Risk perceptions and approaches in multi-organizations: A research review 2000-2012

Shared risks and opportunities set specific premises for risk management (RM) in temporary multi-organizations (TMOs). However, most project RM research is presented from the perspective of a single-organizational project delivery team or covers limited risk perceptions and RM approaches. This paper aims to address how well the body of knowledge on multi-organizational RM corresponds to a state-of-art understanding on project RM and to identify which gaps need to be addressed in future research. The review involves: 1) the preferred view of risk as threat and/or opportunity, 2) the nature of addressed risks as anticipated or unanticipated risks or unrealistic assumptions, 3) the role of the multi-organization as the source of risks and/or resources for risk management (RM), and 4) the allocation of risk responsibilities. The review covers research papers published between 2000 and 2012 in four journals: International Journal of Project Management (IJPM), Project Management Journal (PMJ), Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (JCEM), and IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering ( TSE). 105 eligible research papers were identified. The results and conclusion outline the identified main gaps in multi-organizational RM research compared to the state-of-art RM research and TMO-specific characteristics. The results can be used to inform research agendas on more holistic and dynamic multi-organizational RM concepts.