This is a book about the whole diverse range of firms that are found in the construction sector, about their decision-making and the economic environments in which they operate. The authors aim to provide a new and coherent perspective on these firms and the choices they have to make - both for their managers and for all who have a stake in these firms and their industry. This book offers some new and important perspectives for research and teaching about construction firms.

STEPHEN GRUNEBERG is a Lecturer on the Construction Management degree at the Bartlett School, University College London. His publications include Construction Economics: An Introduction, and Feasibility Studies in Construction (with D.Weight). GRAHAM IVE is Senior Lecturer in the Economics of Construction at the Bartlett School, University College London. He is the author of a book on the Private Finance Initiative (1998) and an economic adviser to the Construction Industry Council.

List of Tables List of Figures Preface List of Acronyms PART I: SOCIAL STRUCTURES OF ACCUMULATION Social Structures of Organization Social Structures Applied to the Provision of the Built Environment Social Structures of Production PART II: CONSTRUCTION MARKETS Towards Usable Concepts of Construction Market Structure Construction Markets and Transaction Costs The Nature of Construction Markets PART III: CAPACITY Capacity of the Construction Industry Capacity of the Firm and Economics of Growth PART IV: PRICING AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Pricing and Investment Marketing and Production Decisions of Speculative Builders and Contractors PART V: CAPITAL CIRCUITS The Industrial Capital Circuit Capital Circuits, Conflicts and Strategies Bibliography and References Index