IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/glofin/v47y2021ics1044028319301450.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The evolution of the application of capital budgeting techniques in enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Siziba, Simiso
  • Hall, John Henry

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of the application of capital budgeting techniques. Previous studies mostly used cross-sectional inquiries to understand the capital budgeting practices of firms. Only a few researchers have undertaken longitudinal studies to generalise the findings of the individual cross-sectional studies to the wider population and to identify the emerging trends in the use of capital budgeting techniques (CBTs). This longitudinal study surveys 83 studies of capital budgeting practices across firms in India, South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) for the period from 1966 to 2016. The findings show that six capital budgeting techniques, namely, the net present value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR), the payback period (PBP), the accounting rate of return (ARR), the return on investment (ROI) and the real option valuation (ROV), are the most popular methods for evaluating capital investments. Of these techniques, the ROV is the least used, and a general lack of familiarity with this technique and its complexity are the most commonly cited reasons for not using it. Another method that is used less than the first four techniques is the ROI. However, this technique is of growing significance and is mainly used in the UK, followed by the USA, South Africa, and India. Firms in the USA and UK have increased their use of the IRR as a primary method for evaluating capital projects and have retained the PBP as an ancillary technique to strengthen the available information when evaluating capital projects. Firms in India and South Africa are increasingly excluding both the PBP and ARR methods and are increasingly using the NPV when evaluating capital investments. Although this development is in line with the theory, it limits the scope of the available information when evaluating capital projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Siziba, Simiso & Hall, John Henry, 2021. "The evolution of the application of capital budgeting techniques in enterprises," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:glofin:v:47:y:2021:i:c:s1044028319301450
    DOI: 10.1016/j.gfj.2019.100504
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1044028319301450
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.gfj.2019.100504?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stanley, Marjorie T & Block, Stanley B, 1984. "A Survey of Multinational Capital Budgeting," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 19(1), pages 36-54, March.
    2. Dirk Brounen & Abe de Jong & Kees Koedijk, 2004. "Corporate Finance in Europe: Confronting Theory with Practice," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 33(4), Winter.
    3. Shveta Singh & P.K. Jain & Surendra S. Yadav, 2012. "Capital budgeting decisions: evidence from India," Journal of Advances in Management Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(1), pages 96-112, May.
    4. Klammer, Thomas, 1972. "Empirical Evidence of the Adoption of Sophisticated Capital Budgeting Techniques," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 45(3), pages 387-397, July.
    5. Alkaraan, Fadi & Northcott, Deryl, 2006. "Strategic capital investment decision-making: A role for emergent analysis tools?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 149-173.
    6. Lingesiya Kengatharan, 2016. "Capital Budgeting Theory and Practice: A Review and Agenda for Future Research," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(2), pages 15-38, May.
    7. Colin Drury & Mike Tayles, 1996. "UK capital budgeting practices: some additional survey evidence," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(4), pages 371-388.
    8. Glen C. Arnold & Panos D. Hatzopoulos, 2000. "The Theory‐Practice Gap in Capital Budgeting: Evidence from the United Kingdom," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5‐6), pages 603-626, June.
    9. Merton, Robert C, 1998. "Applications of Option-Pricing Theory: Twenty-Five Years Later," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 323-349, June.
    10. Marie E Wicks Kelly & George C Philippatos, 1982. "Comparative Analysis of the Foreign Investment Evaluation Practices by U.S.-Based Manufacturing Multinational Companies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 13(3), pages 19-42, September.
    11. Glen C. Arnold & Panos D. Hatzopoulos, 2000. "The Theory-Practice Gap in Capital Budgeting: Evidence from the United Kingdom," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5&6), pages 603-626.
    12. Horn, Anders & Kjærland, Frode & Molnár, Peter & Steen, Beate Wollen, 2015. "The use of real option theory in Scandinavia's largest companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 74-81.
    13. Hermes, Niels & Smid, Peter & Yao, Lu, 2007. "Capital budgeting practices: A comparative study of the Netherlands and China," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 630-654, October.
    14. Baker, H. Kent & Singleton, J. Clay & Veit, E. Theodore, 2011. "Survey Research in Corporate Finance: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195340372.
    15. Sandahl, Gert & Sjogren, Stefan, 2003. "Capital budgeting methods among Sweden's largest groups of companies. The state of the art and a comparison with earlier studies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 51-69, April.
    16. Schall, Lawrence D & Sundem, Gary L & Geijsbeek, William R, Jr, 1978. "Survey and Analysis of Capital Budgeting Methods," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 33(1), pages 281-287, March.
    17. Danny Miller & Peter H. Friesen, 1984. "A Longitudinal Study of the Corporate Life Cycle," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(10), pages 1161-1183, October.
    18. Itzhak Ben-David & John R. Graham & Campbell R. Harvey, 2007. "Managerial Overconfidence and Corporate Policies," NBER Working Papers 13711, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Trahan, Emery A. & Gitman, Lawrence J., 1995. "Bridging the theory-practice gap in corporate finance: A survey of chief financial officers," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 73-87.
    20. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R., 2001. "The theory and practice of corporate finance: evidence from the field," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2-3), pages 187-243, May.
    21. Myers, Stewart C., 1977. "Determinants of corporate borrowing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 147-175, November.
    22. Petry, Glenn H., 1975. "Effective use of capital budgeting tools," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 57-65, October.
    23. Allen Rappaport, 1979. "A Critique of Capital Budgeting Questionnaires," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 100-102, May.
    24. Petry, Glenn H., 1975. "Effective use of capital budgeting tools," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 57-65, October.
    25. Roger W. Mills, 1988. "Measuring the Use of Capital Budgeting Techniques with the Postal Questionnaire: A UK Perspective," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 18(5), pages 81-87, October.
    26. Alex Triantis & Adam Borison, 2001. "Real Options: State Of The Practice," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 14(2), pages 8-24, June.
    27. Brounen, D. & de Jong, A. & Koedijk, C.G., 2004. "Corporate Finance In Europe Confronting Theory With Practice," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-002-F&A, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    28. Robert L. McDonald, 2006. "The Role of Real Options in Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice1," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 18(2), pages 28-39, March.
    29. Maquieira, Carlos P. & Preve, Lorenzo A. & Sarria-Allende, Virginia, 2012. "Theory and practice of corporate finance: Evidence and distinctive features in Latin America," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 118-148.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sokolov, Mikhail V., 2024. "NPV, IRR, PI, PP, and DPP: A unified view," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    2. Zhang, Hanyu & Assereto, Martina & Byrne, Julie, 2023. "Deferring real options with solar renewable energy certificates," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sureka, Riya & Kumar, Satish & Colombage, Sisira & Abedin, Mohammad Zoynul, 2022. "Five decades of research on capital budgeting – A systematic review and future research agenda," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    2. Peter Markovič & Michal Šinský, 2009. "Trends in application of capital budgeting methods for investment projects evaluation," Ekonomika a Management, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2009(1).
    3. Chittenden, Francis & Derregia, Mohsen, 2015. "Uncertainty, irreversibility and the use of ‘rules of thumb’ in capital budgeting," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 225-236.
    4. Andor, Gyorgy & Mohanty, Sunil K. & Toth, Tamas, 2015. "Capital budgeting practices: A survey of Central and Eastern European firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 148-172.
    5. Horn, Anders & Kjærland, Frode & Molnár, Peter & Steen, Beate Wollen, 2015. "The use of real option theory in Scandinavia's largest companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 74-81.
    6. Roopali Batra & Satish Verma, 2014. "An Empirical Insight into Different Stages of Capital Budgeting," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 15(2), pages 339-362, June.
    7. Tor Brunzell & Eva Liljeblom & Mika Vaihekoski, 2013. "Determinants of capital budgeting methods and hurdle rates in Nordic firms," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(1), pages 85-110, March.
    8. Mendes-da-Silva, Wesley & Saito, Richard, 2014. "Listagem em bolsa induz sofisticação do orçamento de capital," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 54(5), September.
    9. Nene Lartey Addico & Godfred Amewu & Anthony Owusu‐Ansah, 2022. "The use of investment decision techniques and tools in practice in a frontier market: Evidence from Ghana," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 1748-1763, September.
    10. Ravi Jagannathan & Iwan Meier & Vefa Tarhan, 2011. "The Cross-Section of Hurdle Rates for Capital Budgeting: An Empirical Analysis of Survey Data," NBER Working Papers 16770, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Kent Baker & Shantanu Dutta & Samir Saadi, 2011. "Corporate Finance Practices in Canada: Where Do We Stand?," Multinational Finance Journal, Multinational Finance Journal, vol. 15(3-4), pages 157-192, September.
    12. Riya Sureka & Satish Kumar & Deepraj Mukherjee & Christina Theodoraki, 2023. "What restricts SMEs from adopting sophisticated capital budgeting practices?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 265-290, January.
    13. Marcin Pawlak & Dariusz Zarzecki, 2020. "Investment Appraisal Practice in the European Union Countries," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 687-699.
    14. Hermes, Niels & Smid, Peter & Yao, Lu, 2007. "Capital budgeting practices: A comparative study of the Netherlands and China," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 630-654, October.
    15. Mehari Mekonnen Akalu, 2002. "Evaluating the Capacity of Standard Investment Appraisal Methods," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 02-082/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    16. Schauten, M.B.J. & Spronk, J., 2006. "Optimal Capital Structure: Reflections on Economic and Other Values," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2006-074-F&A, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    17. Brounen, Dirk & de Jong, Abe & Koedijk, Kees, 2006. "Capital structure policies in Europe: Survey evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 1409-1442, May.
    18. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:7:y:2008:i:9:p:1-8 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Lefley, Frank, 1996. "The payback method of investment appraisal: A review and synthesis," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 207-224, July.
    20. Weber, Thomas A., 2014. "On the (non-)equivalence of IRR and NPV," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 25-39.
    21. Giang Truong & Graham Partington & Maurice Peat, 2008. "Cost-of-Capital Estimation and Capital-Budgeting Practice in Australia," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 33(1), pages 95-121, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital budgeting techniques; Trends in capital budgeting techniques; Investment appraisal; Longitudinal analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:glofin:v:47:y:2021:i:c:s1044028319301450. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620162 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.