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        Qualitative Research in Accounting Conference

        Save the date - April 17-18, 2026

        Qualitative Research in Accounting

        On behalf of Auburn University and the School of Accountancy at the Harbert College of Business, we would like to invite you to attend a two-day conference on Qualitative Research in Accounting with distinguished guests - Professors Yves Gendron, Université Laval, Melissa Graebner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Christie Hayne, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This conference should be of interest too researchers who are interested in learning more about consuming or conducting qualitative accounting research and early- to mid-career researchers are particularly encouraged to attend. 

        The conference will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, 2026, at the Harbert College of Business. We will start at approx. 10:00 am on Friday and conclude around 3:30 pm on Saturday. Lunch will be provided both days and additional social gatherings in the evenings will be available to those who are interested. The conference will include the following components:

        • Interactive seminar presentations on qualitative research in accounting
        • Research presentations by author teams currently working on a qualitative research project
        • Panel discussions of what it means to conduct high quality qualitative research
        • Informative discussions of the potential outlets for qualitative research
        • Insights into the review process for qualitative projects

        Please Complete a Pre-Registration Survey

        • Event Communications

          If you are interested in attending the conference and would like to be included on future communications about the conference, please complete the pre-registration survey. To facilitate timely communications about the conference, please complete this pre-registration survey no later than August 1, 2025. If any of your colleagues wish to be included on future communications about the conference, please provide their contact information in the survey and forward this save-the-date announcement to them.

        • Travel Information

          Additional travel information will be provided upon registration; however, attendees will be responsible for their own transportation and lodging. The Atlanta Airport (ATL) is located approximately 95 miles northeast of Auburn. Blocks of rooms will be made available at several local hotels within walking distance to the Harbert College of Business.

        • International Participants

          While the conference aims to provide face-to-face interactions, we recognize that recent events in the U.S. have made travel to the U.S. difficult. As a result, the organizers will work on alternative ways that international participants can participate and be involved in the conference without having to travel to the U.S. Please make sure to indicate your desire to participate in the survey above. 

          We hope you will be able to attend the conference and look forward to your participation in what we believe is an outstanding opportunity to network with other scholars interested in qualitative accounting research and to learn from two outstanding scholars in the field. If you have questions, please feel free to email Eric Negangard.

        Speaker Profiles

        Yves Gendron, Université Laval

        Yves Gendron
        Université Laval

        Professor Yves Gendron is committed to supporting qualitative research. Many of his qualitative research studies aim to better understand some fundamental aspects of the life of accounting professionals, including exploring the influence of accounting firms on the decisions of field auditors and the commercialization of the field of public accounting. He also has been involved in research examining corporate governance issues, such as studying the practices and perceived effectiveness of audit committees and compensation committees of Canadian public companies. His academic work has been published in a variety of journals, including Accounting, Organizations & Society, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Contemporary Accounting Research, European Accounting Review, Journal of Management Studies, and Organization Studies. Currently, Professor Gendron is Co-Editor in Chief of Critical Perspectives on Accounting, and an Editor at Contemporary Accounting Research and Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. Read a full bio. 

        Melissa Graebner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

        Melissa Graebner
        University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

        Melissa Graebner is the Robert C. Evans Endowed Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Gies College of Business. She also serves as the Director of the Initiative for Qualitative Research in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (INQUIRE), is the former Area Chair of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and International Business, and recently became an Associate Dean. Melissa is a pioneer in qualitative research methods, focusing on understanding complex social processes in strategic contexts. Her research has been recognized with honors such as Best Paper Awards from the Academy of Management Journal and Strategic Organization. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society, and her work has appeared in numerous leading journals, including Strategic Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Academy of Management Annals. She is a former Co-Editor and current Consulting Editor for the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal and has held elected leadership positions in the Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society.  

        Christie Hayne, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

        Christie Hayne
        University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

        Christie Hayne is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Christie’s qualitative research covers various managerial accounting and governance-related topics and has involved interviewing high-ranking executives, audit partners, and even white-collar criminals behind bars. One stream of Christie’s research program aims to understand whether and how management accounting and control systems function when organizations experience adversity such as crisis or fraudulent behavior. In another stream of her research aims to understand the organizational architecture and management of accounting firms. In this latter stream, Christie has examined how small firms leverage their membership in an accounting association and the challenges of such membership as well as how small firms navigate the recruitment of audit rookies and how larger firms manage their quality control systems. Because interviews have the capacity to unearth key insights on important and timely topics, Christie’s research also explores other contemporary issues including corporate governance evaluations, proxy advisor influence, tax lobbying, and the use of academic research in standard setting. Christie’s research has been published in a variety of journals such as The Accounting Review; Journal of Accounting Research; Contemporary Accounting Research; and Accounting, Organizations and Society. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Contemporary Accounting Research, Behavioral Research in Accounting, and Accounting Horizons.