Building Chaos: An International Comparison of Deregulation in the Construction Industry

by Bosch; Gerhard

• ISBN13: 9780415260909
• ISBN10: 0415260906
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-04-11
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This collection draws on international comparisons from the main industrialised countries in a key field - the construction industry. One only has to walk around almost any major city in the industrialised economies of the world to see how well the construction industry is doing and this study is a timely analysis of a growing field.

Table of Contents

List of figures	ix
List of tables	xi
List of contributors	xiii
Acknowledgments	xvi
Introduction	1	(233)
Gerhard Bosch
Peter Philips
The focus of our studies	1	(3)
A general framework for understanding the construction industry	4	(8)
A comparison of construction in nine countries	12	(9)
Summary	21	(3)
The Netherlands
Rules in revision: high-quality production in the Dutch construction industry	24	(24)
Marc Van Der Meer
Introduction	24	(1)
Economic characteristics	25	(3)
The regulation of product and labor markets	28	(8)
The qualification structure and training	36	(3)
Labor market characteristics	39	(2)
Challenges to labor market regulation	41	(3)
Institutional change and further modernization	44	(4)
Germany
The labor market in the German construction industry	48	(25)
Gerhard Bosch
Klaus Zuhlke-Robinet
Introduction	48	(1)
Economic evolution	49	(4)
Employment and unemployment	53	(4)
Regulations in the product market	57	(3)
The regulation of the construction labor market	60	(4)
Changes and challenges	64	(5)
Conclusion	69	(4)
Denmark
Searching for innovation	73	(22)
Nikolaj Lubanski
Introduction	73	(2)
Economic evolution	75	(2)
Employment	77	(1)
Regulations in the product market	78	(3)
Regulations in the labor market	81	(5)
Changes and challenges	86	(5)
Conclusion	91	(4)
Canada
Labor market regulation and labor relations in the construction industry: the special case of Quebec within the Canadian context	95	(19)
Jean Charest
Introduction	95	(1)
Overview of the construction industry in Canada and the Quebec economy	96	(3)
Industrial relations system and labor market regulation	99	(8)
Pressures on the industry and on labor market regulation	107	(3)
Conclusion	110	(4)
Australia
The Australian construction industry: union control in a disorganized industry	114	(24)
Elsa Underhill
Introduction	114	(2)
Product market and industry structure	116	(5)
Employment in building and construction	121	(3)
Employment regulation and wage determination	124	(6)
Imperiled training	130	(3)
Conclusion	133	(5)
Spain
Spain down the low track	138	(23)
Justin Byrne
Marc Van Der Meer
Introduction	138	(2)
Economic evolution: a crucial but turbulent sector	140	(1)
Productive structure	141	(5)
The labor market	146	(4)
The corporatist illusion: social partners and labor relations	150	(4)
The dark side of the boom: danger at work	154	(2)
Conclusions	156	(5)
The United States
Dual worlds: the two growth paths in US construction	161	(27)
Peter Philips
Introduction	161	(1)
Economic and institutional context	161	(3)
The construction labor market	164	(3)
The challenge of human capital accumulation	167	(4)
Human capital accumulation under collective bargaining	171	(5)
The results of human capital accumulation: greater labor productivity	176	(3)
Public policy towards the construction industry	179	(5)
Conclusion: pay me now or pay me later	184	(4)
The United Kingdom
Privatization, fragmentation, and inflexible flexibilization in the UK construction industry	188	(22)
Mark Harvey
Introduction	188	(1)
Historical context	188	(1)
The economic evolution of the construction market	189	(4)
The changing structure of the industry	193	(4)
Labor markets and the central role of self-employment in UK construction	197	(5)
The consequences of mass self-employment	202	(5)
Conclusion	207	(3)
Republic of Korea
The drivers for change in the Korean construction industry: regulation and deregulation	210	(24)
Jin Ho Yoon
Byung-Goo Kang
Introduction	210	(1)
The structure of the Korean construction industry and government regulations	211	(8)
Free-fall in the construction labor market	219	(9)
Recent deregulation policies and their impacts on the construction industry	228	(2)
Conclusion	230	(4)
Index	234