Paul Geroski
Encyclopedia
Paul Andrew Geroski was a leading economist
in the United Kingdom
. Although born in Pleasantville, New York
, Geroski studied and spent most of his career in Britain, where he settled permanently in 1975.
he joined the Economics Department at University of Southampton
as a lecturer. He quickly established a reputation as an excellent teacher who was generous with his time. Initially he was given the task of teaching mathematics to 1st year students, many of whom had not studied maths at A level. His 'one hour revision lecture' on differentiation for those students at the start of the course was supported by hours of help in his office. He was also well-known for teaching partial differentiation with the aid of a borrowed motorcycle helmet. He taught 'Economic Problems of Industry' to second year students. This quickly (in his second year at Southampton) became the most popular optional course run by the department. His good humour, friendliness, willingness to give up his time and sharp mind all contributed to making his courses popular. Many students chose him to supervise their dissertation for the same reasons.
In 1991 he became a professor of economics at the London Business School
, later becoming Dean of its MBA programme (1995-98). The elective course Technology and Competition was amongst the courses he taught. He was a governor of the school from 1999-2001.
In 1998 he became a member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which subsequently was superseded by the Competition Commission
. He became deputy chairman in 2001 and was its chairman from May 2004 until his death.
His research interests were innovation, technical change and determinants of corporate performance. Geroski's extensive case studies of R&D and innovation challenged the view that subsidies to R&D were justified by positive externalities, or "spillovers". He found that, when the parties involved were properly specified, almost all gains were captured by them.
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Although born in Pleasantville, New York
Pleasantville, New York
Pleasantville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 7,019 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Pleasantville is home to a campus of Pace University and to the Jacob Burns Film Center...
, Geroski studied and spent most of his career in Britain, where he settled permanently in 1975.
Career
Following the completion of a PhD at University of WarwickUniversity of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
he joined the Economics Department at University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
as a lecturer. He quickly established a reputation as an excellent teacher who was generous with his time. Initially he was given the task of teaching mathematics to 1st year students, many of whom had not studied maths at A level. His 'one hour revision lecture' on differentiation for those students at the start of the course was supported by hours of help in his office. He was also well-known for teaching partial differentiation with the aid of a borrowed motorcycle helmet. He taught 'Economic Problems of Industry' to second year students. This quickly (in his second year at Southampton) became the most popular optional course run by the department. His good humour, friendliness, willingness to give up his time and sharp mind all contributed to making his courses popular. Many students chose him to supervise their dissertation for the same reasons.
In 1991 he became a professor of economics at the London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
, later becoming Dean of its MBA programme (1995-98). The elective course Technology and Competition was amongst the courses he taught. He was a governor of the school from 1999-2001.
In 1998 he became a member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which subsequently was superseded by the Competition Commission
Competition Commission
The Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
. He became deputy chairman in 2001 and was its chairman from May 2004 until his death.
His research interests were innovation, technical change and determinants of corporate performance. Geroski's extensive case studies of R&D and innovation challenged the view that subsidies to R&D were justified by positive externalities, or "spillovers". He found that, when the parties involved were properly specified, almost all gains were captured by them.