Learning Organization Characteristics Contributed to its Readiness-to-Change: A Study of the Thai Mobile Phone Service Industry

This paper aims to verify the relationship between Learning Organizations (LO) characteristics and an organization's readiness-to-change. LOs, based on a review of the literature, seem to have the competitive advantage of high readiness-to-change in today is economic business environment. The mobile service providers in Thailand are selected for this study. The results have shown a substantial relationship between readiness-to-change and the LO characteristics of cultural values, leadership commitment and empowerment, communication, knowledge transfer, employee characteristics, and performance upgrading. This study confirms that LO characteristics are correlated to an organization's readiness-to-change, suggesting that it is essential for organizations to develop into LOs in order to survive and/or prosper in a competitive and ever changing in business environment.

Combinatorics of pre-Lie products sharing a Lie bracket

We study in detail the operad controlling several pre-Lie algebra structures sharing the same Lie bracket. Specifically, we show that this operad admits a combinatorial description similar to that of Chapoton and Livernet for the pre-Lie operad, and that it has many of the remarkable algebraic properties of the pre-Lie operad.Comment: 40 pages, 9 figure

Ramification of Some Automorphisms of Local Fields

AbstractLetkbe a perfect field of characteristicpand letγ∈Aut(k((t))). Define the ramification numbers ofγbyim=vt(γpm(t)−t)−1. We give a characterization of the sequences (im) which are the sequences of ramification numbers of infinite order automorphisms of formal power series fields over finite fields. Then, given a perfect field k, we give sufficient conditions on (im) to be the sequence of ramification numbers of an autormorphismγ∈Autk(k((t))) and we investigate these sequences (im) in the case where there existsσ∈Autk(k((t))) such thatσγ=γσwithσ≠γνfor allν∈Zp

Exploring and Predicting Online Collective Action on Patients’ Virtual Communities: a Multi-method Investigation in France

Virtual patients’ communities are developing on the Internet. These communities allow frequent interactions among patients, who can share health-related information within an interactive environment. However, we know very little about what determines patients’ online collective action on Web 2.0 social networks. Accordingly, this research-in-progress examines why patients interact with others and communicate on topics related with their disease through these virtual communities. Drawing on goal-directed behavior (MGB) and the expectancy-value (EVT) theories, we have developed a model for examining patients’ interactions with virtual communities. This multi-method, qualitative and quantitative approach enables one to explore patients’ interactions and measure the determinants of online collective action on virtual spaces. The results from the qualitative analysis of 54 interviews conducted with patients, patient’s relatives, health 2.0 professionals, doctors and caregivers are discussed herein. This research is expected to increase our knowledge regarding the individual dynamics and interactions that surround online patients’ communities

Introduction to the Theory of Nim-Linear Codes

Résumé disponible dans le fichier PD

Linear elastic fracture mechanics in anisotropic solids : application to fluid-driven crack propagation

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-169).Fracture mechanics is a field of continuum mechanics with the objective to predict how cracks initiate and propagate in solids. It has a wide domain of application. While aerospace engineers want to make sure a defect in a structure will not grow and possibly lead to failure, petroleum engineers try to increase the permeability of gas shale rocks by fracturing it. In this context, we introduce some elements of linear elastic fracture mechanics in anisotropic solids. Notably, a special attention is paid to transverse isotropy, often used to model rocks but also some piezoelectric materials or fiber-reinforced composites. We focus on brittle materials, that is, we consider only elastic deformations; we thus ignore dissipative phenomena other than the one associated with the creation of crack surface. This thesis aims at understanding and predicting how pressurized cracks propagate in anisotropic brittle solids, in the framework of linear elastic fracture mechanics. The elastic coefficients relevant to the study of a pressurized crack in such materials are identified. Interestingly, they are directly related to quantities easily measured in a lab at the macroscopic scale through indentation tests and acoustic measurements. As an application, the fluid-driven crack problem is addressed. It is shown that the classical tools of the isotropic fluid-driven crack model remain valid in anisotropy, provided the appropriate elastic constants are used. We introduce the concept of crack-shape adaptability: the ability of three-dimensional cracks to shape with the elastic content. This ability could be ruled by three criteria herein introduced. The first one is based on the maximum dissipation principle. The second one is based on Irwin's theory of fracture and the concept of stress intensity factors. As for the third one, it is based on Griffith's energetic theory. While the first criterion predicts that circular cracks are more favorable, the others predict that elliptical shapes are more likely to be seen. This thesis could be valuable in the context of the stimulation of unconventional oil and gas from organic-rich shale.by Hadrien Hyacinthe Laubie.S.M