International construction joint ventures with developing countries : Singapore’s case for risk assessment and allocation

It is important for Singaporean companies to manage the multifaceted risks when forming international construction joint ventures (ICJVs) with developing countries. The objectives of this study are to assess the risks associated with Singaporean ICJVs with developing countries, and investigate the risk allocation preferences in these ICJVs. To fulfill these objectives, a literature review was carried out and a questionnaire survey was performed with 38 professionals. The survey results reported “political instability” as the most critical risk, and market level risks were less critical than country and project level risks. Additionally, the results showed agreement on the risk ranking between building and infrastructure ICJVs, despite significant differences in the criticalities of five risks. Furthermore, five risks were preferably allocated to host and foreign partners, respectively, while 13 risks could be shared among partners. As few studies have explored the risk allocation preferences in ICJVs, this study expands the literature. Also, the identification of the risks allows other companies to customize their own lists of critical risks, while the preferred risk allocation provides valuable information for companies from various countries that intend to form ICJVs with developing countries. Thus, this study contributes to the global body of knowledge relating to ICJVs.