Periodo de recuperación y su uso en decisiones de inversión

Abstract

A pesar de la creciente adopción de técnicas avanzadas para la toma de decisiones de inversión, el período de recuperación sigue siendo un criterio ampliamente utilizado, incluso cuando la literatura especializada desaconseja su aplicación debido a sus limitaciones. El objetivo de este estudio fue comprender las razones por las cuales las empresas en Colombia recurren al período de recuperación en sus decisiones de inversión. Para ello, se desarrolló un análisis en dos etapas: en la primera, se aplicó una encuesta para identificar si las empresas utilizaban el período de recuperación como criterio de decisión; en la segunda, se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad para explorar las razones subyacentes a dicho uso. Los resultados revelan cuatro hallazgos principales. Primero, el período de recuperación se emplea principalmente como herramienta de gestión para monitorear el flujo de caja, más que como criterio determinante. Segundo, las decisiones suelen fundamentarse en indicadores financieros más sofisticados, como el valor presente neto, la tasa interna de retorno, el retorno sobre la inversión y el costo promedio ponderado de capital. Tercero, el período de recuperación se utiliza con frecuencia como criterio de desempate cuando otras técnicas arrojan resultados similares. Y cuarto, factores no financieros, como consideraciones estratégicas o relaciones interempresariales, también influyen en el proceso de decisión. Se concluye que el período de recuperación cumple un papel limitado en la toma de decisiones de inversión. Su uso generalizado parece responder más a la tradición y la costumbre que a su efectividad como herramienta de análisis. Este hallazgo cuestiona las suposiciones de estudios previos que le otorgan una alta relevancia y subraya la necesidad de enfoques cualitativos para comprender fenómenos organizacionales complejos.

Author Biographies

Diógenes Lagos Cortés

Doctor en Ciencias de la Administración, Universidad Nacional de La Plata - Argentina. Investigador de INALDE Business School, Universidad de La Sabana - Colombia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8471-4726. Correo electrónico: diogenes.lagos@inalde.edu.co (Autor corresponsal).

Ciro Gómez-Ardila

Doctor en Management, IESE Business School - España. Profesor del Departamento de Dirección de Finanzas y Control, INALDE Business School - Universidad de La Sabana, Colombia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7465-6561. Correo electrónico: ciro.gomez@inalde.edu.co

Javier Tovar Márquez

Magíster en Dirección de Empresas, INALDE Business School - Colombia. Profesor del Departamento de Dirección de Finanzas y Control, INALDE Business School - Universidad de La Sabana, Colombia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9550-4823. Correo electrónico: javier.tovar@inalde.edu.co

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Published
2025-11-24
How to Cite
Lagos Cortés, D., Gómez-Ardila, C., & Tovar Márquez, J. (2025). Periodo de recuperación y su uso en decisiones de inversión. Revista Venezolana De Gerencia, 30(14), 1207-1224. https://doi.org/10.52080/rvgluz.30.especial14.21