Qualitative Research in Accounting Conference

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 and Christie Hayne, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This conference is intended for researchers who are interested in learning more about consuming or conducting qualitative accounting research. Please note, early- to mid-career researchers and current PhD students 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 approximately 10:00 am on Friday and conclude around 3:30 pm on Saturday. Breakfast and 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

Agenda

Friday, April 17th

9:00am - 10:00am	Continental Breakfast		3rd Floor HHH
10:00am - 10:15am	Welcome and Introductions	Auburn Faculty	HHH 3017
10:15am - 11:45am	Paper Presentations Auditor Engagement: A Framework for Understanding Factors Fostering Engagement in Audit Practice by Paige Csere Job Stressors and Career Commitment in Early-Career Auditors' Work Experiences by Amy Mathews	Session moderated by Auburn Faculty	HHH 3017
11:45am - 1:00pm	Lunch		4th Floor HHH
1:00pm - 2:30pm	The Art of Reviewing	Yves Gendron	HHH 3017
2:30pm - 2:45pm	Break
2:45pm - 4:30pm	Paper Presentations Auditors' Hybrid Work Arrangements as The New Norm: The Role of Trust by Alex Tighe Accounting in the Courtroom: When Analysis Becomes Performance by Nicole Donahoo From Boundary Spanning to Role Blurring: Reconfiguring Professional Practice in IPOs by Sarah Vizer	Session moderated by Isaiah Messer, PhD student at the University of Tennessee	HHH 3017
4:30pm - 5:30pm	Welcome Reception (Social Hour)		4th Floor HHH
5:30pm	Networking Dinner		HHH Terrace

Saturday, April 18th

7:45am - 8:15am	Continental Breakfast		3rd Floor HHH
8:15am-9:45am	Paper Presentations (works in process) Multi-case Field Evidence on Blockchain Project Governance by Michelle Lowry Understanding the User Approach in Introductory Accounting: Insights from Practice by Leigh Moon Value-Added Audits in Rural Hospitals: Perspectives from the Board, Management, and Auditors by Danielle Taylor	Session moderated by Baylor Baker, PhD student at the University of Alabama	HHH 3017
9:45am - 10:00am	Break
10:00am - 11:30am	Paper Presentations Features of Highly Cited Theoretical Framework in Management Accounting by Henri Teittinen Interpretive Diagrammatical Analysis: Model Building with Qualitative Data by Jennifer Wolgemuth A Futile Exercise of Transparency? The Case of UK Political Party Accounting by Peter Ghattas	Session moderated by Caitlin Landy, PhD student at Bentley University	HHH 3017
11:30am - 12:30pm	Lunch & Group Photo		4th Floor HHH
12:30pm - 1:45pm	Recalibrating the Norms in Qualitative Accounting Research (introductory remarks by Christie Hayne, followed by a panel discussion)	Christie Hayne Margaret Christ Eldar Maksymov Sarah Stein	BEST Auditorium 1st Floor HHH
1:45pm - 2:00pm	Break
2:00pm - 3:15pm	Paper Presentations A Seat at the Table: Women's Experiences Gaining Access into Corporate Boardrooms by Amy Garman How the Organizational Identity Orientation of Mid-tier Public Accounting Firms Affects Their Stakeholder Relationships by Ally Zimmerman	Session moderated by Susan Rykowski, PhD student at the University of Alabama	HHH 3017
5:00pm	Networking Event (more details to come!)

Travel Information

Airports

Auburn-Opelika is located centrally in the Southeastern region of the United States, with proximity to domestic airports and a laidback drive away from some of the area’s liveliest cities.

From Atlanta, GA

The convenience of flying in and driving over from Atlanta is unmatched. Nine domestic airlines service Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and offer direct, non-stop access from more than 150 U.S. cities.

Groome Transportation provides shuttle service to and from Atlanta’s airport with 17 daily round trips, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The airport’s Rental Car Center is only a few minutes away from the airport via the Sky Train; it operates 24-7 and has 13 rental car brands available.

From Atlanta’s airport, take I-85 S towards Montgomery. Attendees will reach Auburn-Opelika in the time it takes to check emails and catch up on social media (about an hour and a half).

From Montgomery, AL

American Airlines services Montgomery Regional Airport with non-stop service from Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX, and Charlotte, NC (and coming June 2018, from Washington D.C.), and Delta Air Lines services the airport with non-stop service from Atlanta, GA.

For in-state groups driving over for their meeting, Montgomery to Auburn-Opelika takes only about 45 minutes via I-85 N towards Atlanta—a short drive over an easy stretch of highway.

From Birmingham, AL

Four major airlines service Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines—with over 100 daily flights to 23 cities and direct, non-stop access from nearly 50 U.S. cities.

From Birmingham’s airport, take US Highway 280 E approximately 110 miles. Auburn-Opelika can also be reached via I-65 S and I-85 N. Along either route, plan for about a two-hour drive.

From Columbus, GA

From the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, take US Highway 280 W and I-85 S, approximately 40 miles.

Transportation

Groome provides airport shuttle service from the Atlanta airport to various locations in Auburn. Tiger Transit is the campus shuttle system that has several 0ff-campus pick-up locations. Uber and Lyft are both available around town.

For anyone driving into town or renting a car, an Auburn University guest parking pass will be required to park on campus on weekdays.

Hotels

There are numerous hotels in the Auburn/Opelika area that are great options to stay. The hotels closest to campus are below.

Conference Room Block:

The Graduate by Hilton is within walking distance of the Harbert College of Business and downtown. Reserve your room at the conference rate here.

Other Hotels:

The Hotel at Auburn University is on the edge of campus and is a Groome pick-up/drop-off location.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott is also convenient to campus and is a Groom pick-up/drop-off location.

For more information, please visit the Auburn Opelika Tourism website.

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 try to provide alternative ways that international participants can participate and be involved in the conference without having to travel to the U.S.

We hope you will be able to attend the conference in person 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 here.

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. Read a full bio here.