IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/mgtdec/v28y2007i8p863-877.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Corporate investments and growth options

Author

Listed:
  • Jeffrey J. Reuer

    (Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, McColl Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA)

  • Tony W. Tong

    (School of Management, State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs Management Center, Buffalo, NY 14260-4000, USA)

Abstract

Real options theory models certain corporate investments as investments in growth options, yet there is little direct evidence on whether firms actually capture growth option value from these investments. In the current paper, we attempt to bridge this empirical gap, and we also examine the conditions under which the growth option value embedded in such investments is enhanced. Results from a sample of manufacturing firms during 1989-2000 reveal that investments in research and development and joint venture (JV) investments contribute to firms' growth option values. We also show that, among JVs of different ownership structures, only minority JVs increase growth option value. Our findings affirm options theory's assertion that real options can help firms capture valuable upside opportunities, they highlight the value of examining contingencies that drive option value, and they also point to the challenges firms face in realizing the unique benefits the theory emphasizes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey J. Reuer & Tony W. Tong, 2007. "Corporate investments and growth options," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(8), pages 863-877.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:28:y:2007:i:8:p:863-877
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.1335
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/mde.1335
    File Function: Link to full text; subscription required
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/mde.1335?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roberts, Kevin & Weitzman, Martin L, 1981. "Funding Criteria for Research, Development, and Exploration Projects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(5), pages 1261-1288, September.
    2. Gabriel Hawawini & Venkat Subramanian & Paul Verdin, 2003. "Is performance driven by industry‐or firm‐specific factors? A new look at the evidence," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Ingemar Dierickx & Karel Cool, 1989. "Asset Stock Accumulation and Sustainability of Competitive Advantage," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(12), pages 1504-1511, December.
    4. Avinash K. Dixit & Robert S. Pindyck, 1994. "Investment under Uncertainty," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 5474.
    5. Berger, Philip G. & Ofek, Eli & Swary, Itzhak, 1996. "Investor valuation of the abandonment option," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 257-287, October.
    6. Edward H. Bowman & Gary T. Moskowitz, 2001. "Real Options Analysis and Strategic Decision Making," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(6), pages 772-777, December.
    7. Alberto Moel, 2002. "When Are Real Options Exercised? An Empirical Study of Mine Closings," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 35-64, March.
    8. Pisano, Gary P, 1989. "Using Equity Participation to Support Exchange: Evidence from the Biotechnology Industry," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 109-126, Spring.
    9. J. Randall Woolridge & Charles C. Snow, 1990. "Stock market reaction to strategic investment decisions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(5), pages 353-363, September.
    10. Stewart C. Myers, 1984. "Finance Theory and Financial Strategy," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 126-137, February.
    11. Rita Gunther McGrath & Atul Nerkar, 2004. "Real options reasoning and a new look at the R&D investment strategies of pharmaceutical firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 1-21, January.
    12. Quigg, Laura, 1993. "Empirical Testing of Real Option-Pricing Models," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 48(2), pages 621-640, June.
    13. Bruce Kogut, 1991. "Joint Ventures and the Option to Expand and Acquire," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(1), pages 19-33, January.
    14. Merton H. Miller & Franco Modigliani, 1961. "Dividend Policy, Growth, and the Valuation of Shares," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34, pages 411-411.
    15. Tony W Tong & Jeffrey J Reuer, 2007. "Real options in multinational corporations: organizational challenges and risk implications," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(2), pages 215-230, March.
    16. Duncan, Jerome L, Jr, 1982. "Impacts of New Entry and Horizontal Joint Ventures on Industrial Rates of Return," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 64(2), pages 339-342, May.
    17. Tailan Chi & Donald J McGuire, 1996. "Collaborative Ventures and Value of Learning: Integrating the Transaction Cost and Strategic Option Perspectives on the Choice of Market Entry Modes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(2), pages 285-307, June.
    18. Myers, Stewart C., 1977. "Determinants of corporate borrowing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 147-175, November.
    19. Dong-Jae Kim & Bruce Kogut, 1996. "Technological Platforms and Diversification," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(3), pages 283-301, June.
    20. Nalin Kulatilaka & Enrico C. Perotti, 1998. "Strategic Growth Options," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(8), pages 1021-1031, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Söhnke M. Bartram, 2017. "Corporate Postretirement Benefit Plans and Real Investment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(2), pages 355-383, February.
    2. Georgios Tziralis & Konstantinos Kirytopoulos & Athanasios Rentizelas & Ilias Tatsiopoulos, 2009. "Holistic investment assessment: optimization, risk appraisal and decision making," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 393-403.
    3. Driouchi, Tarik & Bennett, David, 2011. "Real options in multinational decision-making: Managerial awareness and risk implications," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 205-219, April.
    4. Dimitrios Zormpas, 2017. "How vertical relationships and external funding affect investment efficiency and timing?," 2017 Papers pzo81, Job Market Papers.
    5. Monge, Manuel & Lazcano, Ana & Parada, José Luis, 2023. "Growth vs value investing: Persistence and time trend before and after COVID-19," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    6. Dimitrios Zormpas, 2021. "Jointly Held Investment Options and Vertical Relationships," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 58(4), pages 513-530, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Yong & James, Barclay & Madhavan, Ravi & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2006. "Real Options: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead," Working Papers 06-0114, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    2. Cuypers, I.R.P., 2009. "Essays on equity joint ventures, uncertainty and experience," Other publications TiSEM 8dc79e86-c625-467f-a450-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Jeffrey J. Reuer & Tony W. Tong, 2010. "Discovering Valuable Growth Opportunities: An Analysis of Equity Alliances with IPO Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 202-215, February.
    4. Han Smit & Enrico Pennings & Sjoerd Bekkum, 2017. "Real options and institutions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(5), pages 620-644, July.
    5. Rodolphe Durand & Robert M. Grant & Tammy L. Madsen & Lenos Trigeorgis & Jeffrey J. Reuer, 2017. "Real options theory in strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 42-63, January.
    6. Carlos Andrés Zapata Quimbayo, 2020. "OPCIONES REALES Una guía teórico-práctica para la valoración de inversiones bajo incertidumbre mediante modelos en tiempo discreto y simulación de Monte Carlo," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Finanzas, Gobierno y Relaciones Internacionales, number 138, September.
    7. Feng Xu & Xin (Robert) Luo & Hongyun Zhang & Shan Liu & Wei (Wayne) Huang, 2019. "Do Strategy and Timing in IT Security Investments Matter? An Empirical Investigation of the Alignment Effect," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1069-1083, October.
    8. Carol Alexander & Xi Chen, 2021. "Model risk in real option valuation," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 299(1), pages 1025-1056, April.
    9. Li, Yong, 2008. "Duration analysis of venture capital staging: A real options perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 497-512, September.
    10. Tony W. Tong & Yong Li, 2011. "Real Options and Investment Mode: Evidence from Corporate Venture Capital and Acquisition," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 659-674, June.
    11. Tony Tong & Jing Li, 2008. "Real options and MNE strategies in Asia Pacific," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 153-169, January.
    12. Estrada, Isabel & de la Fuente, Gabriel & Martín-Cruz, Natalia, 2010. "Technological joint venture formation under the real options approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 1185-1197, November.
    13. Marc Fréchet & Hassen Raîs, 2015. "Les managers raisonnent-ils par options réelles ? Une étude exploratoire des déterminants," Post-Print hal-01764120, HAL.
    14. Sears, Joshua B., 2019. "A real options model of market entry: Endogenous uncertainty and exogenous uncertainty," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 1-1.
    15. Laarni T. Bulan, 2005. "Real options, irreversible investment and firm uncertainty: New evidence from U.S. firms," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(3-4), pages 255-279.
    16. Bulan, Laarni T., 2005. "Real options, irreversible investment and firm uncertainty: New evidence from U.S. firms," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3-4), pages 255-279.
    17. Kyungwon Kim & Jae Wook Song, 2018. "Managing Bubbles in the Korean Real Estate Market: A Real Options Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-25, August.
    18. Lander, Diane M. & Pinches, George E., 1998. "Challenges to the Practical Implementation of Modeling and Valuing Real Options," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(3, Part 2), pages 537-567.
    19. Li, Yong & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2011. "When are venture capital projects initiated?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 239-254, March.
    20. Tailan Chi & Jing Li & Lenos G Trigeorgis & Andrianos E Tsekrekos, 2019. "Real options theory in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(4), pages 525-553, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:28:y:2007:i:8:p:863-877. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.