Training and development in Irish technology companies

The sustained economic growth that has been experienced in the Irish economy in recent years has relied, to a large extent, on the contribution and performance of those industry sectors that possess the ability to provide high-value-added products and services to domestic and international markets. One such contributor has been the Technology sector. However, the performance of this sector relies upon the availability of the necessary capabilities and competencies for Technology companies to remain competitive. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs have forecasted future skills shortages in this sector. The purpose of this research has been to examine the extent to which Irish Technology companies are taking measures to meet changing skills requirements, through training and development interventions. Survey research methods (in the form of a mail questionnaire, supported by a Web-based questionnaire) have been used to collect information on the expenditure on, and approach to, training and development in these companies, in addition to the methods, techniques and tools/aids that are used to support the delivery of these activities. The contribution of Government intervention has also been examined. The conclusions have been varied. When the activities of the responding companies are considered in isolation, the picture to emerge is primarily positive. Although the expenditure on training and development is slightly lower than that indicated in previous studies, the results vary by company size. Technical employees are clearly the key focus of training provision, while Senior Managers and Directors, Clerical and Administrative staff and Manual workers are a great deal more neglected in training provision. Expenditure on, and use of, computer-based training methods is high, as is the use of most of the specified techniques for facilitating learning. However, when one considers the extent to which external support (in the form of Government interventions and cooperation with other companies and with education and training providers) is integrated into the overall training practices of these companies, significant gaps in practice are identified. The thesis concludes by providing a framework to guide future training and development practices in the Technology sector.

A study of the interaction between national and corporate culture in a selection of Irish based companies

This research studies the phenomenon of national and corporate culture. National culture is the culture the members of a country share and corporate culture is a subculture which members of an organisation share (Schein, 1992). The objective of this research is to reveal if the employees within equivalent Irish and American companies share the same corporate and national culture and to ascertain if, within each company, there is a link between national culture and corporate culture. The object of this study is achieved by replicating research which was conducted by Shing (1997) in Taiwan. Hypotheses and analytical tools developed by Shing are employed in the current study to allow comparison of results between Shing’s study and the current study. The methodology used, called for the measurement and comparison of national and corporate culture in two equivalent companies within the same industry. The two companies involved in this study are both located in Ireland and are of American and Irish origin. A sample of three hundred was selected and the response rate was 54%. The findings from this research are: (1) The two companies involved had different corporate cultures, (2) They had the same national culture, (3) There was no link between national culture and corporate culture within either company, (4) The findings were not similar to those of Shing (1997). The implication of these findings is that national and corporate culture are separate phenomena therefore corporate culture is not a response to national culture. The results of this research are not reflected in the finding’s of Shing (1997), therefore they are context specific. The core recommendation for management is that, corporate culture should take account of national culture. This is because although employees recognise the espoused values of corporate culture (Schein, 1992), they are at the same time influenced by a much stronger force, their national culture.

Motivating techniques within Irish and American manufacturing and service companies in the Northwest of Ireland

In today’s world, many companies are concentrating on both their technology and human resources to provide them with their competitive advantage. Hence, understanding what motivates people is particularly important for managers in order to develop and sustain a competitive edge. As a result, numerous theories have been advanced to help our understanding of the subject matter and from these theories many motivational methods have evolved to enhance motivation within the workplace. In addition, research has been conducted on the various types of motivational techniques utilised by companies within Ireland. However, very little research has been completed within specific geographical regions in Ireland concerning the types of motivational techniques implemented at different job levels and their impact on employees work performance. Thus the objective of this research was to identify the motivational techniques utilised at different job levels within large manufacturing and service companies in the Northwest of Ireland and examine how these techniques influence the performance levels of employees. Furthermore, the study examined if these companies have changed from traditional ways of motivating employees to newer techniques. The research methodologies used to undertake the research included interviews with the HR managers and questionnaires completed by different employees at various job levels within the participating companies. Overall the conclusions were varied. Many different types of motivation techniques were found within the study’s participating companies. Irish companies are improving their motivational techniques, however most of these techniques are only used within higher job levels. In contrast to their American counterparts, a variety of motivational techniques are utilised and implemented at all job levels. On a more positive note, the majority of these motivational techniques do increase performance levels at all job levels. From the extensive primary and secondary research conducted, the thesis concludes by offering a number of recommendations to assist companies in further development of their motivational techniques for all job levels. These recommendations hope to augment the success of companies through an enhanced motivated workforce.