Initial Upper Palaeolithic material culture by 45,000 years ago at Shiyu in northern China

International audienceThe geographic expansion of Homo sapiens populations into southeastern Europe occurred by ∼47,000 years ago (∼47 ka), marked by Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP) technology. H. sapiens was present in western Siberia by ∼45 ka, and IUP industries indicate early entries by ∼50 ka in the Russian Altai and 46–45 ka in northern Mongolia. H. sapiens was in northeastern Asia by ∼40 ka, with a single IUP site in China dating to 43–41 ka. Here we describe an IUP assemblage from Shiyu in northern China, dating to ∼45 ka. Shiyu contains a stone tool assemblage produced by Levallois and Volumetric Blade Reduction methods, the long-distance transfer of obsidian from sources in China and the Russian Far East (800–1,000 km away), increased hunting skills denoted by the selective culling of adult equids and the recovery of tanged and hafted projectile points with evidence of impact fractures, and the presence of a worked bone tool and a shaped graphite disc. Shiyu exhibits a set of advanced cultural behaviours, and together with the recovery of a now-lost human cranial bone, the record supports an expansion of H. sapiens into eastern Asia by about 45 ka

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem of Startups in Bangladesh: Mechanism of Balanced Coexistence

International audiencePurposeThis study has conducted exploratory research to understand who should comprise the members of a resilient supply chain for promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem of a startup project and to determine the mechanisms for the balanced coexistence of all stakeholders. This is necessary to ensure mutual benefits for all stakeholders, each of whom has multidimensional interests. Additionally, this supply chain must be able to withstand any potential disruption risks.Design/methodology/approachThis research has employed a mixed-design approach. In this context, the study conducted an extensive qualitative and quantitative investigation, including 30 interviews and a survey involving 180 potential stakeholders in this supply network, respectively in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. The analysis of the interviews utilized principles of matrix thinking, while structural equation modeling (SEM) through LISREL was employed to understand cause-and-effect relationships.FindingsNetwork, platform, and governance—these three independent constructs have the potential to contribute to the dependent construct, a resilient supply chain, aimed at promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem for startup projects. It has been revealed that the management of such projects depends on the rules and regulations within the ecosystem. An excellent governance mechanism is essential for this purpose. To facilitate coexistence, the establishment of a platform is crucial, where cooperation among all members is mandatory.Practical implicationsFor practitioners, three distinctive but closely interdependent issues are explored and resolved in this philanthropic study. It has unfolded the elements of any startup project with essential settings.Originality/valueThe identification of the structural dynamics of potential stakeholders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem of startups is largely absent in existing literature. Therefore, there is a need to comprehensively investigate the entire network, including their roles, responsibilities, and associations. This study makes a significant and novel contribution to the existing literature. Academics and practitioners alike have ample opportunities to learn from this new aspect of relationships across three distinct areas: the entrepreneurial ecosystem, startup projects, and the development of a resilient supply chain

Quantifying the short-term asymmetric effects of renewable energy on the electricity merit-order curve

International audienceAmidst the growing significance of renewable energy, this paper examines the asymmetric effects of renewable energy on electricity prices and transmission flows in the Nordics using hourly electricity data. Employing a novel panel asymmetric fixed-effects method, we quantify the non-linear impact of renewable generation technologies on the electricity supply curve. Contrary to previous research, our analysis challenges the assumption of wind having symmetric effects in electricity markets. Specifically, we suggest that an increase in renewable energy cannot lead to price reductions of the same magnitude as the price increases caused by a decrease in wind. In addition, we investigate interconnections between regions and explore asymmetries in transmission flows due to wind generation. Our findings reveal the presence of asymmetric effects in the Nordic electricity market, highlighting their significance in achieving a secure electricity system. These results offer valuable insights for governments, policymakers, and market participants for optimizing the electricity generation mix, prioritizing flexible systems, and making informed investment decisions

The intention-behaviour gap in sustainable hospitality: a critical literature review

International audiencePurpose – The intention of consumers to behave sustainably is not a reliable predictor of sustainablehospitality choices. This intention-behaviour gap represents one of the biggest challenges for marketers andenvironment-friendly businesses. To address this issue, this study aims to draw upon the intention-behaviourgap. The authors revise the sustainable hospitality literature to identify the limitations, to evaluate the extentto which the intention-behaviour gap is embedded in the hospitality literature and to provide practicalguidance on how to move research forward in the sustainable hospitality field.Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopted a five-step process to review and analyse 71scientific papers published in 14 Hospitality Journals. The authors developed a descriptive overview of theliterature showing the publications in this field over the years, the sustainability practices implemented bycompanies and consumers and the setting of the studies. Finally, the authors conducted a critical analysis ofresearch in sustainable hospitality adopting the intention-behaviour gap lens.Findings – Leveraging the descriptive overview and critical analysis, the authors offer four directions for futureresearch to address the existing literature limitations. The authors encourage scholars to expand the scope of theresearch setting, investigate diverse sustainability practices, integrate existing knowledge on the intention-behaviourgap into sustainable hospitality research and combine traditional researchmethodswith emerging technologies.Practical implications – This study exposes the theoretical challenge of applying conventionalbehaviour theories to sustainable hospitality, prompting a call for framework re-evaluation. It offers practicalinsights, empowering researchers, marketers and policymakers to navigate and mitigate the intentionbehaviourgap in sustainable hospitality.Originality/value – The originality of this paper is underscored by its distinctive focus on the uniqueintention-behaviour gap within sustainable hospitality, coupled with a compelling call to re-evaluatetraditional behavioural frameworks. It provides a roadmap for future research in sustainable hospitality,benefiting researchers, policymakers and marketers in promoting sustainable initiatives

Entrepreneurship as collective action: The next frontier

International audienceAnalyses of collective action in entrepreneurship are lacking in the extant literature. Despite entrepreneurship research progressively moving away from a focus on the lone heroic entrepreneur, scholars have yet to absorb the full potential of entrepreneurship as collective action. Also missing is a collective stance on key entrepreneurship concepts such as opportunity discovery or construction and entrepreneurial agency. Accordingly, this article reviews and critiques five articles that constitute this Special Issue seeking to establish ‘entrepreneurship as collective action’ as the next frontier of entrepreneurship theory development. The articles in this Special Issue each investigate a specific instance of collective action in entrepreneurship. This article contributes to extant scholarship by highlighting transversal themes and offering further research avenues

Package-free products: How to improve pro-environmental buying behaviors among consumers

The packaging of consumer goods is considered a main cause of household waste. Worldwide institutions are pressing companies to realize solutions that minimize packaging and comply with sustainable development goals (SDGs). Similarly, emerging EU Directives are prompting countries and operators to cut off the packaging of fast-moving consumer goods. The offer of package-free products – alternatively named bulk products – represents an effective solution. Applying a mixed method approach to data collected during and after the pandemic, this paper explores consumers’ propensity for bulk products, identifying potential benefits and barriers consumers face when buying package-free products. We find that consumers are keen to buy bulk products not to conform to society but as they perceive it as a personal contribution to environmental protection. However, greater familiarity with package-free products is necessary for adopting this emerging pro-environmental behavior. Thus, we encourage i) manufacturers to develop and propose new package-free lines, ii) retailers to provide package-free assortment options to attract new consumer targets, iii) institutions and policymakers to promote sustainable behavior among citizens favoring familiarity with this shopping option

The effect of IoT capability on supply chain integration and firm performance: An Empirical study in the UK Retail industry.

International audiencePurpose- The purpose of this study is to use empirical data to examine the hierarchical impact of the Internet of Things capability on supply chain integration, supply chain capability and firm performance in the UK retail industry.Design/Methodology/approach-A deductive approach was employed to carry out this research. Structural Equation modelling (SEM) was performed using the Partial Least Square method (SmartPLS 3.3.3) to test theoretical predictions which underlie the relationships among IoTC, SCI, SCC, and firm performance. Data is collected using an online survey completed by senior executives of 66 large, medium, and small firms within the UK retail industry.Findings- The empirical results of this research reveal that IoTC has a significant positive effect on the UK retail industry firm performance through the mediating role of supply chain integration and supply chain capability.Practical Implications- The research results from this study provide useful management insights for firms within the retail industry into the development of effective strategies for integrating their supply chain alongside the adoption of IoTC into supply chain integration, consequently leading to improvements in firm performance.Originality/value- Although previous studies have explored the impact of IoT on firm performance through the sequential mediating role of SCI and SCC, few have explored the impact of the IoT capability on firm performance through sequential mediators, i.e., SCI and SCC. This study examines the relationship between IoT capability, SCI, SCC and FP in the UK retail industry supply chain to address this knowledge gap. Moreover, this study examines the effects ofIoT capability on firm performance by applying PLS-SEM techniques. Testing the sequential mediating role of SCI and SCI is undertaken, and analysing the relationships among IoT-enabled SCI and SCC to improve firm performance. The robustness check's result through PLSpredict analysis also confirms the power of the model proposed in this study

Explainable Analytics for Operational Research

International audienceThe steep rise of analytics and AI in Operational Research (OR) is reflected by its increasing number of academic publications (Hindle et al. 2020) as well as the excitement amongst commercial organizations, governments, and communities to create value from their data. In this feature cluster, we invited authors to submit high-quality contributions addressing theoretical and algorithmic developments advancing the theory and methodology of explainable analytics and AI within OR, as well as real-world innovative implementations in business and society in areas as marketing and sales, supply chain management, education, production and service operations, medicine, bioinformatics, (financial) risk, and fraud

The role of embodiment, experience, and self-image expression in creating continuance intention in the metaverse

International audienceDespite the growth of the metaverse, users' perception of their self-image based on the embodied elements remains unexplored. This research explores the metaverse world's relationship between embodiment, experience, expression, and continuance intention. This research deploys an exploratory sequential mixed-method research design to operationalise the study objective. Study 1 performs a qualitative investigation to develop a hypothetical model, and Study 2 employs a 3x3 factorial experimental design with 356 participants to investigate the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate that embodied presence and co-presence can lead to positive continuance intentions. Also, it is crucial to develop self-image expressions in the metaverse space. This research offers multiple insights and advances the theoretical knowledge of cognitive embodiment, flow, cognitive bias, and expectancy confirmation theories. The results can also aid metaverse practitioners in designing an interactive metaverse domain

Virtual influencers and data privacy: Introducing the multi-privacy paradox

International audienceVirtual influencers have a growing presence in social media, reshaping the traditional interactions between influencers and followers. Through an interdisciplinary orientation, we assess the implications of this phenomenon for data privacy. Specifically, we argue that, given that the virtual influencer is not a human being, an unbalanced privacy risk arises from 2 possible data vulnerability, cybercrime, and the creation of fake profiles. We explore these risks through a qualitative exploratory study with 28 followers of virtual influencers. Our work culminates with a conceptual framework that highlights what we define as a multiprivacy paradox. We offer actionable ways for organizations to manage privacy and protect consumers dealing with virtual influencers in the metaverse