INSTITUTIONAL IMPACTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IT INDUSTRY: THE IRISH EXPERIENCE

Ireland’s emergence as an economic ‘Celtic Tiger’ has evolved as a result of Ireland’s openness to the global market and to increased overseas investment. The authors propose a conceptual framework of factors that identify the key facets of national involvement that have impacted this software growth. This study investigates the extent to which institutional influences, such as government policies, have contributed to the evolution and growth of Ireland’s software industry. In order to identify this governmental impact on the Irish software sector, the authors identify four small developed countries that have experienced significant IT industry growth. The varying levels of government intervention in these cases are considered, indicating the importance of national involvement in each of the four IT industries.