Construction communicationnelle d’un changement planifié de type Lean : étude multi-cas exploratoire au sein d’une administration publique municipale

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’explorer et de décrire en profondeur le processus de mise en œuvre d’un changement planifié de type Lean dans une administration municipale afin de comprendre comment les acteurs construisent ce changement à travers leurs interactions. L’étude s’inscrit dans une perspective interactionniste et dans un paradigme socioconstructiviste, ce qui conduit à concevoir la réalité comme un processus de construction communicationnelle. Cette thèse dévoile comment les acteurs implantent et s’approprient un changement mis en œuvre selon une démarche monologique pour l’instrumentaliser à leur propre trajectoire de développement de leur service. Le changement, qui relève d’un cadre d’action prescrit a-contextuel, s’éloigne de la réalité opérationnelle et des conversations quotidiennes qui soutiennent les activités de production. Afin de continuer à servir les citoyens et à répondre aux multiples demandes provenant tant de l’interne de l’administration publique que de l’externe, les acteurs mettent en œuvre des activités de communication qui leur permettent d’arrimer plusieurs discours, conversations et injonctions afin de rendre opérationnel le changement. Ainsi, l’analyse démontre que les gestionnaires et les employés exclus des processus réflexifs créeront d’autres lieux permettant la négociation et la délibération du changement imposé. Ces deux activités de communication constituent le dispositif de traduction nécessaire à l’adaptation de la démarche de mise en œuvre à la réalité des acteurs et à l’appropriation du changement. Ce dispositif de traduction met au jour l’importance de planifier et d’animer une démarche dialogique au sein d’un changement prescrit, d’une part, et l’intérêt que revêt la traduction comme activité et processus de gestion afin de favoriser le succès de la mise en œuvre, d’autre part. En cela, l’originalité de cette recherche menée en gestion réside dans le fait d’avoir mis en lumière le dispositif par lequel les acteurs sont en mesure de faire progresser une démarche de mise en œuvre monologique, à visée prescriptive, à une démarche dialogique, à visée de concertation. Le changement se voit à travers les phénomènes communicationnels qui maintiennent et transforment l’organisation et cette étude exploratoire relie les dimensions micro-macro et local-global qui se retrouvent au sein des interactions.Abstract: The objective of this thesis is to explore and describe in depth the process of implementing a planned Lean-type change in a municipal administration in order to understand how the actors construct this change through their interactions. The study is part of an interactionist perspective and a socio-constructivist paradigm, which leads to conceive of reality as a process of communicational construction. This thesis reveals how the actors implement and appropriate a change implemented according to a monological approach to instrumentalize it in their own development trajectory of their service. Change, which falls within a prescribed contextual framework, moves away from operational reality and the everyday conversations that sustain production activities. In order to continue to serve citizens and to respond to the multiple requests coming both from within the public administration and from outside, the actors construct communication activities which allow them to combine several texts, speeches, conversations and injunctions to make the change operational. Thus, the analysis shows that managers and employees excluded from reflective processes will create other places allowing the negotiation and deliberation of the imposed change. These two communication activities constitute the translation device necessary for adapting the implementation process to the reality of the actors and for the appropriation of change. This translation system highlights the importance of planning and animating a dialogical approach within a prescribed change, on the one hand, and the interest that translation takes as an management activity and process in order to promote the success of implementation, on the other hand. In this, the originality of this research carried out in management resides in the fact of having brought to light the device by which the actors are able to advance from an approach of monological implementation, with unilateral aim, to a dialogic approach , for consultation purposes. The change is seen through the communication phenomena that maintain and transform the organization and this exploratory study links the micro-macro and local-global dimensions that are found within interaction

The Influence of Family History of Type 2 Diabetes on Metabolism during Submaximal Aerobic Exercise and in the Recovery Period in Postmenopausal Women

Aging and family history of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are known risk factors of T2D. Younger first-degree relatives (FDR) of T2D patients have shown early metabolic alterations, which could limit exercise’s ability to prevent T2D. Thus, the objective was to determine whether exercise metabolism was altered during submaximal exercise in FDR postmenopausal women. Nineteen inactive postmenopausal women (control: 10, FDR: 9) aged 60 to 75 years old underwent an incremental test on a cycle ergometer with intensity ranging from 40 to 70% of peak power output. Participants consumed 50 mg of 13C-palmitate 2 h before the test. At the end of each stage, glucose, lactate, glycerol, non-esterified fatty acids and 13C-palmitate were measured in plasma, and 13CO2 was measured in breath samples. Gas exchanges and heart rate were both monitored continuously. There were no between-group differences in substrate oxidation, plasma substrate concentrations or 13C recovered in plasma or breath. Interestingly, despite exercising at a similar relative intensity to control, FDR were consistently at a lower percentage of heart rate reserve. Overall, substrate plasma concentration and oxidation are not affected by family history of T2D in postmenopausal women and therefore not a participating mechanism in the altered response to exercise previously reported. More studies are required to better understand the mechanisms involved in this response

Cohort profile : the Quebec adipose and lifestyle investigation in youth cohort

International audienc

Ageism and COVID-19: What does our society's response say about us?

The goal of this commentary is to highlight the ageism that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 20 international researchers in the field of aging have contributed to this document. This commentary discusses how older people are misrepresented and undervalued in the current public discourse surrounding the pandemic. It points to issues in documenting the deaths of older adults, the lack of preparation for such a crisis in long term care homes, how some “protective” policies can be considered patronizing and how the initial perception of the public was that the virus was really an older adult problem. This commentary also calls attention to important intergenerational solidarity that has occurred during this crisis to ensure support and social-inclusion of older adults, even at a distance. Our hope is that with this commentary we can contribute to the discourse on older adults during this pandemic and diminish the ageist attitudes that have circulated