The Early-Career Auditor Experience in Today’s Audit Environment: A Systematic Literature Review
This study reviews research on what it's like to start a career in auditing, focusing on interns, staff, and senior associates. It looks at how factors like long work hours, job stress, and industry pressures affect young auditors’ attitudes and performance.
Solo-authored
Status: Revising for second round submission to Accounting Horizons as part of the 2024 “From Students to Professional Accountants: The Accounting Profession Pipeline” Special Call for Papers
Presentations: 2023 University of Alabama workshop
Job Stressors and Career Commitment in Early-Career Auditors’ Work Experiences
This study explores how job stress affects early-career auditors’ ability to mentally disconnect from work during off-hours and stay committed to their careers. It finds that constant communication and mismatched expectations can lead to burnout and difficulty detaching from work, although not all after-hours work is seen as stressful. These insights help explain challenges in retaining young audit professionals and suggest ways to improve their work experience.
Co-author: Kris Hoang
Status: Preparing for submission after 2025 scheduled presentations
Presentations:
2025 NASBA Annual Meeting, scheduled (Co-author Presenter)
2025 University of North Carolina at Charlotte, scheduled (Co-author Presenter)
2025 EARNet Symposium (Co-author Presenter)
2025 AAA Annual Meeting (Presenter)
2024 Culverhouse School of Accountancy Research Conference (Presenter)
Do Audit Associates’ Job Characteristics Enhance Their Work Experience?
This study examines how audit associates view their work assignments and job features like automation, offshoring, and quality inspections. It finds that associates view work as advanced when they do complex, judgment-based tasks, and they feel their work is more meaningful when they understand its broader purpose. These job characteristics have both benefits and drawbacks, which affect how associates feel about their work and their professional development.
Solo-authored (dissertation)
Status: Successfully proposed on August 15, 2025; presenting during campus visits for Assistant Professor job interviews
Presentations:
2025 University of Alabama workshop (proposal defense)
2025 Culverhouse School of Accountancy Research Conference
Understanding Audit Associates’ Work Experiences
This study explores how audit associates experience recent developments in their work environment, such as centralized audit functions, offshore teams, and new technologies like AI. By surveying staff-level auditors, the researchers hope to help firms and the profession improve the audit experience and address the talent shortage.
Co-authors (based on dissertation): Kris Hoang, Derek Dalton
Status: This survey will launch in November 2025.
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