Professional and Personal Development and Trade Union Membership of Information Technology Workers in the Republic of Ireland and the United States. Volume 1.

The information technology sector is hailed as a lucrative industry where highly skilled workers may carve a rewarding and successful career. It is also an industry that has mainly developed in the United States and has subsequently spread to the rest of the world, bringing with it certain 'Americanised' values and work practices, such as nontrade union membership. This thesis explores the professional and personal development and trade union membership of IT workers in the Republic of Ireland and the United States. The main findings of both studies indicate that poor levels of training at work occur among Silicon Valley respondents, and that Silicon Valley workers tend to have an excessively long working week, and place most emphasis on material needs and least on family and leisure. The low levels of membership of trade unions and professional societies in both locations highlights a postmodern trend towards individualism, although this trend is more pronounced in Silicon Valley