ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides one of the first and comprehensive overviews of the rapidly growing new field of studies of 'Innovation in Construction' and its impact on economic, management and policy models and applications. It presents the evolution of ways of conceiving and approaching innovation in construction, engineering and related industries. The book aims to present the situation of rapid change in the construction sector of the economy. It deals with industry life-cycle models before moving on to discuss the relevance of new approaches for construction. The book analyses resistance to organizational change and to new alignments and approaches within construction and land development companies. It discusses the role of skilled labour and organizational culture in innovation. The book provides a review of research on Cultures of the Construction Site funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
