The Coasian market-firm dichotomy and subcontracting in the construction industry

This is a contribution to the debate on the contractual nature of subcontracting in the construction industry by arguing, contrary to certain views in the literature on institutional and construction economics, that the Coasian firm-market dichotomy is not blurred or pointless. By reference to the type and number of contracts, the study offers a way to distinguish the firm from the market as well as the precise nature of subcontracting in terms of such distinction. Subcontracting is shown to be a nexus of Coasian firms interacting through the main contractor with a monopsony consumer in a Coasian market.