Ya-wen Yang, PhD, CFA joined the faculty of Wake Forest University in the summer of 2009. She teaches undergraduate and graduate financial accounting courses in the School of Business. Prior to joining Wake Forest University, she taught Intermediate Accounting in the undergraduate accounting program and Financial Reporting & Analysis in the MBA program at the University of Miami. Dr. Yang received her MBA degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Ph.D. degree from the University of Tennessee. Her research interests include executive compensation, corporate governance, corporate lobbying, and international financial accounting and reporting. She has published in Accounting Horizon, Journal of Accounting & Public Policy, Journal of Accounting & Economics, and Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, among other academic journals. Her work has been cited in news outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, and USA Today.

Financial accounting and reporting; Valuation; Corporate governance; Executive compensation

• Ph D, University of Tennessee (Accounting) - 2003
• MBA, University of Illinois (Corporate Finance) - 1999
• BBA, Tunghai University (Accounting) - 1997

Research Interests

• Valuation
• Corporate governance
• Executive compensation

Teaching Interests

• Financial accounting and reporting
• Valuation

• Kelton, A.,  Yang, Y. (Forthcoming). Understanding cybersecurity breach contagion effects: The role of the loss heuristic and internal controls. International Journal of Accounting Information System.
• Harjoto, A., Laksmana, R.,  Yang, Y. (2019). Why Do Companies Obtain the B Corporation Certification? Social Responsibility Journal , 15 (5),  621-639.
• Harjoto, A., Laksmana, R.,  Yang, Y. (2019). Board nationality and educational background diversity and corporate social performance. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 19 (2),  217-239.
• Harjoto, A., Laksmana, R.,  Yang, Y. (2018). Board diversity and corporate investment oversight. Journal of Business Research, 90,  40-47.
• Lin, S., Martinez, D., Wang, C.,  Yang, Y. (2018). Is other comprehensive income reported in the income statement more value relevant? Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, 33 (4),  624-646.
• Li, D., Lin, H.,  Yang, Y. (2016). Does the stakeholders-corporate social responsibility (CSR) relationship exist in emerging countries? Evidence from China. Social Responsibility Journal, 12 (1),  147-166.
• Chen, H., Parsley, D.,  Yang, Y. (2015). Corporate lobbying and firm performance. Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting, 42 (3-4),  444-481.
• Chen, H., Jeter, D.,  Yang, Y. (2015). Pay-performance sensitivity before and after SOX. Journal of Accounting & Public Policy, 34 (1),  52-73.
• Laksmana, R.,  Yang, Y. (2015). Product market competition and corporate investment decisions. Review of Accounting and Finance , 14 (2),  128-148.
• Laksmana, R.,  Yang, Y. (2014). Product market competition and earnings management: Evidence from discretionary accruals and real activity manipulation. Advances in Accounting, 30 (2),  263-275.
• Chen, H., Jeter, D.,  Yang, Y. (2013). Do regulatory policies on auditing affect executive pay? International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, 9 (4),  344-364.
• Henry, E.,  Yang, Y. (2013). Does Multi-Standard Reporting Affect Analysts' Forecasts? Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance, 24 (2),  55-67.
• Johnston, R., Leone, A., Ramnath, S.,  Yang, Y. (2012). 14-week quarters. Journal of Accounting & Economics, 53 (1-2),  271-289.
• Laksmana, R., Tietz, W.,  Yang, Y. (2012). Compensation discussion and analysis (CD&A): Readability and management obfuscation. Journal of Accounting & Public Policy, 31 (2),  185-203.
• Laksmana, R.,  Yang, Y. (2009). Corporate citizenship and earnings attributes. Advances in Accounting, 25,  40-48.
• Henry, E., Lin, S.,  Yang, Y. (2009). The European-U.S. 'GAAP Gap': IFRS to U.S. GAAP Form 20-F reconciliations. Accounting Horizon, 23 (2),  121-150.
• Burnett, R., Friedman, M.,  Yang, Y. (2008). The change of students' perception of accounting skills in intermediate accounting: A guide for accounting education reform. Accounting Educators' Journal, 18,  81-101.
• Kelton, A.,  Yang, Y. (2008). The impact of corporate governance on Internet financial reporting. Journal of Accounting & Public Policy, 27 (1),  62-87.
• Henry, E.,  Yang, Y. (2007). Making the right comparisons: Novartis AG. Issues in Accounting Education, 22 (4),  721-733.
• Yang, Y. (2007). The value-relevance of nonfinancial information: The biotechnology industry. Advances in Accounting, 23,  289-316.
• Henry, E., Lin, S.,  Yang, Y. (2007). Weak signal: Evidence of IFRS and U.S. GAAP convergence from Nokia's 20-F. Issues in Accounting Education, 22 (4),  709-720.
• Behn, B., Dawley, D., Riley, R.,  Yang, Y. (2006). Deaths of CEOs: Are delays in naming successors and insider/outsider succession associated with subsequent firm performance? Journal of Managerial Issues, 18 (1),  32-46.
• Behn, B., Riley, R.,  Yang, Y. (2005). The value of an heir apparent in succession planning. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 13 (2),  168-177.

• 2021 - BOLD Grant, Summer Teaching Colloquium, Wake Forest University
• 2016 - High Impact Scholarship Award, School of Business, Wake Forest University
• 2016 - Named to the Global Tax 50 2015, International Tax Review
• 2015 - Accounting Information Systems Section Notable Contributions to the Literature Award, American Accounting Association
• 2015 - High Impact Scholarship Award, School of Business, Wake Forest University
• 2015 - Co-recipient of a research grant of $4,500 and access to certified B corporations and GIIRS rated fund data, sponsored by CASE i3 at Duke University, B Lab and the Rockefeller Foundation
• 2014 - Coca Cola Faculty Fellowship
• 2012 - Co-recipient of PwC INQuires Research Grant, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• 2011 - Co-recipient of PwC INQuires Research Grant, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• 2010 - Co-recipient of PwC INQuires Research Grant, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• 2008 - Undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Awards, School of Business Administration, University of Miami
• 2007 - Excellence in Teaching Awards, School of Business Administration, University of Miami
• 2005 - American Accounting Association New Faculty Consortium, American Accounting Association
• 2003 - Bonham Dissertation Awards, University of Tennessee
• 2002 - American Accounting Association/Deloitte & Touche Doctoral Consortium Fellow
• 2002 - Doctoral Internationalization Consortium Fellow
• 1999 - Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Tennessee

• June 11, 2021 - Covid-era CEO pay at public companies in region a mixed bag , Charlotte Business Journal| more information
• November 13, 2017 - Why you should buy stock in the companies that lobby the most? , Forbes| more information
• February 2, 2016 - Global Tax 50 2015: Ya-wen Yang , International Tax Review| more information
• August 11, 2015 - Why Companies Need To Build More Diverse Boards , Forbes| more information
• February 24, 2015 - 58 women CFOs in the Fortune 500: Is this progress? , Fortune| more information
• February 19, 2015 - For less corporate fraud, add female executives , The Atlantic| more information
• February 13, 2015 - More female executives means less tax evasion, study finds , Bloomberg Business| more information
• December 18, 2014 - The MBA degree and the astronomical rise in CEO pay , Fortune| more information
• August 29, 2014 - More diverse corporate boards lead to less risk taking , Entrepreneur.com| more information
• July 30, 2014 - Study finds a diverse corporate boards rein in risk, good for shareholders , Fortune| more information
• March 1, 2013 - Taking calendar reform viral , Globe Asia| more information
• February 2, 2013 - Apple analysts: Stupid or lazy? , Fortune/CNN | more information
• September 1, 2009 - Analysts miss the missing week , BizEd
• May 28, 2009 - University of Miami research finds most analysts ignore key factor when estimating earnings , PRNewswire| more information
• April 28, 2009 - Overheard Column, featuring the research paper "14-week quarters," coauthored with Rick Johnston, Andy Leone, and Sundaresh Ramnath , Wall Street Journal
• April 9, 2009 - The influence game: Firms reap seeds of lobbying , Associated Press| more information
• October 1, 2008 - Lobbying boosts the bottom line , Business Miami| more information
• June 23, 2008 - Love those lobbyists , Bloomberg Businessweek| more information
• June 7, 2008 - Loobying pays off, handsomely , National Journal
• April 17, 2008 - Corporate lobbying: The best Investment a company can make| more information