6,608 research outputs found
French Engineering Graduates in Corporate R & D : Is it worthwhile ?
At the beginning of the 1990s, Beltramo, Bourdon and Paul presented a report for the French Commissariat au Plan on the prospect for the labour market for scientists, and other papers, which showed earnings differences between engineering graduates performing tasks in R&D or not (the first ones receiving 7% less than the others, other parameters taken into consideration). The objective of this paper is to assess to what extent, 15 years later, these results, which indicated lower earnings for researchers, is still valid. The data used in this study is similar to that in our former work. The data is generated from the survey launched each year (each two years until 2002) by the CNISF (Conseil National des Ingénieurs et des Scientifiques de France) amongst the engineering graduates, whatever their age and experience. Usually, around 40,000 engineers answer the questionnaire. In this paper, we used the data from the survey conducted in 2006 and we consider only engineers working in companies. Those employed by public administrations, universities or public research are not taken into account. Weights have been used to correct for the representation of the different schools and the different ages in the sample. In the first part of the study, earnings of engineers working in R&D will be compared with those of the other engineers. Using regression models, personal attributes will be considered (gender, degree, etc.). Specific attention will be devoted to differences in experience. The levels of responsibility which are implied by different types of activities will then be taken into consideration. In the last part of the paper, the satisfaction of engineers involved in R&D and other activities will be scrutinised.France ; R&D ; Graduates ; Labour market ; Earnings ; Scientists ; Engineers
Diversity of human capital attributes and diversity of remunerations
The purpose is to provide some empirical evidence for promoting new insights into the economics of education. Particular attention is paid to the concept of competence and its influence on employee reward. The paper aims at comparing the impact on fixed earnings and flexible pay of the traditional human capital theory variables (education and experience) on the one hand and of specifically identified and assessed competences, on the other hand. The objective is to test if the HCV (years of schooling, years of labour market experience) and competences substitute or complement each other in the definition of earnings.Human Capital ; Remunerations ; Fixed earnings ; Flexible pay ; Education ; Professional Experience ; Competencies
Diversity of human capital attributes and diversity of remunerating systems
This paper aims at comparing the respective impact of the traditional Human Capital Variables (HCV) and of competences explicitly assessed on employees' remuneration. The data are derived from an original survey conducted in five large banking companies in Portugal. Six hundred clerks were interviewed regarding their individual characteristics (age, gender, education, experience in the labour market, experience in the company). Their respective supervisors were asked to assess their competences using a list of thirty skills. Complementary models are used in this research, relating to earnings and the distribution of profit shares to employees. Analyses take the specific structure of the multilevel data into account. These different dimensions show that traditional human capital variables are important determinants for earnings, whereas competences explain the profit shares distributed to employees.Earnings ; Human capital ; Competences ; Profit sharing ; Banking sector ; Portugal
A surface-scattering model satisfying energy conservation and reciprocity
In order for surface scattering models to be accurate they must necessarily
satisfy energy conservation and reciprocity principles. Roughness scattering
models based on Kirchoff's approximation or perturbation theory do not satisfy
these criteria in all frequency ranges. Here we present a surface scattering
model based on analysis of scattering from a layer of particles on top of a
substrate in the dipole approximation which satisfies both energy conservation
and reciprocity and is thus accurate in all frequency ranges. The model takes
into account the absorption in the substrate induced by the particles but does
not take into account the near-field interactions between the particles.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure
Morphogenesis and propagation of complex cracks induced by thermal shocks
We study the genesis and the selective propagation of complex crack networks
induced by thermal shock or drying of brittle materials. We use a quasi-static
gradient damage model to perform large scale numerical simulations showing that
the propagation of fully developed cracks follows Griffith criterion and
depends only on the fracture toughness, while crack morphogenesis is driven by
the material's internal length. Our numerical simulations feature networks of
parallel cracks and selective arrest in two dimensions and hexagonal columnar
joints in three dimensions, without any hypotheses on cracks geometry and are
in good agreement with available experimental results
On Algorithms Based on Joint Estimation of Currents and Contrast in Microwave Tomography
This paper deals with improvements to the contrast source inversion method
which is widely used in microwave tomography. First, the method is reviewed and
weaknesses of both the criterion form and the optimization strategy are
underlined. Then, two new algorithms are proposed. Both of them are based on
the same criterion, similar but more robust than the one used in contrast
source inversion. The first technique keeps the main characteristics of the
contrast source inversion optimization scheme but is based on a better
exploitation of the conjugate gradient algorithm. The second technique is based
on a preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm and performs simultaneous
updates of sets of unknowns that are normally processed sequentially. Both
techniques are shown to be more efficient than original contrast source
inversion.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, 5 table
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