Entrepreneurship and economic development in Ireland: Does culture matter?

Abstract

As its title suggests, this paper is concerned with the relationship between culture, entrepreneurship and development in Ireland. Using empirical evidence about entrepreneurial behavior, it shows that business conduct conforms closely to Weber's model of economic traditionalism, an approach to entrepreneurship which is not conducive to development. The paper then tries to show how cultural values, derived in part from the material conditions of life in a small‐scale rural society, and in part from anti‐materialist religious ethics, combined to produce a value system that could put no positive premia on dynamic, innovative entrepreneurship. In seeking to uphold this value system, and the traditional rural patterns, Irish nationalism is then shown to have consolidated a value system which, in upholding traditionalism, has tended to hold back economic development in Ireland.

Keywords:

• culture
• entrepreneurship
• Ireland
• value systems
• religion
• traditionalism