The Center for Corporate Reporting and Governance (CCRG) at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics hosts the annual Haskell & White Academic Conference each autumn as a forum that bridges academic research and practice. The 2025 event—held on Friday, Sept. 26—drew more than 80 participants from universities worldwide and, for the first time, was co-hosted by the School of Accountancy and the Department of Finance, underscoring Cal State Fullerton’s growing research profile. From nearly 80 submissions, six papers were selected on artificial intelligence, regulation, lending, disclosure, and governance.
In his opening remarks, Accounting Professor Vivek Mande, director of the School of Accountancy and co-director of CCRG, emphasized the collaborative effort with Haskell & White that has made this event a reality. “For more than two decades, this academic conference has been possible only through the steadfast support of Haskell & White and Wayne Pinnell,” he says. “They have helped elevate the thought leadership stature of the School of Accountancy to new heights.”
Finance Professor Weili Lu, chair of the Department of Finance, lauded the event and new collaboration between departments as a promising chapter in CSUF business education. “This conference plays a vital role in strengthening our position as a research leader within the Cal State system, Southern California and the nation,” she says.
“Although CSUF is often recognized as a teaching-focused institution, this event showcased our growing reputation as a research-active community and served as a valuable platform for blending theory with practice,” says Zhejia Ling, Assistant Professor of Accounting and associate director of the School of Accountancy.
Deregulation on Audit Oversight
Among the papers presented, one was by Professor Billy Xu from the University of Rochester, entitled “Contagious Deregulation”, co-authored with Professor Jakub Hajda from HEC Montreal, and Professor Joseph Kalmenovitz from University of Rochester. This study examines a policy change that raised the threshold for mandatory audits of federal grants. Using comprehensive data on $23.7 trillion in federal awards, the authors find that when smaller awards were exempted from audits, auditors who lost these clients became more lenient with their remaining ones. The findings suggest that deregulation intended to ease administrative burdens for small entities can produce unintended spillover effects, potentially weakening oversight for larger organizations.
Professor Joseph Gerakos of Dartmouth College served as the discussant for this paper. He emphasized the importance of exploring regulatory externalities and encouraged the authors to further examine why single audits equilibrate through price and to analyze the potential costs associated with auditors’ increased leniency.
Fear of Automation Shapes Corporate Disclosure Decisions
Another paper presented at the conference was “Whispering Progress: Fear of Automation and Voluntary Disclosure” by Professor Jun Oh from Purdue University and Professor Guoman She from National University of Singapore. The study investigates how companies adjust their communication strategies in response to growing public anxiety about job losses driven by artificial intelligence and automation. Drawing on local television news coverage that links automation with layoffs, the authors measure community-level fear of automation.
Using data on more than 2,300 U.S. public firms from 2010 to 2024, the authors find that when local fear of automation intensifies, firms disclose less information about their automation plans. The findings suggest that while firms may withhold information to avoid employee backlash, such “strategic silence” can reduce transparency for investors.
Professor Ayung Tseng from UC Davis discussed the paper, commending its timeliness and innovative use of large-scale data linking local news sentiment to corporate disclosure behavior. She suggested that the authors clarify the target audience of local news and identify which types of jobs are most likely to be affected by automation. This study received the Best Paper Award, presented by Wayne Pinnell, managing partner at Haskell & White LLP.
For More on CSUF Accounting and Finance
Now in its twenty-first year, the Haskell & White Conference remains a significant forum for feedback and scholarly dialogue, strengthening Cal State Fullerton’s role as a hub for impactful, practice-relevant research. Along with the SEC “Hot Topics” Conference, which was recently held on Oct. 3, these events connecting policymakers, academics and professionals with the latest trends in accounting, auditing and regulatory compliance. For more on accounting research at Cal State Fullerton, read more of our articles on accountancy. Or discover more about the undergraduate and graduate-level accounting programs at Cal State Fullerton and how you can get started on your accounting career journey. For more on the Department of Finance, read more of our articles on finance education at CSUF.
