Prerequisites: Course is opened to MBA, MS and fifth year students who have completed required foundation courses.

Description: This two-week study tour course, from May 10, 2003 through May 24, 2003, will examine the rapid growth of technology-based companies in Ireland. Immersion in the Irish culture and environment will provide the background for understanding Ireland’s technology-driven economic transformation over past decade.

The course will focus on the factors, policies and practices behind Ireland’s growing competitive advantage in the creation and expansion of technology-based companies. Government policies and business practices promoting increasing global competitiveness and investments in Ireland’s high-tech sector will be analyzed. Visits to local and international high-tech companies will provide insights on the IT infrastructure and support, and management practices promoting success. Guest speakers from the Irish government and trade bureau, universities and high-tech business community will present their perspectives and participate in discussions.

Goals:

· Determine the conditions promoting success of local, national and international technology-based companies in Ireland.

· Study the infrastructure supporting high-tech companies in Ireland.

· Explore the characteristics of Ireland’s competitive advantage, and the reasons why this country has emerged as a global leader in high technology.

· Understand the business climate in Ireland, and examine business practices for managing technology at the workplace.

· Identify lessons from Ireland for promoting the growth of technology-based companies in other countries and regions.

· Experience the culture of Ireland.

Course Requirements:

· A mandatory orientation is part of the course requirements. This will consist of two pre-trip sessions, tentatively scheduled for March and April. The orientation will include lectures by the faculty course coordinators providing students background information on characteristics of high technology sectors in general and in Ireland, factors promoting the development and expansion of technology-based companies, and technology requirements of hi-tech companies.

· Attendance is expected at all course-related lectures, company visits and cultural events in Ireland.

· Research papers or projects based on the information gathered through readings, company visits and lectures must be submitted by July 15, 2003.

Readings:

Relevant for the Homework Assignment

Primary texts:

Dickson, Gary W., and Gerardine DeSanctis, 2001. Information Technology and the Future Enterprise: New Models for Managers, Prentice Hall. Chapters 1,2,3,10,12.

[On reserve in the library. Also available from Amazon.com: About $73 new; $43-56 paperback]

Trauth, Eileen. 2000. The Culture of an Information Economy. Chapters 1,2,8,9.

[On reserve in the library. Also available from Amazon.com for $54 (paperback, new.)]

Other readings:

Egan, Richard, Ambassador to Ireland, 2003. Speech on “Doing Business in Ireland: The Changing Landscape” given at Bentley College, January 10. [Emailed to students]

Enterprise Ireland, 2001. “The New Millennium, Dublin. [Distributed in class.]

Forfas, “2002 Review and 2003 Outlook Statement,” 2003. Dublin. [Available online at www.forfas/pubs_index.htm]

ICT (Information & Communications Technology) Ireland, 2002. “R&D: Securing the Future of ICT in Ireland.” [Available online at www.ictireland.ie]

Optional Readings:

A.T.Kearney and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 2003. Foreign Policy Magazine (January/February): pp. 60-72. “Measuring Globalization: Who’s Up, Who’s Down? (Globalization Index which Ireland ranks #1.) [Copy on reserve at the library.]

Bradley, John. 2000. “The Irish Economy in Comparative Perspective,” in Bust to Boom: The Irish Experience of Growth and Inequality, ed., B. Nolan, P. O’Connell and C. Whelan, Dublin: Institute of Public Administration. [Article on reserve at the library.]

MacSherry, Ray and Padraic White. 2001. The Making of the Celtic Tiger: The Inside Story of Ireland’s Boom Economy. Mercier Press. [Copy on reserve at the library.]

National Competitiveness Council, National Competitiveness Challenge, 2002.Forfas. Dublin. [Available online at www.forfas/pubs_index.htm]

National Competitiveness Council, Annual Competitiveness Report, 2002. Forfas. Dublin.

[Available online at www.forfas/pubs_index.htm]

Grading:

Topic	Percent	Comments
Attendance and class participation	20%	Active attendance and contributions expected at pre-sessions and morning lectures
Homework	20%	Assignment based on readings.
Journal	20%	Daily journal will contain reflections on the day and comments on economic and technical insights gained
Final Project	40%	A study and final report analyzing either the management of the technology or the system architecture

Project: After completing the readings, students will decide on a focus, either the management of technology, economic development, infrastructure requirements, or the system architecture. The topic must be submitted by May 6 and approved prior to departure. Projects may be done individually or in pairs. Students will gather information through research and from the companies in Ireland. A research direction and questions to be asked should be developed early and notes acquired throughout the trip. Projects will be reviewed, revised, completed and submitted no later than July 15, 2003. Projects are expected to be 11 point font, 18 – 20 pages long not including the references. (Note: It is expected ALL material acquired from the web, company documents, written material or interviews will be cited).

Background: Ireland and Technology

Driven in large part by innovation and technology, the Irish economy has outperformed industrial economies worldwide over the past decade. Since 1993, average annual employment growth in Ireland has exceeded that of the European Union (EU) and the United States. Irish labor productivity has almost doubled over the past 20 years; unemployment has fallen from over 15% in the early 1990s to under 5% in 2001.

Reasons for Ireland’s dramatic economic transformation include: rapid export growth, significant inflows of foreign direct investment, and a well-educated and highly skilled workforce. Favorable demographic trends have played an important role. But more critical to building Ireland’s competitive strength has been public and private sector policies that create an environment conducive to success in the New Economy. Government policies regarding tariffs and regulations, for instance, have encouraged an openness to international trade; public support of research and development (R&D) and broadband infrastructure have promoted an openness and accessibility to new ideas. Companies in Ireland have fostered innovation, productivity growth, and high value-added exports.

Technology lies at the heart of the Irish transformation. Ireland recently has been ranked 13^th in a technology achievement index and 12^th in high-tech exports in the United Nations Human Development Report. The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook has ranked Ireland in the top 10 most competitive economies in the past three years. By 2001 Irish companies and consumers were spending more on information technology (IT) than any other European country. Moreover, along with the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, Ireland has been cited as one of the “Broad Band Four” countries most likely to succeed in the New Economy (Legg Mason Precuror Group).

Informatics, which includes software, communications, computer hardware and related services, is a vital segment of Ireland’s high-technology sector. Other key components include health care and pharmaceuticals, electronics, process control & instrumentation, and biotechnology. Among the leading IT companies are now located in Ireland are: Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Microsystems, SAP, and Symantec. More generally, Irish companies provide high-tech goods and services to clients worldwide including 3COM, Seimens, Nokia, Compaq, Daimler Benz, AT&T, Fujitsu, NEC, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Nortel, and Philips.

[Updated Schedule – separate document.]