This publication presents one of the first attempts to integrate two emerging bodies of economic research: institutional economics and organizational theory. It begins within the framework of neoclassical economics, and then extends the boundaries of this framework to offer answers to questions that have so far remained puzzles in neoclassical economics. The integrated approach of this publication also challenges the dominant paradigm in economics over the last 15 years that views the market as the best mechanism for carrying out transactions. The market is not the only transaction mechanism; other modes of organization are also important. However, this way of thinking does not involve a simple reintroduction of the confrontation between the ¿government¿ and the ¿market¿. On the contrary, the integrated approach tries to open the ¿blackbox¿ of the role of institutions in daily life and the diversity of modes of organization. Through this integrated approach, the book hopes to contribute to a better insight to real world problems. Dr. Louis H.G. Slangen is Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy at Wageningen University. His teaching, research and supervising MSc and PhD theses are in the field of resource economics, economics of land-use, new institutional economics and economic organisation theory. His publication record consists of about 30 articles in refereed journals, 15 chapters in books, and 10 books. He has a long and extensive experience in various types of research projects for various Dutch Ministries and the European Union. Dr. Laura A. Loucks is Senior Researcher and Lecturer in Institutional Economics and Organization Theory at Wageningen University. Her research focuses on new and emerging institutions for sustainable fisheries management. She has been a consultant to the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans as well as the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Her research on fisheries co-management agreements has been published in several books and in Marine Policy, one of the leading journals on marine management issues. Dr. Arjen H.L. Slangen has been Assistant Professor of International Business at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, and is currently Assistant Professor of International Strategy at the University of Amsterdam. His research examines how national institutional environments influence the foreign entry strategies and performance of multinational enterprises. He has published in leading international business and management journals such as the Journal of International Business Studies and the Journal of Management Studies.