<![CDATA[Cost overruns and schedule delays continue to challenge construction projects worldwide, yet existing research has predominantly focused on identifying risk factors rather than explaining how those risks translate into performance outcomes. This study adopts a mechanism-oriented perspective to examine the managerial and governance systems that mediate the relationship between project risk exposure and cost and schedule performance. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted and integrated with bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer to synthesize and map the intellectual structure of the field. Fourteen studies meeting mechanism-based inclusion criteria were analyzed. The results indicate that project performance deterioration is not a direct consequence of risk occurrence alone, but is shaped by interacting governance mechanisms. Risk management emerges as the central coordinating system, financial governance functions as a stabilizing buffer that supports operational continuity, and project control systems serve as the execution-level interface translating governance strategies into performance monitoring and corrective action. Bibliometric mapping further reveals a shift in the literature from problem-oriented discussions of cost overruns toward governance-based performance regulation. These findings support a mechanism-based understanding of construction project performance, where cost and schedule outcomes are governance-dependent rather than purely risk-driven. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the value of combining systematic review rigor with bibliometric mapping to uncover structural knowledge patterns. Practically, the results highlight the importance of strengthening integrated governance systems—not only improving risk identification—to enhance construction project performance.]]>
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