The book sets out deliberately to challenge current directions in construction management, confronting the assumption that knowledge is uni-dimensional and accumulative. Itis argued that any understanding of construction management depends upon a critical orientation that does not subjugate understanding to performance. This bookinitially sets out the justification for adopting a critical perspective with reference to the broader literature on construction management studies. Current trends in construction management are set in the context of social, economic and political change over the past thirty years. A recurring theme throughout the book is the complex interplay between the espoused managerial rhetoric and the realities of structural change in the construction sector. The discourse of construction management shapes, and is shaped by, the changing reality of the workplace. Linkages are also be made to the emergence of the enterprise culture and rhetoric of the global marketplace. Following the development of a critical perspective on construction management as a whole, specific chapters will be devoted to: business process re-engineering, lean construction, partnering, collaborative working, performance measurement and the assumed need for culture change. Key features:

- Authored by a highly respected critic of current trends in construction management

- The only book to take critical approach

- Provides an entirely new perspective on what constitutes ‘best practice’