French Context Research Articles

Being together, doing together and going forward together: echoes from France’s cultural third places in times of covid-19

In France, as in many other countries, cultural production and management practices are facing numerous transformations. Being understood as experimental; intermediary cultural spaces that redefine the relationship of culture with the public and the local territory, cultural third places provide a vivid example of this changing reality. Before the current health crisis, the social role of these constructs in regard to the local context were made even more visible. On a first level, this article aims to present the uniqueness of those spaces in the French context. Secondly, it describes the preliminary results of an exploratory study analyzing the reactions and adjustments to working dynamics of a number of spaces in the PACA region, in France, during the first months of the pandemic. Finally, we propose further lines of research.

Modelling long-term and short-term temporal variation and uncertainty of electricity production in the life cycle assessment of buildings

The building stock is a major contributor to energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions (GHG), which can be evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA). Electrification of buildings, e.g. replacing fuel and gas boilers with heat pumps, in order to reduce these emissions is often seen as an option, but this will have short term effects by increasing peak demand, and long term effects by requiring more electricity production capacities. In this paper, a methodology to account for such interaction in LCA is presented. It connects three models addressing: market allocation on a national scale over a long term period, short term variation (i.e. seasonal, daily and hourly) of the electricity mix also on a national scale, and building energy simulation at the scale of one building. This methodology has been applied to a case study including a sample of buildings in the French context, but it can be used in other countries. Six buildings have been studied over 100 years considering 50 energy transition scenarios. Results show that the environmental impacts vary more depending on the scenarios than on the types of the building. Marginal mixes considered in consequential LCA are mainly composed of coal, gas, nuclear and peak technology production which explains the highest values of the different impacts compared to average mixes used in attributional LCA. This approach allows to address uncertainties related to electricity production.

Cultural Orientation and Risk Perception: Development of a Scale Operating in a French Context.

Cultural theory has often been invoked to explain risk preferences, yet empirical evidence for that influence has regularly been challenged. This research addresses this issue by reassessing the role of cultural orientation in understanding risk perception through the development of an alternative assessment tool of worldviews operating in a French context. Using data from two samples of French citizens (N = 192 and N = 631), study 1 conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses which provided support for a three-factor scale of worldviews: hierarchy-individualism, egalitarianism, and fatalism. Based on data from two other independent samples (N = 111 and N = 422), study 2 affirmed, for each worldview, its convergent validity (with its counterpart in another worldview measure), discriminant validity (from all other subscales), and predictive validity (for specific patterns of risk perception). Of particular interest is that culturally diverse individuals hold divergent positions on risk (skepticism, sensibility, neutrality) depending on, and in proportion to, the (in)compatibility of the hazardous activity to their preferred worldview. Implications for risk management and communication are discussed.

Are social and environmental clauses a tool for favoritism? Analysis of French public procurement contracts

This article analyzes the use of social and environmental clauses in public procurement contracts. After describing the current French legal context, it shows how a mechanism design approach can explain the factors that theoretically justify such practices, potentially including favoritism and rent-seeking. An empirical analysis is then carried out on the French public procurement data set for the year 2017. It illustrates the weight of political preferences in the choice to resort to social clauses and the weight of the preferences of the local chief executive to explain the use of environmental clauses. It also highlights that social and environmental clauses do not seem to be used as a tool for favoritism.

Integrating Ecology into Land Planning and Development: Between Disillusionment and Hope, Questioning the Relevance and Implementation of the Mitigation Hierarchy

Scientific research on the mitigation hierarchy has steadily increased over the past few years at the international level. While some seek to improve the application of this public action instrument, others point out its shortcomings and risks. This opinion paper—which focuses on the French context—does not provide an exhaustive overview of existing research but instead targets specific issues considered to be a “priority”. We mainly investigate the relevance and implementation of the mitigation hierarchy, especially from an ecological point of view. Part of this paper thus questions the very principle of biodiversity offsetting (BO)—the last resort of the mitigation hierarchy that brings together numerous controversies—and the adequacy of the mitigation hierarchy with the objective of no net loss (NNL) of biodiversity. The general idea underlying this paper is to show how the mitigation hierarchy has been built and based on what values (mainly economic and legal, which leads us to conclude about the lack of ecology in the policy itself). In doing so, we provide a few perspectives as to what should be done to (better) integrate ecology into land use planning and development.

The effect of corporate social responsibility practices on tax avoidance: an empirical study in the French context

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the negative impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR), business ethics and responsible corporate governance on tax avoidance within a sample of 119 French industrial companies from 2010 to 2019.Design/methodology/approachTo test the current hypotheses of this study, the authors applied linear regressions with panel data using the Thomson Reuters ASSET4 database from a sample of 119 French companies over the period of 2010–2019.FindingsThe results show that companies with no conduction of CSR activities are more aggressive in the avoidance of taxes than others, confirming the idea that CSR could be seen as a facet of corporate culture that affects business corporate tax avoidance.Practical implicationsThe results have interesting implications for investors and other partners who are interested in the business. Thus, for the government, to develop financial transparency, the improvement of the means of legal action such as the tax administration and the support of the action of civil society are pivotal to strengthen the legitimacy of tax.Originality/valueThis work is one of the studies that examine the effect of CSR, ethics and responsible governance on tax avoidance.

An analysis of how lobbying by the alcohol industry has eroded the French marketing regulation law

Abstract Background In response to the positive association between alcohol marketing and young people's alcohol consumption, several countries have adopted marketing regulation laws. This is the case in France with the 1991 Evin Law, which prohibits advertising in media targeting young people and regulates content in authorized media. However, this law has faced intense opposition from its inception. The aim of this research is to identify the arguments and lobbying strategies deployed by the alcohol industry to undermine it. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 French key informants involved in implementing and/or updating the Evin Law, including initiators of the law, former ministers, non-governmental organizations, national public health institutes and academic associations and institutions. A thematic analysis was conducted to highlight strategies and arguments employed by the alcohol industry to undermine the Evin Law using Savell et al. framework (2016). Results Several of the identified strategies and arguments to combat marketing regulations were similar to those identified in other countries, while some strategies and arguments were specific to the French context. These include highlighting winegrowing and its integration into decision-making bodies, and forming alliances with parliamentarians. These specific features may in part be explained by the economic significance of alcohol and wine at the heart of French culture. Conclusions For the first time, the long-term lobbying strategies and arguments used by the alcohol industry to weaken the Evin Law are analyzed from the perspectives of those closely involved in its implementation. This study may be useful for other countries that have - or are in the process of - implementing alcohol marketing regulation laws. Key messages The pioneering French alcohol marketing regulation law has faced intense opposition from the alcohol industry, in particular viticulture. Analyzing the strategies and arguments used by the alcohol industry to erode this pioneering law is important to better counter them.

The effect of international accreditations on students’ revealed preferences: Evidence from French Business schools

This paper evaluates how three different international accreditations for business schools (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) affect student preferences, expressed via enrollment decisions. Focusing on the French context, we build a relative preference indicator to compare schools using data collected by the central clearinghouse that allocates students to schools. We observe that all three accreditations positively and significantly influence students, but that the impact of the AACSB accreditation is larger than the other two accreditations. Having an AACSB accreditation is equivalent to moving up four places in rankings by L’étudiant magazine, whereas the impact of having EQUIS or AMBA is similar to moving up two places. We also find a sizeable “triple crown” effect, meaning that the three accreditations tend to complement each other. Our results are robust to different ways of assessing potential self-selection into accreditation.

La Conversation Transatlantique: Les échanges Franco-Américains en Poésie Depuis 1968

La Conversation Transatlantique: Les échanges Franco-Américains en Poésie Depuis 1968

Avoiding gender ambiguous pronouns in French

Across many languages, pronouns are the most frequently produced referring expressions. We examined whether and how speakers avoid referential ambiguity that arises when the gender of a pronoun is compatible with more than one entity in the context in French. Experiment 1 showed that speakers use fewer pronouns when human referents have the same gender than when they had different genders, but grammatical gender congruence between inanimate referents did not result in fewer pronouns. Experiment 2 showed that semantic similarity between non-human referents can enhance the likelihood that speakers avoid grammatical-gender ambiguous pronouns. Experiment 3 pitched grammatical gender ambiguity avoidance against the referents' competition in the non-linguistic context, showing that when speakers can base their pronoun choice on non-linguistic competition, they ignore the pronoun's grammatical gender ambiguity even when the referents are semantically related. The results thus indicated that speakers preferentially produce referring expressions based on non-linguistic information; they are more likely to be affected by the referents' non-linguistic similarity than by the linguistic ambiguity of a pronoun.

CSR communication and firms’ ability to win public procurement contracts

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the link between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication efforts of companies and their ability to obtain public procurement contracts.Design/methodology/approachThe authors are exploiting a database with the number of public procurement contracts won by SBF 120 companies in France and a constructed CSR index over the period of 2007–2015. The authors provide estimates of the amount of public contracts won by those companies.FindingsThe results suggest a striking influence of CSR communication on the ability of firms to win contracts.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused on the case of the SBF 120 companies under the French regulatory system and European directives, which are different from the obligations in North American countries. Second, our constructed CSR index may be too simplistic in nature, and its application is limited only to the French context. Third, we do not have any evidence about the efficiency of well-ranked firms in our study. CSR reporting is still considered to be a form of communication, even if formal, that can contain information that does not especially reflect reality, as the scandals of several companies have shown in recent years (e.g. Volkswagen, Eiffage, Enron).Practical implicationsCompanies should consider Business-to-Government (B-to-G) market when investing in CSR actions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first empirical studies measuring the impact of CSR on the ability of companies to win public contracts.

Cost-Utility of Acromegaly Pharmacological Treatments in a French Context.

ObjectiveEfficacy of pharmacological treatments for acromegaly has been assessed in many clinical or real-world studies but no study was interested in economics evaluation of these treatments in France. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the cost-utility of second-line pharmacological treatments in acromegaly patients.MethodsA Markov model was developed to follow a cohort of 1,000 patients for a lifetime horizon. First-generation somatostatin analogues (FGSA), pegvisomant, pasireotide and pegvisomant combined with FGSA (off label) were compared. Efficacy was defined as the normalization of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration and was obtained from pivotal trials and adjusted by a network meta-analysis. Costs data were obtained from French databases and literature. Utilities from the literature were used to estimate quality-adjusted life year (QALY).ResultsThe incremental cost-utility ratios (ICUR) of treatments compared to FGSA were estimated to be 562,463 € per QALY gained for pasireotide, 171,332 € per QALY gained for pegvisomant, and 186,242 € per QALY gained for pegvisomant + FGSA. Pasireotide seems to be the least cost-efficient treatment. Sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of the results.ConclusionFGSA, pegvisomant and pegvisomant + FGSA were on the cost-effective frontier, therefore, depending on the willingness-to-pay for an additional QALY, they are the most cost-effective treatments. This medico-economic analysis highlighted the consistency of the efficiency results with the efficacy results assessed in the pivotal trials. However, most recent treatment guidelines recommend an individualized treatment strategy based on the patient and disease profile.

Techno-economic relevance of absorption chillers to enhance existing 3GDH

This article studies the economical, technical and environmental aspects of a third generation district heating (DH) network with absorption chillers installed at substation level in order to satisfy the cooling demands. This network solution hence takes advantage of the distribution facilities of existing DH systems. The study aims at evaluating the technical and environmental performances of this new district heating architecture, when sized and operated according to an economic objective using the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization formalism. It is compared to the case where cooling demands are met using individual chillers.The paper first presents the production, distribution, demand and storage models. Regarding the demand side, different heating and cooling scenarios are studied by varying the proportions of residential and tertiary buildings. The model is fed in a second part with data from the French context. In particular, we rely on typical French weather conditions, thermal loads and energy costs.The analysis of the results focuses on the cooling part. It appears that the thermal network solution achieves on average a 3.6% reduction in the levelized cost of space cooling energy. In the worst case space cooling exergy efficiency goes through a 82% decrease. GHG emissions decrease on average by 7.7% thanks to the absence of leakage of refrigerant with high global warming potential. Overall, these emissions are low due to the low carbon content of French electricity.

Influence of Social Support on Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education.

Inclusive education is at the heart of educational policy world-wide. Teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education, which are often associated with the success of the policy, have been studied extensively. Various factors related to teachers, students with special educational needs (SEN) and different specific contexts have been identified. In the current study, we explored the influence of social support on teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education. In a pilot study implying teachers, we replicated, in the French context, previous results showing a correlational link between social support and attitudes toward inclusion. Specifically, we showed that the more social support they perceived with regard to their attempts to include students with SEN, the more positive the teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education. In an experiment involving 314 teachers we then explored the causal link between these variables. Results showed that highlighting the support teachers receive improves their attitudes in comparison with highlighting a lack of support or a control condition in which support is not mentioned. These studies show the importance of supporting inclusive education in the schools. This support can be provided in different ways (emotional, informational, instrumental, etc.) and by different actors (colleagues, supervisors).

How large is the extent of COVID-19 on territorial inequality? France’s current situation and prospects

ABSTRACT This study develops a straightforward statistical approach to explore the COVID-19 pandemic impact on inequalities. The setting of the study is the economic and social inequalities in France, as an illustration of a particular European country that has been severely affected by the current health crisis. Using rich regional data, we provide a clear picture of the COVID-19 impact on inequalities in France at the regional level. The findings show that the pandemic shocks were very asymmetrical with little correlation with the socio-demographic characteristics of a territory. The consequences of the economic losses suffered and the health distress plunged the territories into an unprecedented and multifaceted crisis. The results of this study provide some relevant policy recommendations that can be expanded beyond the French context. It provides some guidance on how to identify the impact of the health crisis on inequalities and the aggravating factors.

French nurses' and allied health professionals' perception of research in their fields: A descriptive qualitative study.

To gather information from nurses and allied health professionals in the French context of the emergence of research in the field so as to inform the development of a new tool: The research in nursing and allied health sciences' Ideas Generator (GénI) capable of sustaining the identification of research ideas from professionals in the field. In many countries, research in nursing and allied health sciences remains underdeveloped. Before developing the Ideas Generator tool, it was essential to explore professionals' basis of reference in providing care, then investigate (1) their representation of research in this field of science and (2) their perception of needs for and obstacles to starting a research process. The qualitative research design used focus groups. The study population included 24 participants naive to research in four hospitals in eastern France (13 nurses and 11 allied health professionals). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The study was reported in compliance with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research criteria. Professionals used tacit knowledge and their experiences to address care, but the culture of scientific evidence was clearly missing (lack of knowledge of the origin of care guidelines, few bibliographic skills). Participation in a research process could hardly be envisaged without a supervised collaboration with a physician. Research was perceived not to be part of professionals' culture. They self-censured for lack of methodological competencies. Findings underlined some leverage, obstacles, and need to consider to generate a stimulation in the field, especially in countries where such research is still in its infancy. Strengthening the field of nursing and allied health research is essential to extend the skills of nurses and allied health workers and to improve the quality of patient care by taking into account results from the literature. The Ideas Generator tool will be implemented to sustain learning the skills of research through education and training.

La fin de vie, enjeu de santé publique : dimensions éthiques d’une question politique

This paper intends to explore the ethical dimension of end-of-life situations and to shed light on its implications for public health policy. This exploration is based on a contextualized philosophical approach, here in the French context. First, it resituates how the end of life first became an object of public discussion and then of legislation. Later on, it discusses how ethical issues about end-of-life are framed by clinical research and social sciences and humanities, particularly with regard to vulnerable population groups and so-called “difficult” medical decisions. Thirdly, it shows that the analysis must go further, by questioning the key ethical and legal notion of “accompagnement” (support), in order to uncover the debates hidden by the apparent consensus about it. Finally, the ethics of care invites us to question the current limits of public health policies concerning the end of life, with regard to their general meaning, but also to their actual means and the ways they combine private care and public action.

Governance failure and its impact on financial distress

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of corporate governance failure, excess remuneration and entrenchment of managers, company variables and corporate governance variables on the company’s financial distress risk (DETR) in the French context. Design/methodology/approach Using the regression analysis, this paper is based on 201 observations about 67 companies of SBF 120 from 2015 to 2017. Data are collected on the Thomson Reuters database and in the referenced documents, which are published on the internet. Findings The research findings reveal that firm’s DETR is influenced negatively by excess remuneration and entrenchment of managers. In addition, there is a positive and significant relationship between DETR and company variables (performance and ownership structure) and corporate governance variables (power structure). However, a company’s size and board of directors’ independence do not affect firms’ DETR. Practical implications The impact highlighted between remuneration and entrenchment of managers and the financial distress of the company is explained by the intention of managers to work for announcing good short-term performance indicators that are most favorable to them. Originality/value The shareholder/manager agency problem can be changed when business performance tends to decline. Certainly, the managerial latitude adopted by the managers is used as an external careerism strategy. Its positive impact on the reduction of the firm’s financial distress can benefit shareholders who aim to sell their securities in the short term.

Dual Minds: Lessons from the French Context of Hume's Social Theory

Hume's theory of mind is often interpreted in associationist terms, portraying the mind as psychological and social. It is also argued that in his most famous philosophical works Hume has an irreligious agenda. These views are problematic because they overlook the issue of social obedience to political authority. By contrast, I examine the connections between Hume's works and those of Bayle and Montaigne. I argue that the French context of Hume's social theory sheds a new light on the dual mind. Indebted to a French Pyrrhonian heritage, Hume invokes custom as an explanatory concept in psychology and in the natural history of society. He also introduces religious analogies as he adopts a historical perspective in social and political theory. Along with custom, faith is crucial in his theory of government. The double nature of the mind thus corresponds to two distinct approaches: the customary mind engaging in profane, habitual activities; and the faithful mind participating in the sacred. Hume's analogy between society and secular religion is comparable to Durkheim's anthropology of rituals. Hume's affinity with Montaigne, Bayle, and Durkheim concerning to the duality of the mind, as customary and faithful, emphasises his role in the history of the French humanities.

Business group affiliation in rural contexts: Do small firms grow faster through working capital management?

AbstractThis paper investigates whether small firms affiliated with business groups that operate in rural regions grow faster through conservative working capital management. Conservative working capital management refers to granting long payment delays to customers and holding high levels of inventories to prevent stockouts. Small firms affiliated with business groups have access to the groups’ internal capital markets to finance conservative working capital management. They can therefore provide liquidity to their customers in rural regions where access to banking debt is more difficult compared to that in urban territories. Using a firm random effects model on a large panel of French small firms operating in the trade industry, we report that business group affiliation positively moderates the positive effect of working capital management on firms’ growth in rural contexts. Our results challenge a commonly held view that states that small firms grow faster as “light” organizations as we present evidence that growth is also achieved by firms holding larger inventories and granting more trade credit to their customers, at least in the French context.