients (showing changes from gas condensate to non-mobile oil-Tar mat). In these types of reservoirs EOR methods such as miscible gas flooding have been successfully applied to compensate pressure decline and avoid asphaltene deposition issues. Production of unconventional oils, the largest highly-viscous oil reservoir of La Faja Petrolifera del Orinoco (La FPO), demands great challenges. Discovered in the 1930’s, the first rigorous evaluations of this reservoir started in the 1980s [1]; those huge deposits of highly viscous oils were considered technically and economically unattractive at that time. Due to production decline of conventional oil reservoirs, efforts are being done by the Venezuelan National Oil Company and collaborators to develop EOR projects to achieve increasing oil production in unconventional (heavy and extra-heavy) reservoirs, being the most promising options thermal and chemical EOR methods. Some authors agree that in the FPO, only 40–65% (depending on the site) of the oil-bearing formations is suitable for thermal EOR methods. Recent works have been showing the potential of chemical EOR for extra-heavy oils in La FPO [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], mostly for mobility control and mobilization of residual oil. This work presents a literature review of the EOR projects in Venezuela for conventional and highly viscous oils, based on both lab and field experiences, and the perspectives for applications to increase Venezuelan oil production.

PENYALAHGUNAAN NAPZA DI INDONESIA

Drug Abuse in the world consistently increases where almost 12% (15.5 million people up to 36.6 million people) of users are heavy addicts. According to the World Drug Report of 2012, the productions of drugs increased, one of which was opium production. It increased from 4,700 tons in 2010 to 7,000 tons in 2011. Drug abuse in Indonesia also increased from year to year proven according to BNN survey results with UI and other universities that in 2005 the prevalence percentage was 1.7% in Indonesia, in 2008 prevalence percentage was 1.99%, in 2012 prevalence percentage was 2.2%. Furthermore, the number of drug use according to Head of BNN actually increased significantly in the period of June to November 2015 that is 1.7 million people. In June 2015 the number of users was 4.2 million and in November 2015 the number of users was 5.9 million. Today the problem of drug abuse already becomes a national disaster. Drug abuse has been the concern of all people for several reasons; first, the use of drugs by various societies has been in critical condition. Second, the impacts are not only generated to the users but also damage the people’s lives and nation’s life. Thirdly, Indonesia is not only a consumer country but a producer country as well, so the Indonesian government firmly declares that Indonesia is Drug emergency or declares war on Drugs. The impact of drug abuse is very complex starting from victims, families, peer victims, until the community. So the view of Islam associated with the abuse of these drugs is that drugs are goods which damage the mind, memory, heart, soul, mental and physical health such as khomar. Therefore, drugs are also included in the category which is forbidden by Allah SWT and the scholars agree that drugs are illicit when people are not in an emergency situation. As a helping profession, social work has a fundamental mission to solve social problem whether it is a problem experienced by individuals, families, groups, or communities. In its development, social workers reflect relief efforts to vulnerable groups. Drug addicts are one part of Indonesian societies who has equal position, rights, obligations and roles with other Indonesian societies in all aspects of life and the life which in essence still has potential that can be developed through a special program, namely the social welfare effort program for the addicts of Drugs with social rehabilitation. Here social workers play a role in helping / assisting the recovery of victims in realizing their social function.

Potential Application of Sago Pulp Briquette for Electricity Generation Using Gasification Technology in Papua Province, Indonesia

Indonesia is a tropical country which become one of the largest producer country of biomass especially from agricultural and forestry sector. One of the biomass source that has not been widely utilized is sago. Sago is an alternative source of carbohydrates besides rice, especially in the eastern region such as Papua. The potential of sago in Papua was 66,593 tons in 2018. This potential produces sago waste from processing sago starch, which can pollute the environment. Utilization of sago waste in the form of sago production waste as a source of biomass for electricity generation is an alternative solution. The result shows that sago pulp can be processed into briquettes with the calorific value of 6,327.4 kcal/kg – 6,946.7 kcal/kg. Sago production waste generated from the processing of sago starch is 14% so that the daily waste potential is 25.54 tons/day. Based on this potential, OWRS technology using pyrolysis-gasification obtained 6.6 tons/day of sago charcoal briquettes. The potential of heat energy was 42.03 Gcal/day. The potential of electricity that can be produced with updraft-fixed bed gasification from sago charcoal briquettes was 5.18 MWh. The theoretical power is 2.03 MW with an output power of 215.83 kW at 11% efficiency.

Business Development of Coffee Farmers Group Using Triple Layered Business Model Canvas

Objective – Coffee is one of the leading agricultural commodities that has an economic contribution in several countries, including Indonesia. As the fourth largest coffee producer country in the world, Indonesia is still facing problems, especially in some areas that managed by coffee farmer group. The problem starts from upstream to downstream and is related to productivity which is still low compared to other regions. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to describe the business conditions of the farmer group studied, and planning Triple Layered Business Model Canvas (TLBMC) to develop the business of the farmer group. Empirical analysis has been carried out for this purpose. Methodology/Technique – This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive analytic methods. Observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussion were conducted to collect research data. SWOT analysis is also used to gain insights and inputs used in formulating the right strategy for TLBMC formulation. Findings – The results show that the business conditions of the coffee farmers group were in a position of growth. Therefore the right strategy for this condition is the harvest strategy or divestiture strategy. The TLBMC design carried out supports the development of sustainable businesses for the coffee farmers group. Novelty – Business development for coffee farmer group using triple layered business model canvas is expected to help increase business on a broader scale. This study is important for business owners and other related parties who seek to develop the business in various aspect including social and environmental aspects. This study helps create opportunities, develop better potential and integrated with the economic, environmental and social values of the business model being run. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Business Development; Coffee; Business Model Canvas; Triple Layered Business Model Canvas. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Furqon, C; Sultan. A. M; Wijaya, F. 2019. Business Development of Coffee Farmers Group Using Triple Layered Business Model Canvas, J. Bus. Econ. Review 4(4) 163 – 170 https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2019.4.4(3) JEL Classification: M20, M21

Evaluation of lead and cadmium concentrations in lipstick and eye pencil cosmetics

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in lipstick and eye pencil cosmetics of different grades in the markets of Iran. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Ahvaz city in 2018. Sixty different samples of lipstick and eye pencil of three common brands were selected and analyzed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and the results were compared with standard values recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The analysis of lipsticks was based on producer country and colors and producer country only for eye pencil. Results: The mean concentrations of Pb and Cd were 41.86 and 53.42 µg/g, respectively. Concentrations of lead were higher than those of Cd in lipsticks, while for eye pencil, Cd showed higher concentrations. The overall results indicated that in all brands and colors of lipsticks, only 33% of the samples had Pb content less than the FDA limit, and among lipstick samples, 44% had Cd concentration less than the FDA limit of 3 μg/g, however, in 100% of the eye pencil samples, the concentration of Cd was higher than the recommended value of 3 μg/g. Conclusion: Given the health risks of exposure to heavy metals and in order to increase community awareness about the harmful effects of cosmetics, it is necessary to monitor the concentration of these toxic elements in these products and encourage the manufactures to meet the FDA standards.