International construction is an intriguing yet daunting business venture. The primary aim of this book is to answer the question "How to win the competition in an increasingly competitive and sophisticated international construction market?"
The book will start from an overview of the global construction market, clarifying a series of concepts that might be unclear to readers. The book will then review the major theories relating to international competition, helping business executives to understand not only “what to do” but also "why to do". The book will also show that as these theories were developed from manufacturing industries, they are not necessarily applicable, without modification, to construction. The book will also articulate the major issues and trends in competition in international construction markets, with all the material supported by a series of case studies.
The book addresses:
- Increasing complexity in the international business environment (e.g. financing, institutional barriers)
- Higher risks in the external environment (e.g. Political instability, financial risks, emerging technologies)
- Increasing complexity of projects (e.g. mega infrastructure projects)
- Greater demands from clients (e.g. one-stop design, construction, and even operation services)
- Greater demands from wider project stakeholders (e.g. green procurement, business ethics, CSR, workforce care, sustainable development)
Readers are not given solutions to these issues as there is no such thing. Rather, readers are encouraged to think about the theories, practices, and cases and come up their own decisions that reflect the needs of their own business.
