Multiple Concurrency and Linkage Effects: Unraveling Complex Driving Mechanisms of Compliance Risk in Construction Enterprises’ International Operations

Compliance risk, as a critical challenge in enterprises’ cross-border operations, has increasingly become an implicit constraint on the sustainable development of international construction enterprises. This study aims to systematically explore the multifactor interaction mechanisms underlying compliance risk in the international operations of construction enterprises, thereby disentangling its complex causal processes. Drawing on classical theories and prior literature, this study proposes a set of hypothesized pathways underlying the formation mechanisms of compliance risk in the international operations of construction enterprises. On this basis, structural equation modeling (SEM), necessary condition analysis (NCA), and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) are jointly employed to conduct an in-depth examination of the pathways and multiple causal mechanisms of compliance risk from the perspectives of average effects, necessary conditions, and configurational structures. The results indicated that compliance risk in the international operations of construction enterprises exhibits pronounced equifinality and causal asymmetry, with five antecedent configurations leading to high compliance risk and three configurations leading to low compliance risk being identified. Specifically, high compliance risk typically arises from the combined effects of intense business pressure and the failure of internal governance mechanisms, whereas low compliance risk, across diverse institutional and operational contexts, is highly contingent upon enterprise capability as a core condition. The primary contribution of this study lies in revealing the complex driving mechanisms of compliance risk in the international operations of construction enterprises from a configurational perspective, thereby extending the theoretical understanding of multiple causality in compliance risk research. This study further provides a theoretical foundation for enterprises to formulate differentiated compliance risk governance strategies under varying institutional environments and business pressure conditions.