What restricts SMEs from adopting sophisticated capital budgeting practices?

The lack of robust financial management is an integral growth constraint faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For the sustainability and growth of SMEs, it is vital to choose the correct long-term projects. Yet, literature shows that SMEs across the globe hardly practice the sophisticated capital budgeting (CB) method. The present study identifies, prioritizes, and proposes a structural model of the barriers to CB practices. The study adopts an integrated method combining the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) and the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (F-DEMATEL) approach to evaluate the barriers to CB practices among SMEs in India. The prioritization obtained through the F-AHP suggests that the knowledge barrier of the decision-makers and the inherent barrier associated with the CB techniques are the most weighted main barriers impeding the practice of CB among SMEs. Also, the most important sub-barriers are time consumption and high complexity of the methods, lack of financial education and training of decision-makers, and lack of computation technology. F-DEMATEL provides a reliable quantitative measure of the association of the barriers to implementing sophisticated CB practices among SMEs. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to identify, prioritize, and structure the barriers to CB practices. Also, it is the first to apply multi-criteria decision-making tools in this field of research. Our findings can help financial managers/practitioners of SMEs to formulate sophisticated CB techniques in their investment decision strategies and efficiently manage their long-term funds.