Host country factors and international joint venture survival in the Middle East and North Africa

The purpose of this article is to analyse the influence of three host country-specific variables (political risk, cultural distance, level of economic development) on International Joint Venture (IJV) survival in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The authors compiled a database of 124 IJVs established in MENA countries. The findings demonstrate that cultural distance and the level of economic development have an impact on IJV survival whereas political risk does not seem to affect IJV sustainability in this region. The study contributes to the debate about the role of host country factors for IJV survival, indicating that these factors may vary across geographic regions.