Country Analysis: The Republic of Ireland

Prepared by:-Kriti Talwar

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Quick Facts

• Capital- Dublin• Current population- 4 829 693 (50.1% male

and 49.9% female)• GDP per capita- 50,503.42 USD (2013)• GNI per capita- 39,250 PPP dollars (2013)

Ireland on Hofstede’s Model

History

Early 17th century •Ireland effectively became an English colony

From 1800 to 1937 •The island was an integral part of the United Kingdom

1937 •Independence, Member of the British Commonwealth until 1948

1987 •Integrated with the rest of western Europe, joining the European Union

Geography

• The republic of Ireland, lies to the west of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St. George’s Channel

• Ireland’s climate is classified as western maritime. The predominant influence is the Atlantic Ocean, which is no more than 70 miles (113 km) from any inland location.

• Temperature is almost uniform over the entire island (4 to 7 deg C in Jan & Feb, and 14 to 16 deg C in July & Aug)

Culture

• Ireland is now both urbanized and Europeanized• Its culture still retains many unique characteristics, and

its people prize folkloric and social traditions that largely derive from and celebrate the country’s rural past

• There is a culture of rich, distinctive character in which the use of language—be it Irish or English—has always been the central element

• Irish culture is best known through its literature, drama, and songs; the Irish are renowned as masters of the art of conversation

Basic etiquette

• Greetings: handshake with men, women and children when meeting for the first time and when saying goodbye. The Irish expect a firm handshake with eye contact. Female friends are greeted with a single (air) kiss

• Conversation: Generally friendly but often reserved, the Irish avoid conversations that might embarrass. They are deeply mistrustful of 'oversharers'

• Round System: The Irish generally take it in turns to buy a 'round' of drinks for the whole group and everyone is expected to take part. The next round should always be bought before the first round is drunk

Religion

• More than four-fifths of The Republic’s population is Roman Catholic, with small numbers of other religious groups (including Church of Ireland Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Muslims, and Jews)

• There is no officially established church in Ireland, and the freedoms of conscience and religion are constitutionally guaranteed

• The Roman Catholic Church plays a prominent role in the country, including maintaining responsibility for most schools and many hospitals

Economy• Ireland has a mixed economy• State-sponsored bodies operate the country’s rail and

road transport, some of its television and radio stations, its electricity generation and distribution system, and its peat industry. State companies also are active in the fields of air transport and health insurance

• Ireland’s high-technology sector—made attractive by a very low 12.5 percent corporate tax rate—spurred economic growth during the 1990s and helped reduce unemployment to historically low levels

Trade• The United Kingdom remains Ireland’s chief trading partner• Other major partners include the other countries of the EU (notably Germany, France,

and the Netherlands), the United States, Japan, and Singapore• A wide range of manufactured products are exported, including electrical machinery

and apparatus, processed foods, chemical products, clothing and textiles, and beverages

• Ireland is among the world’s leading exporters of computer software• The principal imports include machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,

petroleum and petroleum products, food products, and textiles• Ireland trade in goods with World in 2014:• Exports:$118.3 bn• Imports:$71.0 bn• Trade balance:$47.2 bn• Bilateral trade:$189.3 bn• USA is the largest export market for Ireland (22%) and UK is the largest import market

Natural Resources

• Ireland is not rich in mineral resources, country’s dependence on imports for its energy requirements is high- mostly from Great Britain

Constitution Framework• The Irish republic is a parliamentary democracy. Its

constitution was promulgated in 1937 and can be amended through a referendum

• The country’s head of state, the president, is elected directly by the public for a term of seven years and is eligible for re-election for a second term. The president normally acts on the advice of the government but also consults an advisory Council of State in the exercise of certain functions

• The president signs and promulgates bills passed by Parliament and, advised by the Prime Minister

A brand that failed..

• The American Fiat Chrysler Automobile company had to pull out from Ireland• “Fiat Chrysler has repeatedly failed to notify owners about recalls in a timely manner, in some cases weeks or months beyond the deadline to do so,”• A combination of poor sales and a disjointed model range that failed to ignite any noticeable interest from the buying public led to the decision• the group plans to invest more heavily into the Jeep brand and is due to launch a mid-sized Nissan Qashqai rival and large SUV within the next three years