Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Embeddedness of Producer-Service Firms in the Republic of Ireland

University Of Miami, Coral Gables FL

Investigators

Abstract

Once located on the margins of the world economy, Ireland is now Europe's fastest growing economy. Investment from high-growth producer-service industries like software and financial services has contributed greatly to Ireland's recent economic boom. The success of these sectors is viewed as a critical factor for Ireland's continued economic success. Using the concept of embeddedness, this doctoral dissertation research project will determine the significance of these industries now and in the near future. Embeddedness has been employed in much academic research to study the connections between multi-national corporations (MNCs) and local economies, yet in spite of its importance to social science research, the concept remains vague and ambiguous. This project therefore will address three goals, seeking (1) to establish a concrete framework for analyzing the embeddedness of multinational firms, (2) to assess and compare the current and future significance of these firms to the Irish economy, and (3) to determine the degree to which software and financial service MNCs are embedded in Ireland. The empirical research will make use of interviews with private, public, and non-profit organization leaders, mail questionnaires, and published data sources. This research will assess the impact of these industries on the Irish economy and will yield a collection of theorized case studies that describe in detail relationships among service MNCs and Irish organizations. The findings of this project are expected to show that this recent wave of investment is characterized by more deeply embedded firms than previous rounds of inward investment. This project's research results will contribute to academic debates by examining the critical intersection between global capital and territorial economies. This study is of direct importance to policy debates within and about the Republic of Ireland. The Irish government relies upon both the software and financial service industries to act as engines for future economic development, but if these firms are weakly embedded, they are potentially susceptible to relocation in the face of greater global competition for inward investment. Because other nations and regions use similar strategies to stimulate growth and economic development, the results of this Irish case study may have utility in many other locales. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.