The Transformation to Information-Sector Work

Abstract

Few societies have changed as much as Ireland in the past 30 years. Prior to its transformation, Ireland was thought of as “ … a rural, conservative and Catholic backwater of post-war Europe” (Breen et al., 1990, p. 1). One consistency since the founding of the Republic has been the tradition of an active role of government in economic stimulation. But Ireland’s journey along this path has brought radical change. In order to understand the dimensions of the transformation that has occurred, it is necessary to understand the type of society from which the Ireland of today has emerged.

[H]istory and culture are interleaved. In the late 1950s there was a government with vision and good planning. The questions they asked were, “What do we have to offer? How can we compete?” At the time it was an island economy, 90% dependent upon the UK. They saw that high tech was the future. [Seamus]