Major Customers and Capitalization of R&D

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the determinants and consequences of R&D capitalization in customer-supplier relationships The first three research questions are how suppliers decide to capitalize software development costs when they face a more concentrated customer base and whether the relationship will be affected by information asymmetry or relationship-specific investments from its customers Furthermore I examine the effect of firms’ R&D capitalization on customer-supplier relationships from two perspectives: trade credit and relationship continuity Using a sample of U S software firms from 2001 to 2012 I document a negative relationship between a firm’s customer-base concentration and R&D capitalization This finding is consistent with the view that supplier firms are induced to adopt a more conservative R&D accounting policy when their customers have a bargaining advantage over them In addition I find that the level of information asymmetry and the intensity of R&D investments by customers are positively related to the magnitude of R&D capitalization suggesting that firms are more likely to capitalize R&D expenditures to convey favorable prospects when they operate in an opaque information environment and when their customers invest more in relationship-specific assets Consequently due to R&D capitalization signaling customers are more willing to accept a shortening of credit terms and to continue the business relationship

Date of Award	2015 Jul 3
Original language	English
Supervisor	Chaur-Shiuh Young (Supervisor)