Before your company invests in or develops business relationships outside the United States, how much due diligence in investigating potential risks occurs?

To answer this question, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP surveyed 565 executives from companies involved in investing and developing business relationships internationally. Among the executives participating in the survey, 216 were from firms that are corporate (strategic) buyers, 248 from firms that are financial buyers and 101 from firms that are both corporate and financial buyers.

The current survey examined investigative due diligence by companies for two types of activities outside the United States:

• Mergers, acquisitions and equity investment in local companies.
• Business relationships, including joint ventures, strategic alliances, supplier/distribution agreements and license/franchise agreements.

Read the "Look Before You Leap" survey report attached below to find out what more than 500 senior executives involved with investment decisions in emerging markets had to say.