Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America

Purpose – The intangible assets of a company have been presented by national and international surveys as a resource to influence the creation of value and the increase in organizational performance. In view of this, this study aims to analyze the relationship between intangibility and the performan...

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Main Authors: Fernanda Cristina Lopes, Luciana Carvalho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Emerald Publishing 2021-11-01
Series:RAUSP Management Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RAUSP-02-2020-0024/full/pdf?title=intangible-assets-and-business-performance-in-latin-america
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author Fernanda Cristina Lopes
Luciana Carvalho
author_facet Fernanda Cristina Lopes
Luciana Carvalho
author_sort Fernanda Cristina Lopes
collection DOAJ
description Purpose – The intangible assets of a company have been presented by national and international surveys as a resource to influence the creation of value and the increase in organizational performance. In view of this, this study aims to analyze the relationship between intangibility and the performance of companies in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach – For this purpose, multiple regression with panel data was used and three perspectives for measuring intangible resources were defined: representativeness of the intangible asset, accounting measure for measuring the intangible, degree of intangibility and Tobin’ Q, the latter two representing economic and financial measures to determine intangibility. The study covered the period from 2011 to 2017 with a sample of 1,236 publicly traded companies located in some Latin American countries, namely, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Findings – The results demonstrated the existence of a significant and positive relationship between the variables of intangibility, degree of intangibility and Tobin’s Q, and the performance variables, return on assets, operating margin and asset turnover, reinforcing the study hypothesis that the greater the investment in intangible resource, the greater the company’s performance. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study involve the lack of complete information about intangible resources in the financial statements of some companies and some countries, making it hard to analyze the proposed relationship more broadly and accurately. Another limitation involves the causal relationship that may have existed between the regressors of the models defined in the study and their error, thus generating an endogeneity problem in the proposed models. It is recommended for future research to use specific methods to mitigate possible problems of endogeneity in regressions. Practical implications – Mainly the possibility of deepening the relationship between intangibility and business performance, thus obtaining new knowledge through the reflexes of this relationship on companies in Latin American countries, finding more consistent results. Social implications – The study contributes to the decision-making process in the business world by informing the primary users of accounting information such as investors, administrators, accountants, regulators and creditors. Originality/value – This research contributes by addressing a theme whose studies present many gaps, making it possible to deepen the relationship between intangibility and business performance and gain new knowledge through the reflexes of this relationship on companies in Latin American countries.
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spelling doaj.art-12894806064f4a6188dc9e2dd68837282022-12-22T04:30:12ZengEmerald PublishingRAUSP Management Journal2531-04882021-11-0156440842410.1108/RAUSP-02-2020-0024673166Intangible assets and business performance in Latin AmericaFernanda Cristina Lopes0Luciana Carvalho1Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, BrazilPurpose – The intangible assets of a company have been presented by national and international surveys as a resource to influence the creation of value and the increase in organizational performance. In view of this, this study aims to analyze the relationship between intangibility and the performance of companies in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach – For this purpose, multiple regression with panel data was used and three perspectives for measuring intangible resources were defined: representativeness of the intangible asset, accounting measure for measuring the intangible, degree of intangibility and Tobin’ Q, the latter two representing economic and financial measures to determine intangibility. The study covered the period from 2011 to 2017 with a sample of 1,236 publicly traded companies located in some Latin American countries, namely, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Findings – The results demonstrated the existence of a significant and positive relationship between the variables of intangibility, degree of intangibility and Tobin’s Q, and the performance variables, return on assets, operating margin and asset turnover, reinforcing the study hypothesis that the greater the investment in intangible resource, the greater the company’s performance. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study involve the lack of complete information about intangible resources in the financial statements of some companies and some countries, making it hard to analyze the proposed relationship more broadly and accurately. Another limitation involves the causal relationship that may have existed between the regressors of the models defined in the study and their error, thus generating an endogeneity problem in the proposed models. It is recommended for future research to use specific methods to mitigate possible problems of endogeneity in regressions. Practical implications – Mainly the possibility of deepening the relationship between intangibility and business performance, thus obtaining new knowledge through the reflexes of this relationship on companies in Latin American countries, finding more consistent results. Social implications – The study contributes to the decision-making process in the business world by informing the primary users of accounting information such as investors, administrators, accountants, regulators and creditors. Originality/value – This research contributes by addressing a theme whose studies present many gaps, making it possible to deepen the relationship between intangibility and business performance and gain new knowledge through the reflexes of this relationship on companies in Latin American countries.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RAUSP-02-2020-0024/full/pdf?title=intangible-assets-and-business-performance-in-latin-americalatin americabusiness performanceintangible assetsamérica latinaativos intangíveisdesempenho empresarial
spellingShingle Fernanda Cristina Lopes
Luciana Carvalho
Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America
RAUSP Management Journal
latin america
business performance
intangible assets
américa latina
ativos intangíveis
desempenho empresarial
title Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America
title_full Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America
title_fullStr Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America
title_full_unstemmed Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America
title_short Intangible assets and business performance in Latin America
title_sort intangible assets and business performance in latin america
topic latin america
business performance
intangible assets
américa latina
ativos intangíveis
desempenho empresarial
url https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RAUSP-02-2020-0024/full/pdf?title=intangible-assets-and-business-performance-in-latin-america
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