Paperback
Productivity and the Pandemic
Challenges and Insights from Covid-19
9781800374614 Edward Elgar Publishing
This forward-thinking book examines the potential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on productivity. Productivity and the Pandemic features 21 chapters authored by 46 experts, examining different aspects of how the pandemic is likely to impact on the economy, society and governance in the medium- and long-term. Drawing on a range of empirical evidence, analytical arguments and new conceptual insights, the book challenges our thinking on many dimensions. With a keen focus on place, firms, production factors and institutions, the chapters highlight how the pre-existing challenges to productivity have been variously exacerbated and mitigated by the pandemic and points out ways forward for appropriate policy thinking in response to the crisis.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This forward-thinking book examines the potential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on productivity. Productivity and the Pandemic features 21 chapters authored by 46 experts, examining different aspects of how the pandemic is likely to impact on the economy, society and governance in the medium- and long-term. Drawing on a range of empirical evidence, analytical arguments and new conceptual insights, the book challenges our thinking on many dimensions. With a keen focus on place, firms, production factors and institutions, the chapters highlight how the pre-existing challenges to productivity have been variously exacerbated and mitigated by the pandemic and points out ways forward for appropriate policy thinking in response to the crisis.
An important read for scholars and students interested in the impact of the pandemic, this book will also be an invigorating read for economists and policy makers looking for more information on how the pandemic and resulting economic recession is affecting productivity.
An important read for scholars and students interested in the impact of the pandemic, this book will also be an invigorating read for economists and policy makers looking for more information on how the pandemic and resulting economic recession is affecting productivity.
Critical Acclaim
‘It is no question that this new monument book will help economists, scholars, and students alike to engage in this new research field. Meanwhile, this book will also be an invigorating resource for policymakers seeking more information on how the pandemic and resulting economic recession are affecting productivity.’
– Peng Zhao, International Journal of Society Systems Science
‘I highly recommend the reading of the expert and rational minutiae in the splendid analysis that constitutes this most worthy and scholarly work.’
– Sally Ramage, Criminal Law News
‘If ever there was a timely book on an important question this is it. The need to address the spatial and human aspects of Britain’s low productivity had no sooner reached the top of the political agenda than Covid-19 struck, plunging us into radical uncertainty. This well-focused collection of data-rich studies begins to illuminate how Covid-19 has altered and compounded the productivity problem.’
– Sir Paul Collier CBE, University of Oxford, UK
‘The Productivity Insights Network has been building huge insight and credibility in the past two years and with this collection of papers, is leading the way on identifying potential new patterns in our economy.’
– Tony Danker, Director-General, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), UK
– Peng Zhao, International Journal of Society Systems Science
‘I highly recommend the reading of the expert and rational minutiae in the splendid analysis that constitutes this most worthy and scholarly work.’
– Sally Ramage, Criminal Law News
‘If ever there was a timely book on an important question this is it. The need to address the spatial and human aspects of Britain’s low productivity had no sooner reached the top of the political agenda than Covid-19 struck, plunging us into radical uncertainty. This well-focused collection of data-rich studies begins to illuminate how Covid-19 has altered and compounded the productivity problem.’
– Sir Paul Collier CBE, University of Oxford, UK
‘The Productivity Insights Network has been building huge insight and credibility in the past two years and with this collection of papers, is leading the way on identifying potential new patterns in our economy.’
– Tony Danker, Director-General, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), UK
Contributors
Contributors: J. Anable, N. Bailey, S. Bhaumik, A. Brown, G. Brown, P. Caskie, L. Christie, J. Cook, I. Docherty, G. Dymski, E. Ernst, P. Findlay, T. Forth, B. Gardiner, C. Gherhes, A. Green, R. Harris, A. Henley, M. Hruskova, R. Huggins, K. Jones, D. Kopasker, R. Lewney, C. Lindsay, J. Long, S. Lowe, D. Maclennan, G. Marsden, R. Martin, C. Mason, P. McCann, J. Tian Miao, S. Mills, S. Morrison-Rees, J. Nelles, Ra. Ortega-Argilés, F. Ritchie, G. Roy, V. Sena, H. Szymborska, P. Thompson, T. Vorley, E. Waind, D. Webber, N. Webster, R. Whittle
Contents
Contents:
Introduction xiii
Philip McCann and Tim Vorley
1 The Covid-19 shock: the UK national and regional
implications in the light of international evidence 1
Philip McCann and Raquel Ortega-Argilés
2 Frontier and ‘laggard’ firms: will there be significant
changes to the distribution of productivity post-Covid-19? 16
Richard Harris
3 Firm strategies under Covid-19 induced uncertainty:
implications for policy 32
Vania Sena and Sumon Bhaumik
4 Implications and impacts of the crisis on micro businesses
and their future 46
Andrew Henley, Tim Vorley and Cristian Gherhes
5 The impact of Covid-19 on entrepreneurial ecosystems 59
Colin Mason and Michaela Hruskova
6 Financing an entrepreneur-led economic recovery: the
impact of the coronavirus on business angel investing 73
Colin Mason
7 The implications of a crisis-driven societal shift to online
consumption 88
Stuart Mills, Richard Whittle and Gavin Brown
8 The Covid-19 crisis and implications for skills
development and the skills system 104
Anne Green
9 Good work and mental health in the post-Covid era 119
Daniel Kopasker
10 Business models, innovation and employees’ experiences
in the workplace: challenges for the post-Covid-19 economy 132
Patricia Findlay, Colin Lindsay and Graeme Roy
11 Transport, the economy and environmental sustainability
post-Covid-19 147
Iain Docherty, Greg Marsden, Jillian Anable and Tom Forth
12 Sectoral and spatial impacts of the Covid-19 recession 160
Ben Gardiner, Richard Lewney and Ron Martin
13 Cities, innovation and behavioural change: how the
machine is evolving 173
Robert Huggins and Piers Thompson
14 Raising productivity and housing the economy 191
Duncan Maclennan, Julie Tian Miao, Linda Christie and
Jinqiao Long
15 The paradox of efficiency: why the second-best may help
us hedging risks in uncertain times 205
Ekkehard Ernst
16 Seeing the Covid-19 crises through a Minskyian lens:
austerity, stratification, and productivity 219
Gary Dymski and Hanna Szymborska
17 How will the effects of Covid-19 on macroeconomic
demand and supply affect firm-level productivity? 237
Don Webber and Gary Dymski
18 From systems change to systems changed: assuming
a systems-based approach in response to crisis 250
Jen Nelles, Tim Vorley and Adam Brown
19 Active labour market policy in a post-Covid UK: moving
beyond a ‘work first’ approach 263
Katy Jones
20 Recovery and resilience: how can innovation policy
support the response 277
Jonathan Cook and Tim Vorley
21 Understanding a pandemic: the power of administrative data 289
Elizabeth Waind, Felix Ritchie, Nick Bailey and the
Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection
project team: Paul Caskie, Sian Morrison-Rees, Sarah
Lowe and Nick Webster
Index 293
Introduction xiii
Philip McCann and Tim Vorley
1 The Covid-19 shock: the UK national and regional
implications in the light of international evidence 1
Philip McCann and Raquel Ortega-Argilés
2 Frontier and ‘laggard’ firms: will there be significant
changes to the distribution of productivity post-Covid-19? 16
Richard Harris
3 Firm strategies under Covid-19 induced uncertainty:
implications for policy 32
Vania Sena and Sumon Bhaumik
4 Implications and impacts of the crisis on micro businesses
and their future 46
Andrew Henley, Tim Vorley and Cristian Gherhes
5 The impact of Covid-19 on entrepreneurial ecosystems 59
Colin Mason and Michaela Hruskova
6 Financing an entrepreneur-led economic recovery: the
impact of the coronavirus on business angel investing 73
Colin Mason
7 The implications of a crisis-driven societal shift to online
consumption 88
Stuart Mills, Richard Whittle and Gavin Brown
8 The Covid-19 crisis and implications for skills
development and the skills system 104
Anne Green
9 Good work and mental health in the post-Covid era 119
Daniel Kopasker
10 Business models, innovation and employees’ experiences
in the workplace: challenges for the post-Covid-19 economy 132
Patricia Findlay, Colin Lindsay and Graeme Roy
11 Transport, the economy and environmental sustainability
post-Covid-19 147
Iain Docherty, Greg Marsden, Jillian Anable and Tom Forth
12 Sectoral and spatial impacts of the Covid-19 recession 160
Ben Gardiner, Richard Lewney and Ron Martin
13 Cities, innovation and behavioural change: how the
machine is evolving 173
Robert Huggins and Piers Thompson
14 Raising productivity and housing the economy 191
Duncan Maclennan, Julie Tian Miao, Linda Christie and
Jinqiao Long
15 The paradox of efficiency: why the second-best may help
us hedging risks in uncertain times 205
Ekkehard Ernst
16 Seeing the Covid-19 crises through a Minskyian lens:
austerity, stratification, and productivity 219
Gary Dymski and Hanna Szymborska
17 How will the effects of Covid-19 on macroeconomic
demand and supply affect firm-level productivity? 237
Don Webber and Gary Dymski
18 From systems change to systems changed: assuming
a systems-based approach in response to crisis 250
Jen Nelles, Tim Vorley and Adam Brown
19 Active labour market policy in a post-Covid UK: moving
beyond a ‘work first’ approach 263
Katy Jones
20 Recovery and resilience: how can innovation policy
support the response 277
Jonathan Cook and Tim Vorley
21 Understanding a pandemic: the power of administrative data 289
Elizabeth Waind, Felix Ritchie, Nick Bailey and the
Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection
project team: Paul Caskie, Sian Morrison-Rees, Sarah
Lowe and Nick Webster
Index 293
