IMI Research

BizLabs is IMI’s think-tank. It undertakes a range of industry-driven research projects that seek to articulate the latest thinking and best practice in management.

                                         Current Research

Innovation & the Irish Manager

Irish executives and entrepreneurs are equipped with the psychological and cultural competencies that can give Ireland a competitive advantage if properly supported, according to recent research by the IMI.

The research, undertaken in partnership with IDA Ireland, was carried out by Andrew McLaughlin and Megan Burgdorf. Based on a sample of 117 Irish executives and entrepreneurs the study indicated a substantial trend towards what is considered right-brain dominated cognition when compared to international norms.

Read: Innovation and the Irish Manager here

Both Irish executives and entrepreneurs reported in the research a consistent pattern of preference for right-brained thinking, which includes attributes such as intuition, the ability to make seemingly unrelated connections and tolerance of ambiguity. The concept of tolerance for ambiguity is about being able to hold incongruent ideas without stress and the ability to see the bigger picture. Ambiguity is inherent to entrepreneurial activity due to the innovative and original nature of start up enterprises. Irish entrepreneurs scored above average on this scale.

The research is validated by OPP and was based on a battery of tests including the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the 16PF, the Decision Style Inventory, the Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale and the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale. The entrepreneurs were chosen on the basis that they had started enterprises, in some cases multi-enterprises.

Survey of MNCs in Ireland

The IMI /National Irish Bank Annual Survey MNCs2009 published on Monday, 12th October, 2009 highlights that while in the past Multinationals in Ireland focussed on relatively low value added, low wage production, today they are far more likely to be engaged in high-end activities. The report shows that seventy percent of Multinationals in Ireland are operating at the high-value end of their global company as either a strategic centre for the company, a product or a region.

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As well as reporting the underlying strength of Multinationals in Ireland, the report identifies some considerable short-term challenges most especially in relation to the Ireland’s cost base which is seen as significantly higher than in comparable locations.

In 2008 IMI partnered with National Irish Bank to once again survey the attitudes and experiences of Chief Executives and senior management of multinational companies operating in Ireland. This was the 10th anniversary edition of this survey.

This series of research has, over the years highlighted the major issues affecting MNCs here and the factors underpinning Irelands competitiveness and attractiveness for the continued involvement of these organisations’ in our economy.

Leveraging the Irish Mind:

Exploring the relationship between the Irish mind and national competitiveness

Could the Irish mind represent our real competitive advantage? Might our very “Irishness” be a trump card? These are 2 questions Andrew McLaughlin, IMI Senior Management Specialist is seeking to answer in his current research.

Andrew is currently exploring the psychological and cultural aspects of being Irish that suggest that the Irish as a nation have the ability to make the transition to an innovation economy. The task is complex but dealing with complexity may be where the Irish mind excels.

Is innovation and creativity hard-wired in Irish people to a much greater extent than in others? The IMI is currently researching the evidence that Irish people have a head-start in the innovation game. There are national cultural dimensions that predict innovation. Preliminary data suggest that Irish people rank high on several of these dimensions. An example is tolerance for risk taking. Irish people are well up in the top ten nations surveyed. Also we tend to have low power distance. Power distance is our attitude to hierarchy and authority.

This suggests that Irish people have an ability to have confidence in their own ideas. This might also explain the responsiveness of Government to business. Access is expected and is available. Another aspect of Irishness that may support innovation is our high tolerance for ambiguity. The world of innovation is by definition ambiguous – it is about what may be rather than what is. Irish culture is fine with ambiguity. In fact we revel in it.

Executive Salaries

A long-standing annual source of executive salary information that has become the bible for executives and organisations looking to benchmark themselves from a remuneration perspective.

Community-based Research

As well as supporting individual research projects, BizLabs is also a forum for collaborative or community-based research involving leading management thinkers/practitioners and IMI client organisations. Currently the IMI BizLab on Innovation is hosting a series of workshops on innovation led by Professor John Bessant, Chair in Innovation Management at Imperial College London and world-renowned expert on innovation.

Participating in IMI BizLabs will enable you to drive your research agenda and ensure it supports your business needs.

For more information on IMI BizLabs please contact:

Elaine McMahon
Head of Knowledge Centre
Tel: (01) 207-8508
Email: elaine.mcmahon@imi.ie