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Sabotage in Capital Budgeting: The Effects of Control and Honesty on Investment Decisions

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  • Markus Brunner
  • Andreas Ostermaier

Abstract

This study investigates the sabotage of investments in response to hurdle contracts as a means of formal control in capital budgeting. We conduct a laboratory experiment to examine factors that drive or inhibit sabotage. Sabotage occurs when the manager provides false information to prevent the firm from realizing a profitable investment, which is costly both for the manager and the firm. Our results show that managers sabotage investments to reciprocate for distrustful formal control. Conversely, budget communication that requires factual assertions and thus activates managers' preference for honesty inhibits sabotage. Moreover, honesty suppresses negative reciprocity and thus reduces sabotage not only directly but also indirectly. Our findings warn firms to consider the sabotage of investments as a hidden cost of control in budgeting. They show that honesty has a spill-over effect, as it absorbs negative reciprocity.

Suggested Citation

  • Markus Brunner & Andreas Ostermaier, 2019. "Sabotage in Capital Budgeting: The Effects of Control and Honesty on Investment Decisions," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 71-100, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:28:y:2019:i:1:p:71-100
    DOI: 10.1080/09638180.2017.1412338
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    Cited by:

    1. Jing Liu & Anthony Meder & Steven T. Schwartz & Richard A. Young, 2022. "Whither the hidden returns to control: A short research paper," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3361-3369, December.
    2. Douthit, Jeremy & Majerczyk, Michael, 2019. "Subordinate perceptions of the superior and agency costs: Theory and evidence," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    3. Fang Wang, 2022. "AI‐enabled IT capability and organizational performance," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 609-617, May.
    4. Joseph A. Johnson & Patrick R. Martin & Bryan Stikeleather & Donald Young, 2022. "Investigating the Interactive Effects of Prosocial Actions, Construal, and Moral Identity on the Extent of Employee Reporting Dishonesty," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(3), pages 721-743, December.
    5. 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).

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