Minna Yu, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Global Understanding and professor of accounting, is co-author of a paper published in The Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting. The article, “Imprinting Theory in Auditing: Auditors’ Famine Experience and Audit Quality,” explores how trauma, such as experiencing famine at a young age, can impact future professional behavior in relation to audit quality.
Using a large sample of 14,292 client-year observations from China’s A-share stock market between 2003 and 2016, the researchers found that auditors who lived through famine, particularly during childhood and adolescence, consistently demonstrated stronger audit performance. The paper argues that the findings are consistent with imprinting theory, which explores how extreme early-life experiences can leave lasting marks on individuals’ values, attitudes, and decision-making processes.
The authors conclude that the results of the study provide new insights into how deeply personal history can influence financial oversight and may have implications for understanding individual differences in audit behavior in global contexts.
The Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting is the official journal of The International Association for Accounting Education and Research, with an editorial focus on new developments and emerging trends in the industry, as well as the impact of institutional, regulatory and accounting differences across countries.