Entrepreneurship

EntrepreneurshipStartup Ireland

Students:Removed for privacy reasons

Lecturer: Jennifer Dann

Course: DT 358/4.

Date due: 27th March 2014

Contents PageSection 1: IntroductionPage 2Section 2: Current StatusPage 5Section 3: CompetitionPage 7Section 4: Value PropositionPage 9Section 5: RiskPage 10Section 6: MilestonesPage 12Section 7: False Indicators Page 13Section 8: ConclusionPage 15Reference ListPage 15AppendixPage 17

Section 1: IntroductionStartup IrelandStartup Ireland is a grassroots organisation providing an independent focal point for the Irish start-up community regionally, nationally and internationally with the objective of increasing the number of Irish start-ups that start and scale successfully. In order to let the entrepreneurs lead Startup Ireland focus on the framework conditions that provide the most fruitful environment for start-ups with the goal of achieving Irelands entry into the worlds top 20 ranking of start-up ecosystems. They try achieve this through networking and the provision of information relating to start-up resources and events in DublinWhy start-up in Ireland?Ireland is probably the most open economy in the developed world. Being open means Ireland benefits from the boom in world trade; equally it means it must adapt quickly to changing market conditions. Although Ireland is very attractive for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it also is very appealing to entrepreneurs from with the country with advantages that will be talked about more in Appendix 1. Tel-AvivSilicon Valley is still the king of the start-up world, but according to Lindzon (2013), it may not be for much longer. Over the last decide, worldwide cities have become successful start-up incubators, creating new business ecosystems and exciting investment opportunities. Tel-Aviv in Israel is one of these hubs and is the only city to crack the top 10 outside of North America, placed second behind only Silicon Valley. A full list of the top 20 start-up ecosystems can be found in Appendix 2. As a country, Israel may be only 60 years old and have a population of around 7 million but it has the highest density of tech start-ups in the world. In 2009, 63 Israeli companies were listed on the tech-orientated NASDAQ - which is more than Europe, Japan, Korea, India, and China combined. Almost every major tech company today has some kind of subsidiary in Israel, including Intel, Microsoft, Google and Cisco to name just a few. Tel Aviv has an impressive history of entrepreneurship and the ecosystem is still expanding. In the Startup Ecosystem Index, Tel Aviv ranks second globally, because it has the second highest output index of start-ups with a healthy funnel of start-ups across the developmental lifecycle, a highly developed funding ecosystem, a strong entrepreneurial culture, a vibrant support ecosystem and a plentiful supply of talent.Services offered by Startup Ireland Their Startup Ireland Linkedin group 2,800 members engaging and sharing information. @startupireland Twitter account has in excess of 2400. Start-up community hubs (www.startupdublin.ie) launched for all main Irish cities. 10 Start-up Ireland Partners signed up NewsletterHow thing differ in Tel-Aviv According to Shure (2013), many start-ups contemplate where to plant their roots, both to build and get funding for their companies. Leading contenders are usually Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley like state above. However, the time has come for start-ups to add another city to their short-list of desirable homes: Tel Aviv. One of the reasons for this serge is the local government is exceptionally proactive in making the city a promising place for entrepreneurs. The city is installing Wi-Fi in all public areas. Last month, Tel Aviv had 60 Wi-Fi hot spots; 20 more will be installed in the near future. This means that creative teams can work where they please, even outdoors. The hope is that an influx in foreign innovators will bring in foreign investment. So far, its working in spades. The countrys start-ups attracted more than two billion in funding last year alone, a quarter of it from local private equity firms.Another reason for Tel-Avivs prominence is that the Tel Avivs local government is pushing for legislation to create The Startup Visa, allowing foreigners with creative muscle to establish residence in Tel Aviv. Obtaining a work visa in Israel is otherwise a bit of a headache.Companies like Google and Microsoft have opened their doors in Tel-Aviv over the past couple of years. Google have recently opened Campus Tel Aviv, for entrepreneurs. According to Google, "Campus Tel Aviv is a hub for entrepreneurs and developers located in the heart of the start-up nation. We offer a space for developers and entrepreneurs to attend and organize events with speakers, mentors and other entrepreneurs. Having the opportunity to develop as an entrepreneur under the guidance of such an established company like Google can only benefit Tel-Avivs reputation for entrepreneurs to start-up. Whether its the start-ups themselves, the international and domestic investors, the ecosystem for foreign and domestic companies, or the accelerators, it's certain Tel Aviv is emerging as a serious rival to other global tech hubs and is opening its doors to the world. Now is a perfect time for start-ups to pack their bags and become a part of Startup Nation. Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Framework (Ireland vs. Israel)Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is a framework for cross-cultural communication, developed by Geert Hofstede. It describes the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behaviour, using a structure derived from factor analysis. Hofstede has found six dimensions of culture in his study of national work related values. Here are the six dimensions and in Appendix 3 you will find a comparison between Ireland and Israel under these six dimensions. Power distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty avoidance Pragmatism Indulgence

Section 2: Current StatusTrends in Ireland:

According to GEM (2012), they have seen a decline, in the past two years, in the overall rate of early sage entrepreneurial activity, in particular with males. The percentage of the adult population that expects to become employers through their entrepreneurial activity has also declined. A positive note is that GEM noted that the quality of new businesses in recent times are very positive and suggest that there is an improvement in the quality of the new enterprises being started. The difficulties surrounding access to finance and availability of finance is the biggest constraint for people looking to start off. The difficulties in accessing finance has stemmed from the economic recession.

Trends in Tel Aviv: In 2009, 63 Israeli companies were listed on the tech-orientated stock exchange, the NASDAQ, this is more than Europe, Japan, Korea, India, and China combined. Almost every major tech company today has some kind of subsidiary in Israel, including Intel, Microsoft, Google and Cisco to name just a few. This means that upwards of 39% of Israeli high-tech employees work in the R&D departments of multinational companies. Tel Aviv is farther along in its life cycle than Ireland in relation to their star up sector. They have become a known area for successful start-ups to come, whereas Ireland are still in a infancy stage and have some development to go before they meet the levels of Israel.

What is available in the Irish Market? Currently in Ireland support is offered through Enterprise Ireland and the City and County Enterprise boards, these are noted as a main strength for entrepreneurial activity in Ireland. Statups.ie would be a very similar if not an identical service provider as Startup Ireland, they provide an information service for their users. In particular Enterprise Irelands High potential start-up funding was noted, the Competitive start fund, the support available in third level incubators together with CORD funding, the iGap and Springboard programmes.

What is available in Tel Aviv? Tel Aviv is one of the world leaders in start-ups this can be related back to the amount of options potential entrepreneurs have when starting. Tech-Loft, The library, The Junction, Top Centre, The Hub, Startup City, 8200 EISP, The Hive by Gvahim are but a few of the areas which an aspiring entrepreneur can go to have their ideas furthered and turned into a reality in Israel. There are so many option and programmes entrepreneurs can go for in Israel in comparison to Ireland which is mainly a government based startup country.

What is missing in Ireland? Awareness is a major factor which seems to be a problem in Ireland. We undoubtedly have one of the most educated work forces in the world, but these students are not being motivated towards self-employment. Students could go through their education without ever being notified of the opportunities of self-employment. There is not enough of a connection between third level education and entrepreneurial development; there is no encouragement for students to develop their ideas. People are not aware of the help they can receive if they have business ideas, they do not know what is available to them.

What is similar to Startup Ireland in Israel? There are many similar pages to Startup Ireland in Israel, there is Startup Live Tel-Aviv, Startup City- Tel Aviv, Start-Up Israel and Startup Grind are but a few of the option available to potential new entrepreneurs.

Section 3: Competition

Does start-up have competitors?Yes we have identified the following as competitors to start-up Ireland;

Enterprise Ireland Startup Ireland Business-startup.ie County and city enterprise boards. Basis CRO Citizens information. Small firms association IDA Ireland. Chambers of Commerce

Do they have a competitive advantage?According to Hill and Jones (2010) a company has a competitive advantage over it rivals when its profitability is greater than the average profitability of other companies in its industry. They go on to state that the main objective of a strategy is to achieve a sustained competitive advantage which brings about greater profitability and profit growth. As start-up Ireland is a non-profit enterprise their competitive advantage would not be based on money in the bank. Instead they differentiate themselves from their competitors by enhancing the services they offer. Hill and Jones (2010) state that distinct competencies are firms specific strengths that enables them differentiate the products or services they offer. This include start-up Irelands resources, capabilities and competencies i.e. assets of the company, skills of the personal and also the overall competency such as low cost.According to the management study guide (2013) a firms resources should tick the boxes of the VRIN framework in order to be of any competitive advantage. The VRIN framework is as follows;

Valuable- when resources of the firm bring about value.Rare- the resource most not be present in the competitors firms.Inimitable- resources that provide a competitive advantage are not easily copied by other firms.Non-substitutable- resources that cannot be replaced by other similar resources provide a good competitive advantageStartup Irelands competitive advantage can be identified by using Porters five forces model.Risk of entry by potential competitors- this according to Hill and Jones (2010) refers to the competitors start-up Ireland is exposed to. However theses competitors are not yet in the market. This could refer to anyone. It is important start-up Ireland strengthens their resources and capabilities in order to defend against theses competitors. This will increase the barriers to entry.Bargaining power of buyers- this refers to the ability of the buyers to bargain down process. As Startup Ireland is offering services to people who are only starting out money will be low. The customers as to speak will not be willing to spend on this type of service. So as a result Startup Ireland must ensure it is very cost sensitive so they breakeven. Treat of substitutes- as it is a non-profit organisation Start-up will find it hard fighting off competitors as already listed above. However cost is a major factor for this type of business. Therefore as Startup Ireland do not wish to make profits there is little or no cost to customers so they can remain as competitive as possible in the market.Bargaining power of suppliers- This refers to suppliers ability to raise costs. Startup Ireland must ensure they have very little expenses in order to break even. As a result they should continually aim to find the cheapest suppliers. Suppliers context include personal and advice. This should all be voluntary in the majority of cases.Startup Irelands competitive advantages:1. Non-profit organisation.2. Support and foundations in place.3. Good presence on social media.4. Clear defined goals and plans.5. Volunteer organisation very little costs.Section 4: Value PropositionBenefits start up to customer? Advice portal for all business activities. Blog that enables the sharing of peoples information. Recognise start-ups. This can provide greater publicity for the customers business. Inform the customers of courses and books that could be useful.

Suggestions for improvement?DonationsEven though Startup Ireland is a non-profit organisation they could too with cash to fund other ideas they may have or to enhance the services they offer already. A way of doing this could be by having a donations option on their website so successful start-ups that used the service could give back if they wished.

Social mediaA way of enhancing Startup Irelands presence could be by asking those who use their services to mention Startup Ireland in newsletters, Twitter, Facebook etc this could be something that Startup Ireland has as a pop up on their web page once it is opened. Awareness is very important for Startup Ireland as none of us were aware of what or who Startup Ireland was before this assignment. Seeing as we are within its target market this is not good.

AwardsThey could inform business looking to start-up of awards they should and could apply for in order to enhance their reputation.

ImprovementThere could be a section for advice on general key performance business areas and also a time scales of when this should be done. Desired results could also be detailed. Another addition to the website could be to provide the fundings the start-up businesses could avail of.Section 5: RiskWhat are the risks that we take on by setting up Start up Ireland?

Sousa, Manso, Costa & Almeida (2011) say that: The foundation of a company is tough work, even more now in the dynamic market we live in. Companies open and close all the time and planning a business is an important task.Scott (2014) states that: Entrepreneurs face many challenges when starting a business, such as a depressed economy, uncertain market conditions and financial struggles. It is important that business owners determine the types of risks that will affect a new venture and create risk management strategies to solve these risks.The risks Scott (2014) explains are: Market Risk, which Start up Ireland should take into consideration. Current market conditions pose a risk to a new business especially depending on the nature and location of the business, competition and product pricing. Startup Ireland faces this risk especially in Irelands economic climate, the climate is improving but with the nature of this business it could pose a serious threat to the success of it.

Financial Risk, the financial standing of a business can make or break a companys success. It is important to plan financial spending and budget. For Startup Ireland money is a huge issue, they need a lot of funding to keep the organisation going to break even. Furthermore, they do not make profit or receive payment for their service so this is a huge risk that Startup Ireland takes on.

Management Risk, new businesss with little or no management could experience the risk of failure. Ineffective management can have an adverse effect on sales, quality and customer service. For Startup Ireland, it is important that their team has the right management skills and drive for the success of the business. If there is a lack of management skills it runs the risk of employing outside managers which would affect the financial side of the business.

Other risks Startup Ireland face are: No support, if organisations and personnel dont see any attractiveness in the business it will be hard to get the support needed. No entrepreneurial belief, there is the risk that the people of Ireland dont think they can actually do it and decide not to go ahead with starting a new business.

Losing employees, if employees of Startup Ireland begin to get frustrated that there is no progress with the business and goals are not being achieved there is a chance that they might leave the business. Non-profit organisations receive grants, employ workers and have tax-exempt status so it is important to comply with the grant agreements and government regulations. For Startup Ireland it is important they abide by all the rules correctly.

Carlson (2009) states that risk management is the art and science of thinking about what could go wrong, and what should be done to mitigate those risks in a cost-effective manner. It is important to have a risk management framework in place to identify the risks and to be able to do something about them.Carlson (2009) identifies the main company killers which agree with Scott (2014): Market Risks: This refers to whether or not there is sufficient demand for what you have to offer. Competitive Risks: Every venture has more competitors and fewer competitive advantages than it thinks Financial Risks: It is important to have different plans in case investors or lenders say no. People Risks: There must be the right combination of experience, contacts and drive among the founding team. Legal and Regulatory Risks.Section 6: MilestonesCan you identify 5 milestones that Startup Ireland must achieve over the next 3 years?The five milestones we identified that Startup Ireland must achieve over the next three years can be seen below these are not in order of importance as we feel they are all important issues;1.Increase brand recognition- we found this to be a primary concern as we are part of Startup Irelands target market and until they came in to talk to us no group member knew who they were and what they did. This could be done through testimonials from those who have used Startup Irelands services; they could be published on company websites, social media sites and also company newsletters. We also feel the websites name needs addressing. They use Startup Ireland as there name however the website is Startup Dublin.ie this is a real issue as at the start of this assignment all four group members were working from Startup Irelands webpage who are there competitors. We think they should change the name of the company or the website as this is confusing for customers as the only way we found the correct webpage in the end was by looking at the slides in the presentation which a customer would not have access to. If the website name is changed it needs to be unique so that it will be one of the first search returns when typed into Google.

2.Public figure to spearhead the company- we feel in order for start-up to differentiate themselves from competitors we feel by getting a well know popular Irish person to be the face of the company could be very beneficial. This would make the advertising have a bigger impact and also make starting up companies appealing and not a scary ordeal.

3.Expand service offering- we suggest enhancing the services offered to the customer such as developing blogs that provide information on different business areas such as finance, insurance, business plans etc also we feel having a section for an online store where customers can buy informative books at cost price would be a nice touch. We suggest running courses that would help entrepreneurs start up would be good also. They could charge a small fee to cover the costs in running each course.

4.Target Market- as already mentioned part of Startup Irelands target market are not familiar with them and what they do so we feel establishing college and school presence is important. This could be done by having stands in colleges and schools various times a year so students can ask questions if they have any. They will also become familiar with who Startup Ireland is and what they do. Another way of enhancing their presence could be by offering free support and advice to those students participating in the young entrepreneur event.

5.Support- from listening to an interview on the Marian Finucane show on RTE radio 1 we heard Jackie Lavin and Bill Cullen describe how there is no support for business people in this country who have lost their business. Jackie stated they are entitled to absolutely nothing not even the dole. As there business has been taken by the banks they state that those people who set up the company in the first place, pay the taxes and wages are suddenly the bad guys where as those people who buy the business for less than noting are suddenly the good guys. The Glencullen group paid 13 million in wages alone so this figure would only rise when PRSI, PAYE, Taxes and VRT are all added in. Bill closed in saying that he contributed 15 million in income tax over his years before the shutdown. We as a group think this is a disgrace and needs addressing as once the business is gone the entrepreneur has noting, there is no safety net. We think if Startup Ireland could offer support maybe financial which could be got from donations and sponsorship or even advice on where failed entrepreneurs should go next. They could maybe have a discussion forum where entrepreneurs who failed could talk with those who have also failed, and those who have failed and started again. This could prevent those entrepreneurs who fail not being left in the dark and could seek advice from likeminded individuals. It allows for networking to occur amongst a wider audience.

Section 7: False Indicators Have you come across any false indicators of Irelands SME growth?Along with the article in the introduction stating the impressive number of new business incorporations in Ireland in 2013, we found other articles stating what we believed to be false indicators. It said that Dublin can be the number 1 Tech Startup city in Europe. The article stated that The creation of 2,800 jobs with an economic impact of 200 million can be achieved on an annual basis. We felt this to be a false indicator because it does not give 100% clarity that 2,800 jobs will be created. It is assuming that the jobs can be created. Following this, in the article it stated that The report found that Dublin was home to a thriving start up ecosystem that has the potential to grow even further. Again, we felt that this was a false indicator, because we found another article by Costello (2013) stating that Dublin fails to appear in the top 20 international start up ecosystems rankings. The locations were evaluated based on eight criteria which included the performance of companies and access to talent. Tel Aviv and London made the list, including several North American cities.

Section 8: ConclusionWe learnt that Telaviv in Israel is the second highest output index of tech start-ups. Its the only European city outside North America to break the top ten.We discovered that there has been a decline in the past two years in the overall rate of early stage entrepreneurial activity, in particular with males. Other factors we discovered were;

The quality of new businesses in recent times is very positive and this suggests that there is an improvement in the quality of the new enterprises being started.

The difficulties surrounding access to finance and availability of finance is the biggest constraint for people looking to start off.

There is not enough of a connection between third level education and entrepreneurial development; there is no encouragement for students to develop their ideas.

The main risks we identified with Startup Ireland were;Market risk,Financial risk,Management riskLegal and regulatory risks.We also identified other risk which was; no support from outside personnel, no entrepreneurial belief among the Irish community and losing employees within the organisation itself.We have identified Startup Ireland as having various competitors and in order for them to differentiate from them they need to have valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable resources, capabilities and competencies. We have identified benefits Startup Ireland offers its customers such as: Advice portal for all business activities. Blog that enables the sharing of peoples information. Recognise start-ups. Inform the customers of courses and books that could be usefulHowever we feel in order of them to improve they should look into the following; Donations Social media Awards Improvement of service offerings

Reference ListCarlson, N. (2009). The Startup Entrepreneur's Guide To Risk Management. Available: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-startup-entrepreneur-guide-to-risk-management-2009-6. Last accessed 19th Mar 2014.Costello, E. (2013). Dublin fails to appear in Top 20 International Startup Ecosystem Ranking. Available: http://eoinkcostello.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/dublin-fails-to-appear-in-top-20-international-startup-ecosystem-ranking/. Last accessed 26th Mar 2014.Finucane,M. (2014). Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin. Available: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/marian-finucane/programmes/2014/0208/503072-marian-finucane-saturday-8-february-2014/?clipid=1413170. Last accessed 22th March 2014.Hill,C and Jones,G (2010).Theory of Strategic Management. 9th ed. London : South Western. 74-77.INIS. (2013). Start-up Entrepreneur Programme Guidelines. Available: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Guidelines%20for%20Start-up%20Entrepreneur%20Programme.pdf/Files/Guidelines%20for%20Start-up%20Entrepreneur%20Programme.pdf. Last accessed 19/03/2014.Lindzon, J. (2013). Top 20 Most Active Startup Scenes. Available: http://www.betakit.com/three-canadian-cities-ranked-top-20-most-active-startup-scenes-infographic/. Last accessed 19/03/2014.Management Studyguide. (2013).Resource Based View - The VRIN Characteristics.Available:http://managementstudyguide.com/resource-based-view.htm. Last accessed 20th March 2014Moran,B and Feldman,Y.. (2013). The complete guide to Israeli startup accelerators. Available:http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/07/15/the-complete-guide-to-israeli-startup-accelerators/#!AyzIP. Last accessed 12/03/2014Scott, S. (2014). Risks of Starting a New Business. Available: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/risks-starting-new-business-4195.html. Last accessed 19th Mar 2014Shuir, J. (2013). Tel Aviv: Hotbed of Startup Culture and Money. Available: http://www.inc.com/jeremy-shure/tel-aviv-hotbed-of-startup-culture-and-money.html. Last accessed 19/03/2014Sousa, P, Manso, V, Costa, J, & Almeida, F 2012, 'Ontology For Entrepreneurs - Risk Analysis For Start-Up Tech', Journal Of Advanced Research In Management, 3, 1, pp. 59, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 19 March 2014.The Hofstede Centre (2014) Available: http://geert-hofstede.com/ireland.html & http://geert-hofstede.com/israel.html Last Accessed: 19/03/2014Unknown. (2013). Dublin can be the #1 Tech Startup City in Europe. Available: http://www.dublincity.ie/Press/PressReleases/PRAug2013/Pages/DublincanbetheNumber1TechStartupCityinEurope.aspx. Last accessed 26th Mar 2014.

AppendixAppendix 1Reasons why Ireland is attractive for both FDI and internal entrepreneur start-ups:Talent Ireland is a small country that has re-invented itself over the last forty years through the combined force of sheer determination and growing, vibrant ambition. Its young, highly educated workforce has seized the opportunity provided by Foreign Direct Investment and continues to transform Ireland into a dynamic, knowledge based economy for the 21st century.

Track Record The 2008-2012 Business Environment Ranking of the Economist Intelligence Unit placed Ireland 11th globally out of 82 countries, naming it as one of the most attractive business locations in the world. Furthermore, Forbes 2011 named Ireland as the best country in Europe in which to do business.

Tax Regime The key features of Irelands Tax Regime Corporate tax rate of 12.5% for active business. 25% Research & Development (R&D) Tax Credit which may be refundable over a three year period.An Intellectual Property (IP) regime which provides a tax write-off for broadly defined IP acquisitions.(INIS, 2013)

Appendix 2

Figure #: Top 20 Startup Ecosystems around the world.

Appendix 3

Figure #: Ireland vs. Israel through the lens of Hofstedes 6-D Model.Power distance - This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.Ireland - At 28 Ireland sits in the much lower rankings of PDI i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. Within Irish organisations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.Israel - With a score of 13 points Israel is at the very low end of this dimension compared to other countries. With an egalitarian mind-set the Israelis believe in independency, equal rights, accessible superiors and that management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Respect among the Israelis is something which you earn by proving your hands-on expertise. Workplaces have an informal atmosphere with direct and involving communication and on a first name basis. Employees expect to be consulted.

Individualism - The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether peoples self-image is defined in terms of I or We. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societys people belong to in groups that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.Ireland - At a score of 70 Ireland is an individualistic culture. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.Israel - The Israeli society is a blend of individualistic and collectivistic cultures (54). Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are common. And at the same time extended families, with many children and close ties to all other family members are a part of society as well. There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. Communication is direct and expressive.

Masculinity - A high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational behaviour.

A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).Ireland At 68 Ireland is a masculine society highly success oriented and driven. Behavior in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should strive to be the best they can be and that the winner takes all. The Irish are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.Israel - With a score of 47 Israel is neither a clear masculine nor feminine society. Some elements point at more masculine features. Performance is highly valued. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches and technical devices.

Uncertainty avoidance - The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score.Ireland - At 35 Ireland has a low score on uncertainty avoidance. Ideas are important, being imaginative is appreciated. Irish businesses embrace creativity and are always looking for new ways to approach problems. Making a point with practical facts is more appreciated than the use of too much technical language.Israel - Israel is among the stronger uncertainty avoidant countries (81). In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, security is an important element in individual motivation. Cultures with a high score on this dimension are often very expressive. Something the Israelis clearly show while talking with their hands, gesticulating and vocal aggressiveness.

Pragmatism - This dimension describes how people in the past as well as today relate to the fact that so much that happens around us cannot be explained. In societies with a normative orientation, most people have a strong desire to explain as much as possible. In societies with a pragmatic orientation most people dont have a need to explain everything, as they believe that it is impossible to understand fully the complexity of life. The challenge is not to know the truth but to live a virtuous life.Ireland With a low score of 24, Ireland has a culture classified as normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.Israel - A low score of 38 on this dimension indicates that Israeli culture has a preference for normative thought. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.

Indulgence - One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which little children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become human. This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called indulgence and relatively strong control is called restraint. Cultures can, therefore, be described as indulgent or restrained.Ireland With a high score of 65, it is clear that Irish culture is one of indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.Israel - There is currently no score for Israel on this dimension.(The Hofstede Centre, 2014)

1 | Page