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BUSINESS STUDIES SEMESTER

SUBJECTS:


Doing business in Ireland
European Union - Origin, Vision & Evolution
Comparative strengths of business in Ireland
American corporations in Ireland - performance, strategies & failures
Partnership in the promotion of business opportunities

DOING BUSINESS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION


  In many ways, business in Europe is similar to business in North America. A need is discovered, a product designed to fill it and, hopefully, the outcome is profit. There are pitfalls in all businesses. For North Americans, however, doing business in Europe means an additional level of pitfalls and restrictions. Nonetheless, it is a fact that markets are fragmenting, competition is opening up on a global scale, and North American companies rely more on profits generated in Europe than ever before. To ignore Europe means also to open up North America to severe competition from European companies. In the meantime, the array of possibilities is increasing by the day - as, indeed, are the array of compliant regulations and other obstacles.

  Culture plays a strong part in the equation. The traditionally entrepreneurial culture that continues to prevail in North America can be very effective in sweeping aside European competition. However, here a note of caution must be sounded. European markets don't respond in the same way. Products don't always have the same appeal and the hurdles can be hidden.

  Doing business in Europe is about uncovering these hidden hurdles and getting to a working knowledge of the institutional and legal maze of Europe. The Irish are known to be particularly strong in matters regarding business in Europe. This is a unique opportunity to get inside the cultural barriers that tend to cast a mist around things European.

Lectures:


  1. The great failures of U.S. business in Europe
  2. Success is an adaptive process.
  3. Is there a need? - market intelligence & testing.
  4. The Institutional Maze & Compliance Regulation 1
  5. The Institutional Maze & Compliance Regulation 2
  6. The Institutional Maze & Compliance Regulation 3
  7. The role of partnership
  8. Entry strategies & local incentives.

TUTORIALS:


  1. The role of American culture in project failure.
  2. Smart projects & strategies.
  3. Europeans love things American - or do they?
  4. Institutional Maze - Frequently Asked Questions.
  5. Finding out what needs to be known.
  6. Let's hide the compliance regulators.
  7. Creative partnerships.
  8. Strategies for leadership.
  9. US companies in Europe.
  10. The Atlantic Corridor - gaining privilege.

SEMINAR:

The Secret of my Success in Europe.

ADDITIONAL STUDENT CHALLENGES:


  • Organisational Chart - Organs of the E.U.
  • Strategic positioning.
  • From maturity to incongruity - the dinosaurs.
  • Using the Atlantic Corridor for entry.
  • Report on E.U. offices in Ireland.
  • A concept for partnership.

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EUROPEAN UNION - ORIGIN, VISION & EVOLUTION


 From a US perspective, the European Union presents great challenges and opportunities. Is Europe becoming a fortress to counter US influence or potential partner to counter the emergence of Asia?
 What are the possibilities right now, and what trends for the future? What avenues lie ahead for opportunity?
 These are but a few of the questions that are becoming increasingly relevant at all levels of society in North America today. To find answers, it is necessary to go back to the beginning in search of the original motivation behind the Union. The blood from the battlefields of European aspirations fertilised countless fields and littered the region with cemeteries and war memorials. It has been from such disasters that thoughts of modern union found their origins. The process since has been gradual and incremental. The problems faced, the politics, and the preconceived solutions provide a unique insight into the plethora of laws and institutions that form the maze which only those who have fully participated truly understand.

 Ireland's role in the formation of modern Europe is of particular interest. But, perhaps Ireland's potential as a gateway to understanding and working inside and with the Union is of most importance.
 The exploration of the Union is not only important from a practical perspective, succeeding in all spheres for US citizens today. But, also, it is an important enquiry into human development and the potential for global peace in the future. It is sufficient to penetrate deep behind the defects of the union to identify important lessons for the future.

LECTURES:


  1. The wars for European Unification.
  2. The early days of peaceful union.
  3. The Treaty of Rome.
  4. Upping the stakes - a series of treaties.
  5. European Institutions and Law.
  6. Plans for expansion - future perspectives.
  7. Unity by diversity - the Arts & Culture.
  8. Partnership in Europe - promoting integration.
  9. Monetary Union in context.

TUTORIALS:


  1. The conflict of Sovereignty v. Union.
  2. The early leadership - relevance today.
  3. Alternative forms of co-operation.
  4. Comparison with the USA.
  5. Working through the maze.
  6. Will expansion succeed?
  7. Irish culture and influence in Europe.
  8. Pan-European Partnerships - contrived v. voluntary.
  9. Ireland post monetary union.
  10. Ireland - a strategic springboard into Europe.

SEMINAR:


 Irish National Policy in the European Union.

ADDITIONAL STUDENT CHALLENGES :


  • Discussing the influences of European grants in the local economy.
  • Survey of attitudes in Tullamore.
  • European Union legislation in local administration.
  • A portrait in art, poetry, prose or music.
  • The influences of the European Union on a chosen Irish business.
  • The Atlantic Corridor in context.

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COMPARATIVE STRENGTHS OF BUSINESS IN IRELAND

THE SO-CALLED CELTIC TIGER


  Ireland has become a strategic base for the establishment of regional headquarters of US companies in Europe. Right now, there are over 1,200 highly successful models to draw on. Small to medium sized US companies have successfully achieved growth in Europe from an Irish base. This program provides a unique opportunity to demystify Europe and to discover the Celtic Tiger in his own backyard. There will be possibilities to work inside business in Ireland and to develop new projects for future businesses and to advance the Atlantic Corridor strategy.

  Ireland today is building its own multinationals, ranging from conventional paper industries, software to rock bands. Many US companies have gained substantially from partnership. Ireland's traditional neutrality status has led to remarkable success in the new territories, particularly Eastern Europe and the South.

  However, the remarkable sustained growth is leading to difficulties in the workforce market. The active workforce is generally highly skilled. Shortfalls are emerging. Will a drive to increase high skills training and education succeed in maintaining momentum? How will Monetary Union impact? What about dependency ratios? What issues must future employers and marketeers take into account?

LECTURES:


  1. Do American business systems work in Ireland?
  2. How can US companies use Ireland as a European base?
  3. What are the incentives for establishing business in Ireland?
  4. The Irish market relative to Europe and the USA.
  5. Irish owned international business - what makes them tick?
  6. Why so much software in Ireland?
  7. Cultural entrepreneurialism.
  8. What about the dinosaurs?
  9. The role of partnership.

TUTORIALS:


  1. Comparing business practice.
  2. Getting around the fortress.
  3. What incentives? Who qualifies?
  4. Small is expandable?
  5. From U2 to Smurfit.
  6. Let's get down to comparison.
  7. Temple Bar & the Chieftains.
  8. Change means opportunity - what about retraining?
  9. Concepts in partnership.

SEMINAR:


 Challenges for the Tiger

ADDITIONAL STUDENT CHALLENGES:


  • Discover an entry strategy for an existing US company into Europe through Ireland.
  • Investigate the inner workings of an Irish Company.
  • Identify an Irish company with the potential to create jobs and wealth in Buffalo.
  • A new business strategy for Tullamore.
  • A new business strategy for the Midlands.

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AMERICAN CORPORATIONS IN IRELAND

PERFORMANCE, STRATEGIES & FAILURES


 The situation in Ireland today is highly dynamic. What was true of yesterday may not be true tomorrow. Nonetheless, history is there to inform and to provide a framework for the interpretation of indicators that can provide an insight into the future. The best source of this knowledge resides in the minds of those people who have been involved already. There are those also who have accumulated much from observation.

 This part of the program is to be carried out through a series of briefings and surveys undertaken under the leadership and guidance of the course leaders.

BRIEFINGS & TEAMWORK:


  1. Surveying techniques.
  2. Teamwork and Leadership I - General.
  3. Teamwork and Leadership II - Identifying the issues.
  4. Questionnaires + Survey tools.
  5. Desktop + Library Research.
  6. Teamwork and Leadership III - Identifying the companies.
  7. Teamwork and Leadership IV - Deciding the survey technique.
  8. Teamwork and Leadership V - Designing the campaign.
  9. Teamwork and Leadership VI - Implementing the survey.
  10. Analysis & Reporting.
  11. Teamwork and Leadership VII - Completing the report.
  12. Drawing up the combined conclusions.
  13. Program critic.

SEMINAR:

  Success in Ireland

ADDITIONAL STUDENT CHALLENGES:


  • Individual Observations.
  • Concepts for partnership.
  • Teamwork - inter-cultural comparison.
  • Is there a Tiger?

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PARTNERSHIP IN THE PROMOTION OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES


 The barrier to innovation and change often arises out of economy of scale issues. Economy of networking has opened up new potential for the development of businesses. It has also opened up the possibilities of engineering new ways of competing with existing business. The Information Technology Revolution in particular has put networking and partnership to the fore in modern business organisations. Partnership can also open up the way to attract finance and to spread the risk of market entry and new product development.

 This portion of the program is entirely practical with a sound theoretical background and experience being provided by professional mentors. The students will work in teams with existing businesses. The overall goal is to complete a Business Plan for business expansion based on the exploitation of the Atlantic Corridor concept.

 Some of the teams will be allocated to the Dunbrody Ship project that involves the creation of a substantial P.R. event in Buffalo in 1999.

 It may be possible for some students to continue work on chosen projects on return to the USA. Arrangements will also be made with the home College, if requested, to return students to Ireland on internships.