Failed projects, especially in the context of research and development, are often terminated much later than a rational, economic analysis would recommend. Such delayed terminations result in significant efficiency and effectiveness losses for companies. Since classical economic theory cannot satisfactorily explain this phenomenon, Eric Zayer draws on insights from behavioral research on escalation of commitment to identify and structure the causes of delayed terminations. Based on the findings, he then derives concrete and pragmatically implementable measures that controllers can use to ensure the timely termination of failed projects.