Marketing theories and concepts for the international construction industry: a study of their applicability at the global, national and corporate perspectives

The role and applicability of marketing theories and concepts are explored at three levels of analysis for the international construction industry. Developments of the theoretical constructs are traced as marketing evolves to encompass an international perspective. The relevance and need for marketing in the construction industry was examined. Four schools of thought were identified before the strategic significance of marketing in the market place was reviewed and argued. The marketing implications of financing, countertrade, technology transfer and joint venture were considered. At the global level, the theoretical issues and applications of Marketing Information Systems are extended for the international construction industry. An analysis of global construction markets in value added terms was conducted, disaggregated according to types of economies, regions and political groupings. The markets in Asean and the EC were examined. A global summary of the world's construction industries was extracted diagrammatically for 19 regions and 180 countries and territories. The influence of marketing and construction on economic development was explored at the national level. A coalescing model was adopted to provide a proposed synthesis of the tripartite relationship between marketing, construction and economic development. The cumulative events leading to the evolution of the construction exports industry in Singapore was studied to highlight the governmental role in nurturing and promoting a national marketing drive overseas for construction services. At the corporate level, the theoretical foundations for organising marketing activities in international construction firms were examined. Empirical evidence from a field study in the United Kingdom shows that the Contingency Approach appears to be valid for structuring marketing organisations in international construction firms. Nonetheless, at a more detailed level of analysis, the geographical structure seems to be well-placed for organising foreign construction marketing activities. The three-pronged approach adopted in this thesis shows how marketing theories and concepts may be appropriately applied within the global, national and corporate contexts of the construction industry.