Profiling multinational companies in Ireland

This chapter provides a context for our subsequent discussion and analysis of the substantive areas of employment practice examined in this volume. Specifically it provides detailed information on: (1) The core characteristics of multinational companies (MNCs) in Ireland. This includes detail such as the nationality of ownership, size and sector, time as a MNC, and the method of internationalisation; (2) The make-up of the workforce in these MNCs. For example, detail is provided on the extent of the use of contingent labour such as temporary and part-time employees; (3) The position of Irish subsidiaries in the value chain. In recent years a key economic policy goal has been to move MNC subsidiaries up their respective corporation's value chain; (4) Respondents' levels of satisfaction with various aspects of the Irish labour force, such as the availability and quality of university graduates, and the workforce's ability to learn new skills; (5) The most important factors influencing whether the Irish operations receive new investments or new mandates from their parent company