Case Studies
Mar 14, 2013

Managing Project Risk at the Enterprise Level: Exploratory Case Studies in China

Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 139, Issue 9

Abstract

Risk management is a critical part of construction project management. Most previous studies on construction project risk management (PRM) have focused on the project level rather than the enterprise level. The objective of this study is to explore the role that enterprise-level risk management (ERM) plays in PRM. A case study approach was adopted in which two Chinese international construction firms with different risk management practices and performance were investigated. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews and archival documents. The results indicate that ERM can improve the ability and performance of PRM through controlling project risk at the enterprise level, which is based on four key components: risk management department, risk management procedure, external service, and corporate culture. Both senior management and academics will find the study useful because it improves the understanding of how ERM can influence PRM, with a view to stimulating further research.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which funded this research (Project Number 71202084), and the two case companies.

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Published In

Go to Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 139Issue 9September 2013
Pages: 1268 - 1274

History

Received: Jul 19, 2012
Accepted: Mar 12, 2013
Published online: Mar 14, 2013
Discussion open until: Aug 14, 2013
Published in print: Sep 1, 2013

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Authors

Affiliations

Jun Ying Liu
Associate Professor, Dept. of Construction Management, College of Management and Economics, Tianjin Univ., No. 92, Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
Patrick X. W. Zou
Professor and Chair of Building and Construction Management and Fellow of ANZSOG Institute for Governance, Univ. of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2601, Australia; Supervisory Chair of Construction Management, Hunan Univ., Yuelu Mountain, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.
Master, Dept. of Construction Management, College of Management and Economics, Tianjin Univ., No. 92, Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]

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