Intangible Cost
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Definition of 'Intangible Cost'An unquantifiable cost relating to an identifiable source. Intangible costs represent a variety of expenses such as losses in productivity, customer goodwill or drops in employee morale. While these costs do not have a firm value, managers often attempt to estimate the impact of the intangibles. |
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Investopedia explains 'Intangible Cost'Ignoring intangible costs can have a significant effect on a company's performance. For example, let's examine a potential decision for a widget company to cut back on employee benefits. To improve profits, the firm wants to cut back $100,000 in employee benefits. When news reaches the employees of the cut-back, worker morale will likely drop. The widget production will likely be diminished, as employees focus on losing benefits instead of making products. The loss in production represents an intangible cost, which may be great enough to offset the gain in profits created by reducing employee benefits. |
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