Normally the concept of capita! investment refers to tangibles. The resource allocation process deals in this case with the problem of acquiring different kinds of "physical facilities". However, if the concept of capita! investment is made to apply to intangibles, the question of definition becomes confusing. The concept of intangibles is almost indescribable, at least when it comes to defining an empirical content. Almost every expenditure can be regarded as an investment. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to determine the concept of intangibles and thereby lay the foundations fora discussion of intangibles as an object for capita! investment.

To solve the problem of conceptualization, an empirical study was carried out. The focus of the study was on intangibles and the manner in which these are treated in capital Investment processes. In total six different investment processes were investigated.

 In the concept analysis it is argued, that the distinguishing quality of intangibles is that they can only be defined as an idea or a mental construction. The economic resources are necessarily connected with individuals in the organization and with routine activities. Therefore, the activity to develop and to maintain the resources is accentuated. It is also emphasized that the purpose of the investment is to build up earning capacity. The essential characteristic of this capacity is that all factors interact in the final service or product and in producing cash inflow.

It is further argued, that the concept should be given a meaning that includes the possibility of (ex-post) revenue measurement. Consequently, an economic term, "expenditure-allocation", is chosen. In this denomination the profit center is the object of evaluation. This implies a management responsibility which comprises and extends over different business functions. The evaluation is also based upon a strategic argumentation.

As a concept "expenditure-allocation'' emphasizes that costs, written off when they are incurred, have a strategic dimension. The word is an expression of how the expenditures in one period are allocated between and within different business functions. In the context of strategic argumentation and evaluation it is also an expression of how expenditures (ex-ante) are allocated to different periods.

Finally, the concept of "expenditure-allocation" will be related to three theoretical contexts  First, the concept is discussed with reference to Bower (1970) and his descriptive mode!. Second, the context is marginalism or the marginalist mode! of business behavior. Third the question is whether the elements of the "expenditure - allcoation" should be deferred or not.