Nicholas Vasilakos

@article{eb2bd970016e4d538dfc102893cefbf0,

title = {The impact of early marriage on the life satisfaction, education and subjective health of young women in India: A longitudinal analysis},

author = {Shireen Kanji and Fiona Carmichael and Christian K. Darko and Richmond Egyei and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1080/00220388.2023.2284678},

issn = {0022-0388},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-04-01},

journal = {Journal of Development Studies},

volume = {60},

number = {5},

pages = {705–723},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {Despite progress in reducing rates of early marriage, it is still a widespread practice in India accounting for 30 per cent of the world’s early marriages. Understanding its impacts is thus of high importance to global gender equality goals. This article examines the impact of early marriage on multi-dimensional aspects of well-being: life satisfaction, subjectively assessed health and educational attainment. Difference-in-differences analysis with propensity score matching examines causal effects using Young Lives Study data. The analysis shows women who married early experience a trajectory of lower life satisfaction which is in evidence before marriage, even at age 12, persisting until the latest survey at age 22. There is no evidence of a causal negative effect of early marriage on life satisfaction; the relationship is more complicated, linked to trajectories of deprivation which commence from a very young age. In contrast, early marriage negatively affects women’s self-reported health and educational attainment by age 22.},

note = {Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available in Young Lives: https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/studies/study?id=7823&type=Data%20catalogue.},

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@article{acc9e4e485e2484f8ef704a5f11a645d,

title = {Prudence as an ethical foundation for risk management},

author = {Alasdair Marshall and Udechukwu Ojiako and Tony Abdoush and Nicholas Vasilakos and Maxwell Chipulu},

doi = {10.1108/SBR-09-2022-0244},

issn = {1746-5680},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-10},

journal = {Society and Business Review},

volume = {19},

number = {1},

pages = {113–131},

publisher = {Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.},

abstract = {Purpose: This paper aims to draw on historical conceptions of true and false prudence within the broader context of virtue ethics ideas, to create a prudence framework for developing risk-and-ethics cultures in organisations. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use a theoretical analytical approach as a means of examining plausible representations of risk as ethical practice. Findings: While the ethical ideal of true prudence is explained primarily with reference to psychological theories of generativity, false prudence is explained as undesirable, primarily with reference to psychological problems of narcissism and the broader dark triad. True and false prudence are represented as centring upon very different motivations for foresight, each of which might set the cultural tone for organisational risk management. Originality/value: This paper’s main contribution is therefore to call attention to the benefits for organisations of reflecting upon differences between true and false prudence when planning the risk management they want.},

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@article{9b2b006e3a08451d98d713d7de8d9607,

title = {Place-based public investment in regional infrastructure, the locational choice of firms and regional performance: The case of India},

author = {Nicholas Vasilakos and Alkis Theonas Pitelis and Nick Horsewood and Christos Pitelis},

doi = {10.1080/00343404.2022.2146666},

issn = {0034-3404},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-06-01},

journal = {Regional Studies},

volume = {57},

number = {6},

pages = {1055–1068},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {We discuss conceptual reasons for and propose public investment in regional infrastructure as a hybrid form of a place-based regional industrial policy aiming to foster the regional economic activity of lagging regions. We present and empirically test a baseline model using data for 14 Indian regions/states over a period of 39 years. Our results show that place-based regional infrastructure investments, particularly in electricity-generating capacity and width-adjusted length of national highways, positively impact the relative number of firms operating in a region and help foster its economic performance.},

note = {Issue 6: Place-based industrial and regional strategy – levelling the playing field},

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pubstate = {published},

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}

@article{7421d01365b841718055449603de8dcc,

title = {The contribution of girls’ longer hours in unpaid work to gender gaps in early adult employment: Evidence from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam},

author = {Fiona Carmichael and Christian Darko and Shireen Kanji and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1080/13545701.2022.2084559},

issn = {1354-5701},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Feminist Economics},

volume = {29},

number = {1},

pages = {1–37},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {Across many countries, girls perform more unpaid work than boys. This article shows how the time young women and girls spend in unpaid household work contributes to the gender pay gap that is already evident by age 22. The study analyzes employment participation, type of employment, and wages using five waves of the Young Lives longitudinal survey for Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Spending longer hours in unpaid household work in adolescence positively predicts later employment participation but has a scarring effect in negatively predicting job quality (that is a job with a private or public organization) and hourly earnings, particularly for women. Blinder–Oaxaca decompositions of the gender wage gap show young women’s penalty for past household work is due to longer hours of such work rather than a higher penalty for women for a given amount of unpaid work.},

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}

@article{f37e11b3337545d18c464408ab3256a3,

title = {The value-add of tailored seasonal forecast information for industry decision-making},

author = {Clare Mary Goodess and Alberto Troccoli and Nicholas Vasilakos and Stephen Dorling and Jessica D. Amies and Hannah Brown and Katie Chowienczyk and Emma Dyer and Marco Formenton and Antonio M. Nicolosi and Elena Calcagni and Valentina Cavedon and Victor Estella Perez and Gertie Geertsema and Folmer Krikken and Kristian Lautrup Nielsen and Marcello Petitta and José Vidal and Martijn Ruiter and Ian Savage and Jon Upton},

doi = {10.3390/cli10100152},

issn = {2225-1154},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-10-16},

journal = {Climate},

volume = {10},

number = {10},

publisher = {MDPI AG},

abstract = {There is a growing need for more systematic, robust, and comprehensive information on the value-add of climate services from both the demand and supply sides. There is a shortage of published value-add assessments that focus on the decision-making context, involve participatory or co-evaluation approaches, avoid over-simplification, and address both the quantitative (e.g., economic) and qualitative (e.g., social) values of climate services. The 12 case studies that formed the basis of the European Union-funded SECLI-FIRM project were co-designed by industrial and research partners in order to address these gaps while focusing on the use of tailored sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts in the energy and water industries. For eight of these case studies, it was possible to apply quantitative economic valuation methods: econometric modelling was used in five case studies while three case studies used a cost/loss (relative economic value) analysis and avoided costs. The case studies illustrated the challenges in attempting to produce quantitative estimates of the economic value-add of these forecasts. At the same time, many of them highlighted how practical value for users—transcending the actual economic value—can be enhanced; for example, through the provision of climate services as an extension to their current use of weather forecasts and with the visualisation tailored towards the user.},

note = {Funding information: The SECLI-FIRM project was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement 776868.},

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}

@article{deda0bbdfc3c481087252876e606f592,

title = {School closures and educational attainment in Ethiopia: Can extra classes help children to catch up?},

author = {Fiona Carmichael and Christian K. Darko and Shireen Kanji and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1002/berj.3787},

issn = {0141-1926},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-08-01},

journal = {British Educational Research Journal},

volume = {48},

number = {4},

pages = {640–664},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {School closures impact children's attainment adversely, but understanding the effects of closures on children's attainment in lower-income countries is still limited. Addressing this deficit, this study examines how past school closures have impacted children's educational attainment in Ethiopia. The study uses individual student-level data from the Young Lives School Survey and standardised test scores in mathematics and language recorded at the start and end of the school year to model children's attainment. Multiple regression with propensity score matching is used to analyse how attainment over the school year is impacted by school closures for a matched sub-sample of 4842 students. The effectiveness of additional classes to make up for lost learning is also evaluated. Past school closures have had a detrimental effect on attainment in mathematics, but not literacy. Extra classes, specifically those that families do not pay for, have helped children in the past to recuperate lost learning and could serve this function post-Covid-19. Inequalities in learning outcomes, measured by Gini coefficients in educational attainment, are widened by school closures. Applying these results to the extensive school closures under Covid-19 furthers our understanding of the likely effects on academic attainment and can inform policy to mitigate the impact.},

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@article{85f5161eb4194eebb749a8351ec5447d,

title = {Well-being and employment of young people in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam: Is work enough?},

author = {Fiona Carmichael and Christian K. Darko and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1111/dpr.12565},

issn = {0950-6764},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-03-01},

journal = {Development Policy Review},

volume = {40},

number = {2},

publisher = {Wiley},

abstract = {Motivation: Investing in youth employment is central to development agendas. However, policy directed towards increasing employment rates among young people needs to consider the well-being implications of the different kinds of jobs they are able to access. This would help countries to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of decent work for all, including young people, by 2030. Purpose: This article examines the association between the well-being of young people in Ethiopia, Peru, India, and Vietnam and their employment and the job attributes of the work they do. Methods and approach: The study uses five waves of the Young Lives longitudinal survey for a sample of children who are followed from the ages of eight to 22. Regression analysis estimates the relationship between well-being, employment, and job attributes, taking into account gender, wealth, current, and childhood health, and exposure to shocks over life-courses from the age of eight. Findings: The results show that in these four countries, employment does not have an unqualified positive effect on well-being. Not all jobs are “good jobs.” Job attributes matter, specifically, who employs the individual, their pay, the work environment, and the pride they take in their work. Well-being is predicted by current and childhood health and household wealth with ownership of consumer durables associated more strongly with well-being than housing quality or access to services. Greater exposure to shocks from the age of eight is found to have lasting effects on well-being into young adulthood. Policy implications: Policy aimed at improving young people’s opportunities for employment in the Global South also to consider the types of jobs they are able to access and how this impacts their well-being. Policy also needs to take into account pre-labour market conditions and circumstances.},

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@article{bad6f34cf277400ba706afbc1b95bea7,

title = {Picking winners: An empirical analysis of the determinants of educational outcomes in India},

author = {Christian K. Darko and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1002/berj.3657},

issn = {0141-1926},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-12-01},

journal = {British Educational Research Journal},

volume = {46},

number = {6},

pages = {1445–1467},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {We use data from the Young Lives longitudinal survey to analyse the effect of socioeconomic conditions and gender on the educational performance of young children in India. In particular, we use data for standardised scores on two cognitive tests: the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and a maths test. Our results show that there are significant gender differences in the way that household wealth affects the educational performance of children. Specifically, boys born into wealthier households perform significantly better in maths than those from worse‐off economic backgrounds. The effect of wealth on the PPVT is stronger for girls than it is for boys. The results are robust across a range of specifications. The effect of household wealth on performance differed between the genders, even when we focused our analysis on the bottom 10% and top 10% of the performance distribution. One possible explanation for these differences is parental aspirations. We tested this hypothesis and found that boys from wealthier households with higher parental educational aspirations are positively and significantly associated with higher maths scores. Further analysis showed that the moderating role of parents’ educational aspirations was more pronounced at the top of the test score distribution, an indication that more able children are associated with wealthier and more ambitious parents.},

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@article{cbb10324efb544cfa5228fa2475a984b,

title = {Health and well-being of young people in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam: Life course impacts},

author = {Fiona Carmichael and Christian Darko and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1080/00220388.2019.1626835},

issn = {0022-0388},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-05-03},

journal = {Journal of Development Studies},

volume = {56},

number = {5},

pages = {964–983},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {Using data from four waves of the Young Lives longitudinal survey, we follow the lives of 3,064 eight-year-old children over 12 years in four developing countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam) to explore the links between children’s lives and their health and wellbeing in early adulthood. We apply a novel combination of sequence analysis with clustering and difference-in-differences estimation techniques to identify links between health and wellbeing outcomes in early adulthood and six distinct clusters grouping similar life course pathways. The latter are characterised by family living conditions, economic status and experience of critical life events (including economic shocks). Our results indicate that there were significant differences in health and wellbeing between children in the most advantaged and less advantaged clusters. These wellbeing gaps all narrowed over time but only completely closed for one cluster. In contrast, only some of the initial health gaps narrowed. These results suggest that policy aimed at improving health and wellbeing outcomes in early adulthood needs to focus on supporting disadvantaged young children.},

note = {Early Title: Socioeconomic determinants of health and wellbeing of young people: A life course approach},

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pubstate = {published},

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}

@article{b1c0c0e8326c456b9003767279b6b7ee,

title = {Fostering innovation in renewable energy technologies: Choice of policy instruments and effectiveness},

author = {Alkis Pitelis and Nicholas Vasilakos and Konstantinos Chalvatzis},

doi = {10.1016/j.renene.2019.11.100},

issn = {0960-1481},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-05-01},

journal = {Renewable Energy},

volume = {151},

pages = {1163–1172},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {This paper assesses the effectiveness of different types of renewable energy policies (REP) in fostering innovation activity in the OECD electricity sector over the period 1990-2014. More specifically, we collect and analyse data on policy intervention, innovation activity (patent counts per type of renewable technology) and performance for 21 OECD countries from 1990 to 2014. Using the specific characteristics of each policy, we identify all REP in our sample and categorise them to one of three distinct policy types: technology-push, demand-pull, and systemic policy instruments. We then analyse the effects of policy intervention on innovation, by type of policy instrument and by type of technology. Our results show very clearly that one size does not fit all. Innovation activity is found to be more responsive to demand-pull policy instruments only for some technologies (e.g. geothermal), whereas for others a more mixed approach maybe more effective (e.g. wind). And sometimes policies that are designed to target only one technology are more effective in fostering innovation than multi-technology ones (as in the case of solar). Overall, we find that demand-pull policies have been more effective than any other type of policy intervention in driving innovation in renewable energy technologies.},

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@article{cb652d78b64f4dc3890dd28f86de360d,

title = {Can industrial policy foster innovation in renewable energy Technologies in the OECD and in EU regions},

author = {Alkis Pitelis and Nicholas Vasilakos and Konstantinos Chalvatzis and Christos Pitelis},

doi = {10.1093/cjres/rsz005},

issn = {1752-1378},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-07-01},

journal = {Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society},

volume = {12},

number = {2},

pages = {271–292},

publisher = {Oxford University Press},

abstract = {We cross fertilise scholarship on industrial policy (IP) and renewable energy (RE) innovation and submit that RE serves as a General Purpose Technology that contains more specific RE technologies (RETs). We develop five Hypotheses and provide econometric evidence for the impact of demand-pull, technology-push and systemic IP instruments on different RETs. We test for the role of country experience, for EU North-South regional variations, and for the quality of RE innovations. We employ a large data set for thirty-four OECD countries and find support for our theory-derived hypotheses.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

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}

@article{85fbe18d410a4affabd00a79e221372c,

title = {Divide and conquer? k-Means clustering of demand data allows rapid and accurate simulations of the British electricity system},

author = {Richard Green and Iain Staffell and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1109/TEM.2013.2284386},

issn = {0018-9391},

year  = {2014},

date = {2014-05-01},

journal = {IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management},

volume = {61},

number = {2},

pages = {251–260},

publisher = {The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)},

abstract = {We use a k-means clustering algorithm to partition national electricity demand data for Great Britain and apply a novel profiling method to obtain a set of representative demand profiles for each year over the period 1994-2005. We then use a simulated dispatch model to assess the accuracy of these daily profiles against the complete dataset on a year-to-year basis. We find that the use of data partitioning does not compromise the accuracy of the simulations for most of the main variables considered, even when simulating significant intermittent wind generation. This technique yields 50-fold gains in terms of computational speed, allowing complex Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analyses to be performed with modest computing resource.},

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}

@article{71b2e40682f44880ba8914452b559569,

title = {Storing wind for a rainy day: What type of electricity does Denmark Export?},

author = {Richard Green and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.5547/01956574.33.3.1},

issn = {1944-9089},

year  = {2012},

date = {2012-01-01},

journal = {The Energy Journal},

volume = {33},

number = {3},

publisher = {Sage Publications},

abstract = {Physical laws mean that it is generally impossible to identify which power stations are exporting to another country, but economic logic offers strong clues. On windy days, Denmark tends to export electricity to its neighbours, and to import power on calm days. Storing electricity in this way thus allows the country to deal with the intermittency of wind generation. We show that this kind of behaviour is theoretically optimal when a region with wind and thermal generation can trade with one based on hydro power. However, annual trends in Denmark's trade follow its output of thermal generation and are inversely related to Nordic production of hydro power and the amount of water available to Scandinavian generators, with no correlation with wind generation. We estimate the cost of volatility in Denmark's wind output to equal between 4% and 8% of its market value.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{097c1b61d6864b4695fb070ae406eb32,

title = {Foreign direct investment spillovers: Evidence from the British retail sector},

author = {Dolores Añón Higón and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1111/j.1467-9701.2011.01330.x},

issn = {0378-5920},

year  = {2011},

date = {2011-01-01},

journal = {World Economy},

volume = {34},

number = {4},

pages = {642–666},

publisher = {Wiley},

abstract = {This paper discusses the impact of foreign-ownership presence on the productivity performance of British-owned domestic retailers. In particular, we analyse the existence of productivity spillovers, in the form of knowledge transfer, by using establishment-level data from the Annual Respondents Database over the period 1997–2003. The results confirm the presence of such spillovers and highlight their positive and significant impact on the productivity of domestic firms, although these spillovers are mostly confined to the region in which foreign subsidiaries locate. There is also evidence that the productivity benefit from regional foreign direct investment spillovers increases with the absorptive capacity of domestic retailers.},

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pubstate = {published},

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}

@article{1d1a0e20fae2418291bbeeff03627fcb,

title = {The economics of offshore wind},

author = {Richard Green and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2010.10.011},

issn = {0301-4215},

year  = {2011},

date = {2011-01-01},

journal = {Energy Policy},

volume = {39},

number = {2},

pages = {496–502},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {This paper presents an overview of the main issues associated with the economics of offshore wind. Investment in offshore wind systems has been growing rapidly throughout Europe, and the technology will be essential in meeting EU targets for renewable energy in 2020. Offshore wind suffers from high installation and connection costs, however, making government support essential. We review various support policies used in Europe, concluding that tender-based feed-in tariff schemes, as used in Denmark, may be best for providing adequate support while minimising developers’ rents. It may prove economic to build an international offshore grid connecting wind farms belonging to different countries that are sited close to each other.},

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}

@article{85535432e27141609da1541d9f811e8f,

title = {Turning the wind into hydrogen: The long-run impact on electricity prices and generating capacity},

author = {Richard Green and Helen Hu and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2010.11.007},

issn = {0301-4215},

year  = {2011},

date = {2011-01-01},

journal = {Energy Policy},

volume = {39},

number = {7},

pages = {3992–3998},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {Hydrogen production via electrolysis has been proposed as a way of absorbing the fluctuating electricity generated by wind power, potentially allowing the use of cheap electricity at times when it would otherwise be in surplus. We show that large-scale adoption of electrolysers would change the shape of the load–duration curve for electricity, affecting the optimal capacity mix. Nuclear power stations will replace gas-fired power stations, as they are able to run for longer periods of time. Changes in the electricity capacity mix will be much greater than changes to the pattern of prices. The long-run supply price of hydrogen will thus tend to be insensitive to the amount produced.},

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@article{d8bf786d54ab42478144ae8c08344cf2,

title = {Market behaviour with large amounts of intermittent generation},

author = {Richard Green and Nicholas Vasilakos},

doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2009.07.038},

issn = {0301-4215},

year  = {2010},

date = {2010-01-01},

journal = {Energy Policy},

volume = {38},

number = {7},

pages = {3211–3220},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {This paper evaluates the impact of intermittent wind generation on hourly equilibrium prices and output, using data on expected wind generation capacity and demand for 2020. Hourly wind data for the period 1993–2005 are used to obtain wind output generation profiles for thirty regions (onshore and offshore) across Great Britain. Matching the wind profiles for each month to the actual hourly demand (scaled to possible 2020 values), we find that the volatility of prices will increase, and that there is significant year-to-year variation in generators’ profits. Above-average wind speeds lead to below-average prices, but annual revenues for British wind generators (producing more in the winter) are almost as great as for base-load generators. In the presence of significant market power (the equivalent of two symmetric firms owning fossil-fuelled capacity, rather than six), the level of prices more than doubled, and their volatility increased. However, wind generators’ average revenues rose by 20% less than those of base-load plant.},

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@article{ae6154c6460e48deb5e4fc8f2e4bf22d,

title = {The determinants of retail productivity: A critical review of the evidence},

author = {Dolores Añón Higón and Ödül Bozkurt and Jeremy Clegg and Irena Grugulis and Sergio Salis and Nicholas Vasilakos and Allan M. Williams},

doi = {10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00258.x},

issn = {1460-8545},

year  = {2010},

date = {2010-01-01},

journal = {International Journal of Management Reviews},

volume = {12},

number = {2},

pages = {201–217},

publisher = {Wiley},

abstract = {This paper discusses the literature on the established determinants of productivity in the retail sector. It also draws attention to some neglected strands of research which provide useful insights into strategies that could allow productivity enhancements in this area of the economy. To date, very few attempts have been made to integrate different specialisms in order to explain what drives productivity in retail. Here this paper rectifies this omission by putting together studies from economics, geography, knowledge management and employment studies. It is the authors’ view that quantitative studies of retail productivity should focus on total factor productivity in retailing as the result of competition/composition effects, planning regulations, information and communications technology, the multinational operation element and workforce skills. Further, the fact that retail firms possess advantages that are transferable between locations suggests that investment in strategies enhancing the transfer of explicit and tacit knowledge between and within businesses are crucial to achieve productivity gains.},

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}