Professor Michela Vecchi
Faculties, deparments and locations
- Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
- Department of Economics
- School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Penrhyn Road
Professor of Economics
- Email:
- m.vecchi@kingston.ac.uk
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 as a module leader for Econometrics, running undergraduate and postgraduate modules. I have also worked at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), Stirling University, and Glasgow University. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), a Fellow of the Royal Economic Society and a Visiting Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). I have recently been nominated as Programme Deputy Chair for the Royal Economic Society 2024 Conference, which will take place in Belfast (25-27 March 2024).
I am passionate about research, and I believe it 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 expose students to how economics works in the real world.
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)
Domains
I am module leader for Intermediate Microeconomics (EC5004) and Working as an Economist (EC6001). I contribute to the teaching of other modules run by the Department of Economics, including Becoming an Economist (EC4001) and Macroeconomics (EC5003). 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' dissertations. I also have 15 years of experience in teaching Data Analysis and Econometrics at all levels (Undergraduate, Master and PhD students).
Qualifications
- PGcertHE, Middlesex University
Courses taught
My research focuses on policy-oriented topics, and revolves around the following areas:
- Understanding Green Skills provision and stimulating the growth of Green Jobs. This project is funded by Hounslow Council and is part of Hounslow's Green Economy Programme.
- Skill mismatch 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 declined since 2018, a trend that continued during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Funded by the ONS and the ESRC).
- 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)
- 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).
Specialisms
- 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
I co-organise 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 organiing 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.
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
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 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.
Publications
Going online : forecasting the impact of websites on productivity and market structure
Rizov, Marian, Vecchi, Michela and Domenech, Josep, 2022, Technological Forecasting and Social Change (184), pp 121959
Shall we dance? Recreational dance, well-being and productivity performance during COVID-19 : a three-country study
Vecchi, Michela, Elf, Patrick, Ueno, Akiko, Dilmperi, Athina, Dennis, Charles and Devereux, Luke, 2022, Journal of International Marketing, pp 1069031X2210796
Capital heterogeneity and the decline of the labour share
O’Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2021, Economica (88), 350, pp 271-296
Regional disparities and industrial structure : territorial capital and productivity in Italian firms
Castelnovo, Paolo, Morretta, Valentina and Vecchi, Michela, 2020, Regional Studies (54), 12, pp 1709-1723
Pieri, Fabio, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2018, Research Policy (47), 9, pp 1842-1852
Growth in emerging economies : is there a role for education?
Lenkei, Balint, Mustafa, Ghulam and Vecchi, Michela, 2018, Economic Modelling (73), pp 240-253
Bournakis, Ioannis, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2018, Review of Income and Wealth (64), 1, pp 26-51
Globalisation and the decline of the labour share : a microeconomic perspective
Perugini, Cristiano, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2017, Economic Systems (41), 4, pp 524-536
We see ICT spillovers everywhere but in the econometric evidence : a reassessment
Marsh, Ian William, Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2017, Industrial and Corporate Change (26), 6, pp 1067-1088
Aristei, David, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2016, The Journal of Technology Transfer (41), 4, pp 841-871
Closing the US-EU productivity gap : knowledge assets, absorptive capacity, and institutional reforms
Rincon Aznar, Ana, Saraidaris, Anastasios, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco, 2014, VoxEU Columns
Certified and uncertified skills and productivity growth performance : cross-country evidence at industry level
Mason, Geoff, O'Leary, Brigid and Vecchi, Michela, 2012, Labour Economics (19), 3, pp 351-360
Does labour productivity flow across industries? Estimation robust to panel heterogeneity and cross sectional correlation
Byrne, Joseph P. and Vecchi, Michela, 2010, Applied Economics Letters (17), 2, pp 111-115
Tangible and intangible capital and the pattern of specialisation in the EU
Bournakis, Ioannis and Vecchi, Michela, 2010, Review of Economics and Institutions (1), 2
O’Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela, 2009, Research Policy (38), 1, pp 35-44
The impact of ICT on the demand for skilled labour : a cross-country comparison
O'Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and Vecchi, Michela, 2008, Labour Economics (15), 6, pp 1435-1450
Quantifying the impact of ICT capital on output growth : a heterogeneous dynamic panel approach
O'Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela, 2005, Economica (72), 288, pp 615-633
The electricity supply industry : a study of an industry in transition
O'Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela, 2001, National Institute Economic Review (177), 1, pp 85-99
Wages, work intensity and unemployment in Japan, UK and USA
Darby, Julia, Hart, Robert A. and Vecchi, Michela, 2001, Labour Economics (8), 2, pp 243-258
Labour force participation and the business cycle: a comparative analysis of France, Japan, Sweden and the United States
Darby, Julia, Hart, Robert A. and Vecchi, Michela, 2001, Japan and the World Economy (13), 2, pp 113-133
Technology and employment : evidence for the UK labour market
Bournakis, Ioannis and Vecchi, Michela (2024). In: Aldieri, Luigi, (ed.), Technological Evolution : How Innovations are Changing our Future. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Cham
Overeducation and hourly wages in the UK labour market ; 2006 to 2017
Savic, Maja, Vecchi, Michela and Lewis, Adama (2019). In: Khaliq, Muhammed, (ed.), Economic review: April 2019. Office for National Statistics
Technology, market regulations, and labor share dynamics
O’Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2019). In: Fields, Gary, (eds.) and Paul, Saumik, (eds.), Labor income share in Asia : conceptual issues and the drivers. Singapore: Springer, pp 81-101
Functional income distribution in European transition countries
Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2015). In: Perugini, Cristiano, (eds.) and Pompei, Fabrizio, (eds.), Inequalities during and after transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Basingstoke, U.K.: Palgrave Macmillan, pp 59-92
Reducing productivity and efficiency gaps : the role of knowledge assets, absorptive capacity and institutions
Foster-McGregor, Neil, Pöschl, Johannes, Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Stehrer, Robert, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2013). 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
La cualificación de la mano de obra y su efecto en la productividad relativa : algunas comparaciones internacionales
Mason, Geoff, O'Leary, Brigid and Vecchi, Michela (2008). In: Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior (ICEX), (ed.), Claves de la economía mundial. Madrid, Spain: Instituto Espanol De Comercio Exterior, pp 139-148
Productivity performance at the company level
Rincon, Ana and Vecchi, Michela (2003). In: O'Mahony, Mary, (eds.) 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
Tangible and intangible investment and economic performance : evidence from company accounts
O'Mahony, Mary and Vecchi, Michela (2000). In: Buigues, Pierre, (eds.), Jacquemin, Alexis, (eds.) and Marchipont, Jean-François, (eds.), Competitiveness and the value of intangible assets. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar, pp 199-227
Vertical and horizontal mismatch in the UK : are graduates' skills a good fit for their jobs?
Vecchia, Michela, Robinson, Catherine, Savic, Maja and Romiti, Marina (2023). London, U.K.: (National Institute of Economic and Social Research)
Skill mismatch among UK graduates
Vecchi, Michela, Savic, Maja and Romiti, Marina (2021). London, U.K.: (Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence)
Technology, intangible assets and the decline of the labor share
O'Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2019). London, U.K.: (Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence)
Pieri, Fabio, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2017). Trento: (Università degli Studi di Trento)
Reducing productivity and efficiency gaps : the role of knowledge assets, absorptive capacity and institutions - Background chapter
Vecchi, Michela, Rincon, Ana, Venturini, Francesco, Stehrer, Robert, Foster-McGregor, Neil and Pöschl, Johannes (2013).
ICT spillovers, absorptive capacity and productivity performance
Ana, Rincon, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2012). Perugia: (Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia)
Offshoring and specialisation : are industries moving abroad?
Bournakis, Ioannis, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco (2011). Perugia: (Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia)
Working in an immaterial world : intangible assets and the supply and demand for skilled labour
O’Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and Vecchi, Michela(2022). In: IZA Workshop : the Macroeconomics of Labor Productivity, 10 Nov 2022 :Held online
Working in an immaterial world : intangible assets and the supply and demand for skilled labour
O’Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and Vecchi, Michela(2022). In: 7th World KLEMS conference, 12-13 Oct 2022 :University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K.
Technology, institutions and labour share dynamics
O'Mahony, Mary, Vecchi, Michela and Venturini, Francesco(2014). In: 12th ZEW Conference on the Economics of Information and Communication Technologies, 16-17 Jun 2014 :Mannheim, Germany