Firms, Organizations and Contracts A Reader in Industrial Organization

What is a firm? Why do firms exist? How is production and administrationbest co-ordinated? What are the reasons for vertical integration? Anddisintegration? Is there a conflict between establishing and developinglong-term relationships on the one hand, and the operation of free marketcompetition on the other? Is there a choice between markets and hierarchies?What about networks and clans? These questions continue to be explored witheconomics, management, sociology and other related disciplines.Firms, Organizations and Contracts brings together the best inter-disciplinaryanalysis of the topic, and contains classic contributions and material notnormally seen by those outside their own particular disciplines. It combinespioneer articles with more recent discussions of an area attracting growingattention amongst those studying industrial organization--whether on courses ineconomics, management, strategy, organization, law, or public administration.The volume includes Coase's initial enquiry into 'The Nature of the Firm' andOuchi's analysis of 'Markets, bureaucracies and clans'; Kaldor's questioning of'The Nature of the Firm' and Dore's discussion of 'Goodwill and the spirit ofmarket capitalism'.This book will be an invaluable tool for students in economics, management andsociology. In view of the growing use of contracts within the public sector,and within the private regulated sector, the book also sets out some of the keyissues of concern to policy makers and public sector strategists.