This volume presents the major findings involved in a large scale research programme to describe and analyse the transformation of contemporary Swiss society. The contributions focus on three key areas: the Swiss way of life, the Swiss labour market and the country's political institutions. The chapters give an idea of current trends in Swiss society, each one framing their argument in a comparative perspective.

This volume presents the major findings involved in a large scale research programme to describe and analyse the transformation of contemporary Swiss society. The contributions focus on three key areas: the Swiss way of life, the Swiss labour market and the country's political institutions. The chapters give an idea of current trends in Swiss society, each one framing their argument in a comparative perspective.

This collection deals with some interesting economic questions related to construction and real estate, namely how construction firms cope with the volatility of construction; whether speculative bubbles or market fundamentals drive those fluctuations; new techniques to predict construction demand; why the office market led the recent real estate cycle; and whether regulation is responsible for speculative behavior.