A New Approach to the Valuation of Intangible Capital
37 Pages Posted: 29 Jun 2004
There are 2 versions of this paper
A New Approach to the Valuation of Intangible Capital
A New Approach to the Valuation of Intangible Capital
Date Written: April 2004
Abstract
Intangible capital is not a distinct factor of production as is physical capital or labor. Rather, it is the "glue" that creates value from other factor inputs. This perspective naturally suggests an empirical model in which intangible capital is defined in terms of adjustment costs. My estimates of these adjustment costs from firm-level panel data suggest that no appreciable intangibles are associated with R&D and advertising, whereas, information technology creates intangibles with a 72% annual rate of return - a sizable figure that is nevertheless much smaller than that reported in previous studies. To build a bridge to previous research, I show that much larger estimates can be obtained with ordinary least squares, a method that ignores the possibility that the value of the firm and its investment policy are simultaneously determined.
Keywords: Organizational capital, intellectual property, adjustment costs
JEL Classification: D24, E22
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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