| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/D505674/1 |
| Title: |
The Unintended and Indirect Effects of Performance Measurement and Regulation on UK Productivity: A Multidisciplinary Overview - Closing the Gap |
| Principal Investigator: |
Bakker, Dr G |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Essex Business School |
| Organisation: |
University of Essex |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 2005 |
Ends: |
31 December 2006 |
Value (£): |
51,220
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Manufact. Business Strategy |
Manufact. Enterprise Ops& Mgmt |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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2. Project overview2.1 There has been considerable research on regulation and the effects of regulation, and many research centres and policy units are actively studying regulation and its effects. This has been noted in the ESRC [2004] report as one of the possible sources of the UK productivity gap. The research in this field is extensive and can hardly be summarised within the confines of these few pages. Yet, within the debate on the effects of measurement and regulation on productivity, the literatures that exist within different disciplines have hardly been connected, and have hardly'talked to each other' (a rare exception being Noll [1985]). Several literatures exist in disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, operational management and strategy, economic geography and planning, industrial economics, engineering and organisational behaviour.2.2 This project aims to survey, boldly and broadly, the literature from several disciplines, explore some connections, make comparisons, and develop a general framework for case studies of the effects of regulation on productivity, using a multidisciplinary approach.2.3 The project is innovative in the sense that it is multidisciplinary and aims to bridge the gaps between disciplines, in that it is a collaborative venture, in that it is creative and adventurous with the possibility of unexpected outcomes, and in that it is led by five researchers from different UK universities, each of whom usually works in a different discipline. 2.4 Measurement and regulation is of critical importance for understanding productivity performance [Morgan and Engwall 1998]. Hahn and Hird [1991], for example, found that the overall costs of regulation to the US economy in 1988 amounted to 0.8 percent of GDP, while the redistributive effect amounted to 4.4 percent of GDP. The over-all influence of regulation within the economy was far larger, as many costs and benefits for different industries/areas cancelled each other out when net national impacts were measured. In recognition of this, we propose that the research will consider the macro, meso (understood as the sub-regional level) and micro levels (firms and establishments).3. Project background3.1 Each of the investigators has experience of research in distinctive fields, so that the proposed project on regulation provides an excellent opportunity to jointly apply their expertise to a topic that is highly relevant for Britain's productivity performance. This is entirely within the spirit of the Sandpit experiment, and has the potential for developing new insights and fresh approaches by attacking the problem from a number of linked but different and unusual angles. 3.2 As stated in section 2, many different people and units are working on the issue of regulation, including a concern with productivity issues, but relatively few have focussed on the unintended/unforeseen/indirect consequences.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.sx.ac.uk |