Les facteurs d'institutionnalisation de la franchise et leurs conséquences sur la performance

La franchise est l’une des formes d’organisation des réseaux de point de vente les plus dynamiques en France. Forme hybride aux yeux des théories contractualistes, elle est pensée comme transitoire, les points de vente franchisés devant à terme être rachetés par le franchiseur pour s’octroyer les rentes résiduelles. Pourtant, elle persiste au fil des années et demeure un des moyens privilégiés de couvrir un territoire. Les auteurs suggèrent que cette persistance de la franchise dans l’organisation des réseaux de points de vente est explicable par la mobilisation du courant néo-institutionnaliste sociologique. Une série de propositions de recherche est dérivée de cette analyse

Destruction of superconductivity in disordered materials : a dimensional crossover

The disorder-induced Superconductor-to-Insulator Transition in amorphous Nb$_{x}$Si$_{1-x}$ two-dimensional thin films is studied for different niobium compositions $x$ through a variation of the sample thickness $d$. We show that the critical thickness $d_c$, separating a superconducting regime from an insulating one, increases strongly with diminishing $x$, thus attaining values of over 100 {\AA}. The corresponding phase diagram in the $(d, x)$ plane is inferred and related to the three-dimensional situation. The two-dimensional Superconductor-to-Insulator Transition well connects with the three-dimensional Superconductor-to-Metal Transition

IT Adoption in the Public Healthcare Sector: an Institutional Research Agenda

The study of IT adoption is a recurrent topic in IS research. In the healthcare sector and hospitals, the adoption of IT is predominantly justified by the desire to prevent medical errors and increase patients’ safety (Menachemi et al., 2007). However, researchers such as Mc Kee and Healy (2002) have observed that hospital reorganisations have received far less attention from researchers in Europe than is the case in the United-States. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to develop a research agenda focused on IT adoption in European healthcare organisations and to bring the new insights that can be gained from a more sociological, institutional view of the adoption process

Effect of annealing on the superconducting properties of a-Nb(x)Si(1-x) thin films

a-Nb(x)Si(1-x) thin films with thicknesses down to 25 {\AA} have been structurally characterized by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) measurements. As-deposited or annealed films are shown to be continuous and homogeneous in composition and thickness, up to an annealing temperature of 500{\deg}C. We have carried out low temperature transport measurements on these films close to the superconductor-to-insulator transition (SIT), and shown a qualitative difference between the effect of annealing or composition, and a reduction of the film thickness on the superconducting properties of a-NbSi. These results question the pertinence of the sheet resistance R_square as the relevant parameter to describe the SIT.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure

A length scale for the superconducting Nernst signal above Tc_{c} in Nb0.15_{0.15}Si0.85_{0.85}

We present a study of the Nernst effect in amorphous superconducting thin films of Nb$_{0.15}$Si$_{0.85}$. The field dependence of the Nernst coefficient above T$_{c}$ displays two distinct regimes separated by a field scale set by the Ginzburg-Landau correlation length. A single function $F(\xi)$, with the correlation length as its unique argument set either by the zero-field correlation length (in the low magnetic field limit) or by the magnetic length (in the opposite limit), describes the Nernst coefficient. We conclude that the Nernst signal observed on a wide temperature ($30 \times T_c$) and field ($4 \times B_{c2}$) range is exclusively generated by short-lived Cooper pairs.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure