Staff profile

Before joining Durham University Business School in September 2012, Richard held the positions of Alec Cairncross Professor of Applied Economics and Director of the Centre for Public Policy for Regions at Glasgow University. He previously worked at the Universities of Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Portsmouth in the UK and Waikato in New Zealand. He holds degrees from the Universities of Belfast, Lancaster and Kent.

To date (August 2016), he has published some 151 journal articles, book chapters, and books. He has undertaken a significant amount of public policy research, including extensive work for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) involving acting as an External Advisor on Trade Development Activities and the Asia Task Force project. In 2012-13 he was a member of the BIS/Foresight Lead Expert Group that reported in October 2013 on ‘The Future of Manufacturing in the UK’; and a Special Advisor to the UK Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards. Currently he is a member of the ESRC Administrative Data Research Network (ADRN) Project Approvals Panel.

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Mini Biography

Before joining Durham University Business School in September 2012, Richard held the positions of Alec Cairncross Professor of Applied Economics and Director of the Centre for Public Policy for Regions at Glasgow University. He previously worked at the Universities of Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Portsmouth in the UK and Waikato in New Zealand. He holds degrees from the Universities of Belfast, Lancaster and Kent.

• Micro-analysis of firm/plant level productivity in the UK using panel data
• Differences in (UK) regional performance
• Evaluation of government industrial policy
• Relative performance of UK SMEs
• Evaluation methodology for impact of government assistance on TFP
• Relative performance of family-owned SMEs

• Centre for Macroeconomic Policy
• Economics & Finance Department

Chapter in book

• Harris, R., Siegel, D. & Wright, M. (2008). Assessing the Impact of Management Buyouts on Economic Efficiency: Plant-Level Evidence from the United Kingdom. In Private Equity and management Buy-outs. Wright, M. & Bruining, H. Edward Elgar. 293-305.
• Harris, R. & Reid, R. (2008). Barriers to Growth in Family-owned Smaller Businesses. In International Handbook of Entrepreneurship and HRM. Barrett, R. & Mayson, S. Edward Elgar. 260-284.

Journal Article

• Harris, Richard & Moffat, John (2021). The geographical dimension of productivity in Great Britain, 2011–18: the sources of the London productivity advantage. Regional Studies
• Sunley, Peter, Evenhuis, Emil, Harris, Jack, Harris, Richard, Martin, Ron & Pike, Andy (2021). Renewing industrial regions? Advanced manufacturing and industrial policy in Britain. Regional Studies
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2021). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the level and distribution of intangibles investment in the UK. Applied Economics Letters
• Harris, R. (2021). Experiences with Testing, Self-isolation and Vaccination in North East England during the COVID pandemic. Vaccines 9(7): 759.
• Harris, Richard I. D. (2021). The importance of spatial differences in total factor productivity: The example of New Zealand, 2001-2016. Regional Studies 55(7): 1209-1227.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2021). The Geographic Dimension of Productivity in Great Britain, 2011-2018: the Sources of the London Productivity Advantage. Regional Studies
• Harris, R, Krenz, A & Moffat, J (2021). The Effects of Absorptive Capacity on Innovation Performance: A Cross-Country Perspective. Journal of Common Market Studies 59(3): 589-607.
• Harris, R. I. D. (2020). The importance of frontier firms in total factor productivity in New Zealand, 2001-2016. New Zealand Economic Papers 54(3): 285-311.
• Zhong, Yonghong, I.D. Harris, Richard & Deng, Shuhong (2020). The spillover effects among offshore and onshore RMB exchange rate markets, RMB Hibor market. Quantitative Finance and Economics 4(2): 294-309.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2020). The Impact of Product Subsidies on Plant-level Total Factor Productivity in Britain, 1997-2014. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 67(4): 387-403.
• Harris, R. & Li, S. (2019). Government Assistance and Total Factor Productivity: Firm-level Evidence from China. Journal of Productivity Analysis 52(1-3): 1-27.
• Harris, R Moffat, J, Evenhuis, E, Martin, R Pike, A & Peter Sunley (2019). Does Spatial Proximity Raise Firm Productivity? Evidence from British Manufacturing. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 12(3): 467-487.
• Harris, R & Moffat, J. (2019). The Decline of British Manufacturing, 1973 - 2012: The role of total factor productivity. National Institute Economic Review 247(1): R19-R31.
• Harris, R. & Le, T. (2019). Absorptive Capacity in New Zealand Firms: Measurement and Importance. Science and Public Policy 46(2): 290-309.
• Harris, R. & Yan, J. (2019). The Measurement of Absorptive Capacity from an Economics Perspective: Definition, Measurement and Importance. Journal of Economic Surveys 33(3): 729-756.
• Qu, T. & Harris, R. (2019). Does support from government help firms survive? Evidence on financial and political assistance in China, 1998–2007. Applied Economics 51(5): 528-541.
• Maté-Sánchez-Val, M. & Harris, R. (2018). The paradox of geographical proximity for innovators: A regional study of the Spanish agri-food sector. Land Use Policy 73: 458-467.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2017). The UK productivity puzzle, 2008–2012: evidence using plant-level estimates of total factor productivity. Oxford Economic Papers 69(3): 529-549.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2017). The Sources of The Scotland-Rest Of The UK Productivity Gap: Implications For Policy. Regional Studies 51(9): 1297-1311.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2016). Plant Closure in Britain since the Great Recession. Economics Letters 140: 27-30.
• Ding, S., Guariglia, A. & Harris, R. (2016). The determinants of productivity in Chinese large and medium-sized industrial firms, 1998-2007. Journal of Productivity Analysis 45(2): 131-155.
• Harris, R., McAdam, R. & Reid, R. (2016). The Effect of Business Improvement Methods on Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Peripheral Regions. Regional Studies 50(12): 2040-2054.
• Dai, M., Harris, R., Lu, Y. & Liu, H. (2016). Exports and firm survival: do trade regime and productivity matter? Applied Economics Letters 23(6): 457-460.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2015). Plant-level Determinants of Total Factor Productivity in Great Britain, 1997-2008. Journal of Productivity Analysis 44(1): 1-20.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2015). The Impact of Exporting and Importing Goods and Services on Productivity in the UK. The World Economy 38(11): 1781-1794.
• Harris, R. & Mate, M. (2014). Differential empirical innovation factors for Spain and the UK. Research Policy 43(2): 451-463.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2015). Total factor productivity growth in Local Enterprise Partnership regions in Britain, 1997-2008. Regional Studies 49(6): 1019-1041.
• Harris, R., Li, Q.C. & Moffat, J. (2013). The impact of higher education institution-firm knowledge links on establishment-level productivity in British regions. Manchester School 81(2): 143-162.
• Harris, R. & Mcadam, R. (2013). Levels of innovation within SMEs in peripheral regions: the role of business improvement initiatives. Small Business and Enterprise Development 20(1): 102-124.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2013). The Direct Contribution of FDI to Productivity Growth in Britain, 1997-2008. The World Economy 36(6): 713-736.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J. (2013). Intangible Assets, Absorbing Knowledge and its Impact on Firm Performance: Theory, Measurement and Policy Implications. Contemporary Social Science 8(3): 346-361.
• Harris, R. & Li, Q.C. (2012). Determinants of firm exit from exporting evidence for the UK. International journal of the economics of business 18(3): 381-397.
• Harris, R. & Moffat, J (2012). Is productivity higher in British cities? Journal of Regional Science 52(5): 762-786.
• Harris, R. & Li, Q.C. (2012). Export-market dynamics and firm-level productivity: evidence for UK tradable sectors. Industrial and Corporate Change 21(3): 649-670.
• Harris, R. & Li, Q.C. (2011). Participation in export markets and the role of R&D: establishment-level evidence from the UK Community Innovation Survey 2005. Applied Economics 43(23): 3007-3020.
• Harris, R. (2011). Models of regional growth: past, present and future. Journal of Economic Surveys 25(5): 913-951.
• Harris, R., Moffat, J. & Kravtsova, V. (2011). In search of ‘W’. Spatial Economic Analysis 6(3): 249-270.
• Harris, R. & Trainor, M. (2011). A matching analysis of why some firms in peripheral regions undertake R&D whereas others do not. Economics of Innovation and New Technology 20(4): 367-385.
• Harris, R., Li, Q.C. & Moffat, J. (2011). The impact of higher education institution-firm knowledge links on firm-level productivity in Britain. Applied Economics Letters 18(13-15): 1243-1246.
• Harris, R. & Li, Q.C. (2010). Export-market dynamics and the probability of firm closure: evidence for the United Kingdom. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 57(2): 145-168.
• Harris, R., Li, Q.C. & Trainor, M. (2009). Is a higher rate of R&D tax credit a panacea for low levels of R&D in disadvantaged regions? Research Policy 38(1): 192-205.
• Harris, R. & Li, Q.C. (2009). Exporting, R&D, and absorptive capacity in UK establishments. Oxford Economic Papers 61(1): 74-103.
• Harris, R. (2009). Estimates of Inter-Regional Differences in Production in the United Kingdom, 1968-78. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 44(3): 241-260.
• Harris, R. & Li, Q.C. (2008). Evaluating the contribution of exporting to UK productivity growth: some microeconomic evidence. World Economy 31(2): 212-235.
• Harris, R. & Trainor, M. (2007). Impact of government intervention on employment change and plant closure in Northern Ireland, 1983-97. Regional Studies 41(1): 51-63.
• Harris, R., Siegel, D.S. & Wright, M. (2005). Assessing the impact of management buyouts on economic efficiency: Plant-level evidence from the United Kingdom. Review of Economics and Statistics 87(1): 148-153.
• Harris, R. & Robinson, C. (2002). The effect of foreign acquisitions on total factor productivity: Plant-level evidence from UK manufacturing, 1987-1992. Review of Economics and Statistics 84(3): 562-568.

Working Paper

• Li, S. & Harris, R. (2016). Government Assistance and Total Factor Productivity: Firm-level Evidence from China, 1998-2007. 2016(04): 2016_04.