Risk Management in the Chinese Construction Industry

There has been an increase in research on risk management practice in the construction industry. However, little research has been conducted to systematically investigate the overall aspects of risk management on the perspectives of various project participants. This paper reports the findings of an empirical Chinese industry survey on the importance of project risks, application of risk management techniques, status of the risk management system, and the barriers to risk management, which were perceived by the main project participants. The risk management strategies adopted in the Three Gorges Project were also studied. The study reveals that: Most project risks are commonly of concern to project participants; the industry has shifted from risk transfer to risk reduction; current risk management systems are inadequate to manage project risks; and lack of joint risk management mechanisms is the key barrier to adequate risk management. Future studies should be conducted to systematically improve the risk management in construction by different approaches that facilitate equitable sharing of rewards through effective risk management among participants. Such studies should also consider the establishment of an open communication risk management process to permit the corporate experience of all participants, as well as their personal knowledge and judgment, to be effectively utilized.