On the effects of a firm's size, a sector's technology intensiveness, and propensity to innovation on the adoption of advanced technologies : the case manufacturing SMEs

With the increasing growth of global competition, the adoption of advanced technologies has become a great challenge for manufacturing firms, especially SMEs that are in a disadvantageous context (comparatively to larger firms) in terms of resources. Various factors affect the adoption of a variety of technologies in these SMEs. This article aims to explain the effect of size, innovation, and sector of activity on the adoption of a variety of these advanced technologies. The statistical exercise conducted in this paper is based on a sample of 248 manufacturing firms. The findings of this study reveal that the adoption of a variety of advanced technologies is positively influenced by the SME’s size, the technological intensiveness of the industry where it operates, and finally, its innovation capacity

The impact of strategic management and innovation on internationalization : an empirical study of canadian manufacturing SMEs

This article aims to give a better understanding of the two dimensions of internationalization (inward and outward) generally addressed independently by the activities of export and import. This is done with the study of the effect of innovation on generic strategies that are seen as catalysts or inhibitors of the firm’s ability to internationalize. A Multivariate Probit model is estimated to take into account the fact that firms can simultaneously consider different dimensions of internationalization when they attempt to internationalize. The results show that there is a complementarity between these two dimensions (inward and outward)

Efficience de la recherche dans les écoles de gestion au Canada : modélisation par des approches paramétriques et non-paramétriques

La production des connaissances revêt une grande valeur pour les gouvernements, les universités et les chercheurs. Pour ces derniers, aujourd’hui plus que jamais, la recherche prend de plus en plus d’importance dans leurs portefeuilles d’activités. Plusieurs facteurs motivent cette nouvelle tendance, notamment l’adoption, dans plusieurs pays, de systèmes de financement de la recherche axée sur la productivité, la concurrence en matière de recherche qui est devenue mondiale, la prolifération des outils uniformisés de mesure de l’excellence scientifique, et l’importance de la performance et de la productivité en recherche dans la réussite de la trajectoire de carrière des chercheurs. Cependant, la performance des chercheurs universitaires est très variable, tant entre les disciplines qu’au sein d’une même discipline. Ces constats renforcent la pertinence de questionner l’allocation et la gestion des ressources dans le domaine de la recherche universitaire. La présente étude s’attaque à cette problématique dans le cadre spécifique de la recherche dans les Écoles de gestion au Canada. Son objectif général est, d’une part, de dresser un portrait détaillé de l’avancement des connaissances sur le concept de l’efficience de la recherche académique et d’identifier les principaux jalons qui ont marqué son évolution au cours des deux dernières décennies et, d’autre part, d’évaluer l’efficience en matière de publications et de citations des chercheurs dans les Écoles de gestion au Canada et d’identifier les déterminants susceptibles d’expliquer les écarts d’efficience entre eux. La thèse est structurée en trois articles. Le premier article a préconisé la méthode de la revue systématique de la littérature et celle du « vote counting » pour édifier un cadre conceptuel intégrateur des intrants, des extrants et des déterminants de l’efficience de la recherche académique. Il a également permis d’identifier plusieurs opportunités de recherche pour contribuer à l’avancement des connaissances dans ce champ d’étude. Le deuxième article a utilisé une nouvelle méthode, « The Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy » pour étudier en profondeur le concept de l’efficience de la recherche académique en identifiant ses racines historiques ainsi que les contributions qui ont conditionné son évolution. Ces deux premiers articles ont permis de satisfaire à la première partie de l’objectif général de cette recherche : « dresser un portrait détaillé de l’avancement des connaissances sur le concept de l’efficience de la recherche académique et d’identifier les principaux jalons qui ont marqué son évolution au cours des deux dernières décennies ». Tirant profit des constats et des contributions potentielles à l’avancement des connaissances identifiés dans les deux premiers articles, le troisième article de la thèse a estimé des frontières paramétriques et nonparamétriques de l’efficience en matière de publications et de citations des chercheurs dans huit disciplines de recherche dans les Écoles de gestion au Canada. Il a également identifié plusieurs déterminants des écarts d’efficience entre les chercheurs affiliés à ces Écoles. Entre autres, les résultats de ce troisième article ont montré que les niveaux d’efficience diffèrent d’une manière significative d’un champ disciplinaire à un autre, et au sein même des champs disciplinaires, et que l'accréditation AACSB, l'affiliation à des universités prestigieuses, la taille de l'institution, les sources de financement et la séniorité sont positivement associées à des niveaux d’efficience élevés. Les résultats des trois articles ont permis de suggérer quelques pistes de réflexion et d’intervention pouvant améliorer l’efficience de la recherche académique des chercheurs en général, et de ceux affiliés aux Écoles de gestion au Canada, en particulier.The production of knowledge is of great importance to governments, universities and researchers. For the latter, today more than ever, research is becoming more and more important in their portfolios of activities. A number of factors are driving this new trend, including the introduction of productivity-driven research funding systems in a number of countries, global competition for research, the proliferation of standardized tools for assessing scientific excellence, and the importance of research performance and productivity in researchers’ career path success. However, the performance of university researchers varies greatly between disciplines and within the same discipline. These findings reinforce the relevance of questioning the allocation and management of resources in the field of university research. This study addresses this issue in the specific context of research in Canadian Business Schools. Its aims, on the one hand, to draw a detailed portrait of the advancement of knowledge on the concept of the efficiency of academic research and to identify the main milestones that have marked its evolution over the last two decades and, on the other hand, to evaluate the efficiency of academic research of Canadian Business Schools’ scholars and to identify the determinants that may explain the differences in efficiency between them. The thesis allowed the production of three articles. The first one used the systematic review of the literature and the method of vote counting to build an integrative conceptual framework of inputs, outputs, and determinants of the efficiency of academic research. It has also identified several research opportunities to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this field of study. The second article used a new method, The Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy, to study in depth the concept of the efficiency of academic research by identifying its historical roots as well as the contributions that marked its evolution. These first two articles made it possible to satisfy the first part of the general objective of this research: “to draw a detailed portrait of the advancement of knowledge on the concept of the efficiency of academic research and to identify the main milestones that have marked its evolution over the last two decades”. Taking advantage of the findings and potential contributions to the advancement of knowledge identified in the first two articles, the third article estimated parametric and non-parametric frontiers of efficiency of scholars’ publications and citations in eight research disciplines in Canadian Business schools. It also allowed to identify several levers of efficiency gaps among researchers affiliated with these schools. Among other things, the results of this third article showed that efficiency scores differ significantly from one disciplinary field to another, and even within disciplinary fields, and that AACSB accreditation, affiliation to prestigious universities, size of institution, sources of funding and seniority are positively associated with high levels of efficiency. The findings of the three articles devised some lines of action that might improve the efficiency of academic research for researchers in general and those affiliated with Canadian Business schools, in particular

Les déterminants de l'adoption des technologies de pointe par les PME manufacturières

Ce mémoire analyse de façon empirique le processus d’adoption des technologies de pointe par les PME manufacturières de la région du Bas-Saint-Laurent au Québec. Des données secondaires provenant d’une enquête par questionnaire ont été utilisées. Les résultats des analyses économétriques montrent que les ressources technologiques de la PME, sa taille, sa perception de la facilité d’utilisation de la technologie à adopter, son implication dans des réseaux de participation, et son R&D interne expliquent l’adoption de plusieurs technologies de pointe. La pratique d’une stratégie de domination par les coûts fait baisser la probabilité d’adoption de ces technologies La hiérarchisation de l’ampleur de l’impact des variables explicatives significatives indique que les réseaux de participation de la PME ont le plus d’impact sur le nombre de technologies adoptées par la PME. Ces différents résultats ont permis de dégager des implications en vue d’améliorer la gestion des technologies de pointe par les PME manufacturières

Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Cementitious and Hybrid Materials Based on Nacrite

This chapter gives possible valorization of a well-crystallized Tunisian nacrite as an interesting clay mineral belonging to the kaolin group: The first part of the chapter aims to produce a new synthetic material labeled ‘‘metanacrite”. Metanacrite is a supplementary cementitious material originated by heating a raw Tunisian nacrite at 823 K. The structure of the amorphous synthetic product was corroborated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The decomposition of the silicate framework was confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The obtained metanacrite was also examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Accordingly, a semiconductor behavior of the novel synthetic material is evidenced. The second part of this chapter deals with the intercalation of lithium chloride salt between the planar layers of this Tunisian nacrite. The intercalation leads to a stable hybrid material that after calcination under inert atmosphere at 723–873 K induces an amorphous hybrid. The structural identification of the obtained nacrite–LiCl hybrid was determined by means of XRD, IR, TGA, and EIS. Finally, the resulting amorphous hybrid shows a superionic behavior with high ionic conductivity up to 10–2 S.m–1, good electrochemical stability, and can be used as an innovative solid electrolyte in lithium batteries and other electrochemical devices

Characterization of tribological behavior of chromium and zinc coatings electrodeposited on a steel substrate

Three coatings of decorative chromium, hard chromium and zinc, electrolytically deposited on the C45 steel substrate, are considered in this study. Experimental characterization of the tribological response of the substrate and different coatings against spherical 100Cr6 counterbody is developed with a linear reciprocating tribometer. The results show that the three coatings have similar values for the stabilized coefficient of friction which remains substantially higher than the value of the friction coefficient for the substrate. The decorative chromium coating has the lowest wear resistance. A better wear resistance is obtained with the zinc coating. The first place in terms of wear resistance is occupied by the hard chromium coating and the uncoated substrate which have similar resistance.Досліджено трибологічну поведінку трьох видів електролітичних покривів: декоративного хрому, твердого хрому та цинку, сформованих на підкладці зі сталі C45. Використано трибометр за умов зворотно-поступального руху контртіла. Виявлено, що для всіх покривів значення стабілізованого коефіцієнта тертя однакові, однак, істотно вищі, ніж для підкладки. Покрив з декоративного хрому має найнижчий опір зношуванню, а вищу зносотривкість – цинковий. Найвища зносотривкість властива покриву з твердого хрому та підкладці без покриву.Исследовано трибологическое поведение трех видов электролитических покрывов: декоративного хрома, твердого хрома и цинка, сформированных на подкладке из стали C45. Использован трибометр при условиях возвратно-поступательного движения контртела. Обнаружено, что для всех покрывов значения стабилизированного коэффициента трения одинаковые, однако, существенно выше, чем для подкладки. Покрыв из декоративного хрома обладает наиболее низким сопротивлением изнашиванию, а цинковый наиболее износостойкий. Наивысшая износостойкость свойственна покрыву из твердого хрома и подкладке без покрыва

Genetic diversity and population structure of Ascochyta rabiei from the western Iranian Ilam and Kermanshah provinces using MAT and SSR markers

Knowledge of genetic diversity in A. rabiei provides different levels of information that are important in the management of crop germplasm resources. Gene flow on a regional level indicates a significant potential risk for the regional spread of novel alleles that might contribute to fungicide resistance or the breakdown of resistance genes. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and mating type (MAT) markers were used to determine the genetic structure, and estimate genetic diversity and the prevalence of mating types in 103 Ascochyta rabiei isolates from seven counties in the Ilam and Kermanshah provinces of western Iran (Ilam, Aseman abad, Holaylan, Chardavol, Dareh shahr, Gilangharb, and Sarpul). A set of 3 microsatellite primer pairs revealed a total of 75 alleles; the number of alleles varied from 15 to 34 for each marker. A high level of genetic variability was observed among A. rabiei isolates in the region. Genetic diversity was high (He = 0.788) within populations with corresponding high average gene flow and low genetic distances between populations. The smallest genetic distance was observed between isolates from Ilam and Chardavol. Both mating types were present in all populations, with the majority of the isolates belonging to Mat1-1 (64%), but within populations the proportions of each mating type were not significantly different from 50%. Results from this study will be useful in breeding for Ascochyta blight-resistant cultivars and developing necessary control measures

Electrical and electrochemical properties of Li2M(WO4)2 (M = Ni, Co and Cu) compounds

Li2M(WO4)2 (M = Co, Cu or Ni) materials have been synthesized using the solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the single phase of the synthesized compounds in the triclinic crystal system (space group P̄). The SEM analyses revealed nearly spherical morphology with the particle size in the range of 1–10 μm. The IR spectra confirm the presence of all modes of WO42−. The impedance spectroscopy measurements showed the presence of grain boundaries and allow determination of the conductivity of the synthesized materials at room temperature. As positive electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, Li2M(WO4)2 (M = Co, Cu or Ni) cathode materials deliver initial discharge capacities of 31, 33 and 30 mA h g−1 for cobalt, nickel, and copper, respectively

Physical activity of pregnant women - benefits for pregnancy

Introduction: Physical activity in pregnant women, as in the rest of the population, helps to maintain good health and prevent diseases. It has a positive effect on the body of the future mother, but is also a source of measurable benefits for the developing fetus. There are many methods of active spending time for pregnant women that are not only safe but also recommended to ensure the proper course of pregnancy.  Aim of the study: The aim of our study is to present current recommendations regarding activity among pregnant women and the benefits for the mother and fetus resulting from regular and moderate physical activity.  Material and methods: We reviewed scientific publications using the Google Scholar database, using keywords such as “physical activity during pregnancy” or “physical activity among pregnant women”.  Conclusions: Physical activity in pregnant women is not only safe but also recommended. According to the recommendations, pregnant women should exercise regularly in a way that is not too strenuous and does not pose a risk of injury. Regular, moderate activity during pregnancy brings a number of benefits for the pregnant woman and the fetus.&nbsp