Professor Michela Vecchi

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Michela Vecchi
About
Teaching and learning
Research
Business, knowledge transfer and international
Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact
Leadership and management

About

My role at Kingston University is to develop a collaborative research environment, next to contributing to the high quality teaching the University is famous for. I have over 20 years of experience in academia. Before joining Kingston, I worked at Middlesex University, where I was module leader for Econometrics, running undergraduate and postgraduate modules. I also worked at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), Stirling University and Glasgow University. I am research fellow at the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR), consultant for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), visiting fellow at National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

I am passionate about research and I believe research must be at the core of university education. Research naturally feeds into teaching, and being an active researcher has allowed me to develop modules that are engaging, relevant and that expose students to how economics works in the real world.  

Academic responsibilities

Professor of Economics

Qualifications

  • PGcertHE, Middlesex University
  • PhD in Economics, University of Ancona, Italy
  • MSc in Economics, University of Glasgow
  • Laurea Cum Laude in Political Science, University of Macerata (Italy)

Teaching and learning

I am module leader for Microeconomics (Year 2) and I contribute to the teaching of several other modules run by the Department of Economics, including Becoming an Economist (Year 1) and Working as an Economist (Year 3). For the Working as an Economist module I have developed a new topic 'Technology, productivity and the labour market' and I am in charge of the supervision of students' dissertation. I also have a 15 year experience in teaching Data Analysis and Econometrics, at all levels (Undergraduate, Master and PhD students).

Qualifications and expertise

  • PGcertHE, Middlesex University

Undergraduate courses taught

Research

My research focuses on policy-oriented topics, and revolve around the following areas:

1)    Understanding Green Skills provision and stimulating growth of Green Jobs. This project is funded but Hounslow council and it is part of Hounslow's Green Economy Programme.

2)    Skill mismatch among in the UK and its impact on wages, focusing on graduates. A large amount of resources is devoted to education and investigating the returns to these investments is important for both policy and individuals' choices. Results show that 30% of graduates in the UK are employed in non-graduate jobs and earn less compared to those who find a job that matches their degree level and degree subject.  However, approximately half of this proportion is due to graduates who studied abroad. The overall proportion has been declining since 2018, a trend that continued during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Funded by the ONS and the ESRC).

3)    Dance, well-being and productivity. This new research area links the economic literature on productivity with the psychology and neuroscience literature on dance and cognitive functions. My first work, in cooperation with a team from Middlesex University, shows that there is a positive and significant relationship between dance and productivity, which operates both indirectly, via the effect of dance on well-being, and directly. We believe the direct effect is due to the positive relationship between dance and cognition. (Funded by Middlesex University)

4)    Productivity, skills and technical change: I have worked on the interaction between skills and innovation (skill biased technical change) and the relationship between innovation and productivity, focusing on the role of R&D and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Throughout the years this work has expanded into two additional lines of research: the role of technology as a potential driver of the decline in the labour share of national income, and how new intangible assets affect the demand for different types of skills. (Funded by the EU and the ESRC).

Areas of specialism

  • Skill mismatch/overeducation
  • Skill biased technical change
  • Productivity
  • Dance and Well-Being
  • Cognitive and non-cognitive skills

Scholarly affiliations

  • Visiting fellow, National Institute of Economic and Social Research
  • Consultant, Office for National Statistics
  • Research Fellow, Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research
  • Fellow, Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Publications

Jump to: Article | Book Section | Conference or Workshop Item | Monograph
Number of items: 37.

Article

Rizov, Marian, Vecchi, Michela and Domenech, Josep (2022) Going online : forecasting the impact of websites on productivity and market structure. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 184, p. 121959. ISSN (print) 0040-1625

Vecchi, Michela, Elf, Patrick, Ueno, Akiko, Dilmperi, Athina, Dennis, Charles and Devereux, Luke (2022) Shall we dance? Recreational dance, well-being and productivity performance during COVID-19 : a three-country study. Journal of International Marketing, 1069031X2210796. ISSN (print) 1069-031X (Epub Ahead of Print)

O’Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2021) Capital heterogeneity and the decline of the labour share. Economica, 88(350), pp. 271-296. ISSN (print) 0013-0427

Castelnovo, Paolo, Morretta, Valentina and Vecchi, Michela (2020) Regional disparities and industrial structure : territorial capital and productivity in Italian firms. Regional Studies, 54(12), pp. 1709-1723. ISSN (print) 0034-3404

Pieri, Fabio, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2018) Modelling the joint impact of R&D and ICT on productivity : a frontier analysis approach. Research Policy, 47(9), pp. 1842-1852. ISSN (print) 0048-7333

Lenkei, Balint, Mustafa, Ghulam and Vecchi, Michela (2018) Growth in emerging economies : is there a role for education? Economic Modelling, 73, pp. 240-253. ISSN (print) 0264-9993

Bournakis, Ioannis, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2018) Off-shoring, specialization and R&D. Review of Income and Wealth, 64(1), pp. 26-51. ISSN (print) 0034-6586

Perugini, Cristiano, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2017) Globalisation and the decline of the labour share : a microeconomic perspective. Economic Systems, 41(4), pp. 524-536. ISSN (print) 0939-3625

Marsh, Ian William, Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2017) We see ICT spillovers everywhere but in the econometric evidence : a reassessment. Industrial and Corporate Change, 26(6), pp. 1067-1088. ISSN (print) 0960-6491

Aristei, David, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2016) University and inter-firm R&D collaborations : propensity and intensity of cooperation in Europe. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 41(4), pp. 841-871. ISSN (print) 0892-9912

Rincon Aznar, Ana, Saraidaris, Anastasios, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2014) Closing the US-EU productivity gap : knowledge assets, absorptive capacity, and institutional reforms. VoxEU Columns,

Mason, Geoff, O'Leary, Brigid and Vecchi, Michela (2012) Certified and uncertified skills and productivity growth performance : cross-country evidence at industry level. Labour Economics, 19(3), pp. 351-360. ISSN (print) 0927-5371

Byrne, Joseph P. and Vecchi, Michela (2010) Does labour productivity flow across industries? Estimation robust to panel heterogeneity and cross sectional correlation. Applied Economics Letters, 17(2), pp. 111-115. ISSN (print) 1350-4851

Bournakis, Ioannis and Vecchi, Michela (2010) Tangible and intangible capital and the pattern of specialisation in the EU. Review of Economics and Institutions, 1(2), ISSN (online) 2038-1379

O’Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela (2009) R&D, knowledge spillovers and company productivity performance. Research Policy, 38(1), pp. 35-44. ISSN (print) 0048-7333

O'Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and Vecchi, Michela (2008) The impact of ICT on the demand for skilled labour : a cross-country comparison. Labour Economics, 15(6), pp. 1435-1450. ISSN (print) 0927-5371

O'Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela (2005) Quantifying the impact of ICT capital on output growth : a heterogeneous dynamic panel approach. Economica, 72(288), pp. 615-633. ISSN (print) 0013-0427

O'Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela (2001) The electricity supply industry : a study of an industry in transition. National Institute Economic Review, 177(1), pp. 85-99. ISSN (print) 0027-9501

Darby, Julia, Hart, Robert A. and Vecchi, Michela (2001) Wages, work intensity and unemployment in Japan, UK and USA. Labour Economics, 8(2), pp. 243-258. ISSN (print) 0927-5371

Darby, Julia, Hart, Robert A. and Vecchi, Michela (2001) Labour force participation and the business cycle: a comparative analysis of France, Japan, Sweden and the United States. Japan and the World Economy, 13(2), pp. 113-133. ISSN (print) 09221425

Book Section

Savic, Maja, Vecchi, Michela and Lewis, Adama (2019) Overeducation and hourly wages in the UK labour market ; 2006 to 2017. In: Khaliq, Muhammed, (ed.) Economic review: April 2019. Office for National Statistics.

O’Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2019) Technology, market regulations, and labor share dynamics. In: Fields, Gary and Paul, Saumik, (eds.) Labor income share in Asia : conceptual issues and the drivers. Singapore : Springer. pp. 81-101. (ADB Institute Series on Development Economics) ISSN (print) 2363-9032 ISBN 9789811378027

Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2015) Functional income distribution in European transition countries. In: Perugini, Cristiano and Pompei, Fabrizio, (eds.) Inequalities during and after transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Basingstoke, U.K. : Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 59-92. (Studies in Economic Transition (SET)) ISBN 9781137460974

Foster-McGregor, Neil, Pöschl, Johannes, Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Stehrer, Robert, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2013) Reducing productivity and efficiency gaps : the role of knowledge assets, absorptive capacity and institutions. In: Director-General for Enterprise and Industry, (ed.) European competitiveness report 2013 : towards knowledge-driven reindustrialisation. Luxembourg : Publications Office of the European Union. pp. 77-111. ISSN (print) 1682-0800 ISBN 9789279332678

Mason, Geoff, O'Leary, Brigid and Vecchi, Michela (2008) La cualificación de la mano de obra y su efecto en la productividad relativa : algunas comparaciones internacionales. In: Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior (ICEX), (ed.) Claves de la economía mundial. Madrid, Spain : Instituto Espanol De Comercio Exterior. pp. 139-148. (08) ISSN (print) 2531-274X ISBN 9788478116379

Rincon, Ana and Vecchi, Michela (2003) Productivity performance at the company level. In: O'Mahony, Mary and van Ark, Bart, (eds.) EU productivity and competitiveness : an industry perspective. Can Europe resume the catching-up process? Luxembourg City, Luxembourg : Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. pp. 169-208. (Enterprise Publications) ISBN 9789289463034

O'Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela (2000) Tangible and intangible investment and economic performance : evidence from company accounts. In: Buigues, Pierre , Jacquemin, Alexis and Marchipont, Jean-François, (eds.) Competitiveness and the value of intangible assets. Cheltenham, U.K. : Edward Elgar. pp. 199-227. ISBN 9781840643916

Conference or Workshop Item

O’Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and Vecchi, Michela (2022) Working in an immaterial world : intangible assets and the supply and demand for skilled labour. In: IZA Workshop : the Macroeconomics of Labor Productivity; 10 Nov 2022, Held online. (Unpublished)

O’Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and Vecchi, Michela (2022) Working in an immaterial world : intangible assets and the supply and demand for skilled labour. In: 7th World KLEMS conference; 12-13 Oct 2022, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K.. (Unpublished)

O'Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2014) Technology, institutions and labour share dynamics. In: 12th ZEW Conference on the Economics of Information and Communication Technologies; 16-17 Jun 2014, Mannheim, Germany. (Unpublished)

Monograph

Vecchia, Michela, Robinson, Catherine, Savic, Maja and Romiti, Marina (2023) Vertical and horizontal mismatch in the UK : are graduates' skills a good fit for their jobs? (Discussion Paper) London, U.K. : National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Vecchi, Michela, Savic, Maja and Romiti, Marina (2021) Skill mismatch among UK graduates. (Discussion Paper) London, U.K. : Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence. (ESCoE Discussion Paper, no. 2021-11)

O'Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2019) Technology, intangible assets and the decline of the labor share. (Discussion Paper) London, U.K. : Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence. (ESCoE Discussion Paper, no. 2019-17)

Pieri, Fabio, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2017) Modelling the joint impact of R&D and ICT on productivity : a frontier analysis approach. (Working Paper) Trento : Università degli Studi di Trento. (DEM Working Papers, no. 2017/13)

Vecchi, Michela, Rincon, Ana, Venturini, Francesco, Stehrer, Robert, Foster-McGregor, Neil and Pöschl, Johannes (2013) Reducing productivity and efficiency gaps : the role of knowledge assets, absorptive capacity and institutions - Background chapter. (Technical Report) UNSPECIFIED (Unpublished)

Ana, Rincon, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2012) ICT spillovers, absorptive capacity and productivity performance. (Working Paper) Perugia : Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia. (Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica, no. 103/2012)

Bournakis, Ioannis, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2011) Offshoring and specialisation : are industries moving abroad? (Working Paper) Perugia : Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia. (Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica, no. 98/2011)

This list was generated on Wed Sep 13 06:39:47 2023 BST.

Business, knowledge transfer and international

I am co-organizing an International workshop on Skills, Intangibles and Productivity, in cooperation with the University of Perugia, King's College London and NIESR (28-29 April 2023). The workshop is in memory of a former colleague and friend Geoff Mason. For more information, please contact me at m.vecchi@kingston.ac.uk.

Closer to home, together with Professor Frederic Valle-Tourangeau, I am organizing a symposium on Creativity, Wellbeing and Society, 23rd June 2023, at Kingston University. The aim of the symposium is to bring together researchers from different fields, working on creativity and the creative industry, as well as industry professionals, to discuss the role of creativity for individuals' wellbeing, society and the economy. Topics of interest of the symposium include: The role of creativity for wellbeing/mental health, after the Covid crisis; Creativity, innovation, and productivity;  The role of the creative industry in the UK economy; Wellbeing of creatives; The importance of creativity in old age. For more information, please drop me or Fred a message. 

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Recent press coverage of my work 

Skill mismatch

  • https://www.adruk.org/our-mission/our-impact/graduates-labour-market-outcomes-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-08/pandemic-leaves-one-in-eight-recent-u-k-graduates-unemployed?srnd=markets-vp&leadSource=uverify%20wall
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9338143/Unemployment-rate-recent-graduates-DOUBLE-rate-UK-workers-whole.html
  • https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1745074/one-in-eight-graduate-unemployed-because-of-the-pandemic#gref
  • https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/mar/08/uk-covid-live-news-minister-defends-pupil-isolation-after-rapid-test-results-as-schools-return-in-englandhttps://www.ft.com/content/20c0e456-396b-46d3-ba20-abf6542d5cf6
  • https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/overeducation-poses-questions-over-skills-gap-pay-and-productivity/
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48091971
  • https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/29/third-of-uk-graduates-overqualified-for-their-job
  • https://www.theweek.co.uk/100977/third-of-uk-graduates-overqualified-for-their-job
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/09/11/almost-one-three-graduates-overqualified-job-major-report-finds/
  • https://theboar.org/2019/05/almost-a-third-of-uk-graduates-are-overqualified-for-their-work/
  • https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/one-third-of-recent-graduates-underpaid-and-overqualified-q6zvgh59c
  • https://ise.org.uk/news/449089/Third-of-UK-graduates-overqualified-for-their-job.htm

 Dance and well-being

  • https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2021-01-24/How-dancing-can-make-you-feel-better-even-in-COVID-19-lockdown-XisawSF6U0/index.html

Leadership and management

I am currently leading the discussion related to the development of a new MSc programme in Economics at Kingston. 

I am also launching a new series of seminars, the Pluralist Economics Seminar Series. This seminar series will reflect the pluralist nature of our department and will bring together experts from both orthodox and heterodox economics. I believe that a dialogue between the two approaches will enrich our understanding of economic issues, promote the development of new ideas and better address societal challenges. The seminar series will start on 19th April with a presentation by Dr. Saumik Paul (Newcastle University and Kingston University). Saumik will present a paper entitled 'Project Aid and Firm Performance'.

Related to my research on skills and the skill mismatch, I am developing a research project on graduates skills and labour market outcomes, that will contribute to Kingston University's Future Skills agenda. 

On the teaching side, I am module leader of Intermediate Microeconomics (EC5004) and I lead one of the dissertation topics within the Working as an Economist module (EC6001). The topic entitled 'Technology, productivity and the labour market' draws upon my several years of research on productivity, human capital and technological change. 

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