The Irish Times carries an interesting report on the mediocre performance of Irish management. This is consistent with previous reports (available here). This also raises important questions about the increase in inequality during the boom and the increase in management pay over that of workers.
In general management in MNEs operating in Ireland is better than SMEs, and the countries with the best managers are the US, Germany, and Sweden. Given that our labour market has much more in common with Germany and Sweden than the US, Irish managers should look to these countries. Rather than seeking confrontation with unions, working with them is usually a more successful approach. The Luas is an excellent example of cooperation.
There are better ways to improve competitiveness than cutting wages. However, are Irish managers up to the task?
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