CAAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026: 
AWARD RECIPIENTS

The George Baxter Award is intended to recognize exemplary contributions to the Canadian Academic Accounting Association through participation on the Board of Directors or through various committee and task force work that illustrates a dedication to helping CAAA accomplish its mission.

Professor Merridee Bujaki of Carleton University is the recipient of this award in 2026 for her significant contributions to the fulfillment of the CAAA’s mission. She has served on several CAAA committees, attended many of its annual conferences, and served as CAAA’s President-Elect, President, and Past President between 2014 and 2016.

The 2026 George Baxter Award Committee, composed of three former presidents of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association, recognized Professor Bujaki’s outstanding contribution to the fulfillment of our Association’s mission. The committee warmly thanks her for this contribution and congratulates her on receiving the prestigious George Baxter Award.

 During an academic career spanning over 25 years, Dr. Alan Webb has made major contributions to advance accounting research, making him a worthy recipient of the 2026 Haim Falk Award for Distinguished Contribution to Accounting Thought. Dr. Webb is a pioneer and renowned scholar in goal setting, non-cash rewards, and field-based management accounting research, primarily in the judgment and decision-making paradigm. He has published numerous influential and heavily cited papers in such premier journals as The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting Research, Contemporary Accounting Research, Accounting, Organizations and Society, and the Journal of Management Accounting Research. His research has received numerous best paper awards and he was honored with multiple prestigious awards, including the Lifetime Contribution to Management Accounting Award from the Management Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association in 2024. As one supporting letter states: 

The work is original in thought and theory and has practical importance in providing insight into ways firms can motivate greater effort and performance, as well as improving employee satisfaction and loyalty. These contributions have been recognized by scholars, accounting firms, and funding agencies. 

Dr. Webb has taken management accounting research into the field, making a significant contribution to accounting practice and education. He has published practitioner-oriented articles as well as a leading managerial accounting textbook. On his work at the interface of academe and practice, supporting letters stress: 

He bridges theory and execution moving conversations beyond “what should be measured” to how measurement changes decisions and behaviour in real organizations. He pressure-tests ideas against operational constraints and human incentives, which elevates the quality of guidance practitioners rely on when building credible performance systems.   

Of special note is that his research is bi-directional. He has carried out more traditional interview/observation field studies whose aim is to transfer knowledge of field practices to academics, but more importantly, he has led the management accounting field into carrying out field based experiments as tests of theory. 

Importantly, Dr. Webb is also an inspiration to emerging scholars. His mentorship is marked by generosity, patience, and high standards, reflecting a genuine commitment to advancing accounting thought to the next generation of researchers and educators. Dr. Webb has had a transformative impact on the lives and careers of many young academics, which is quite evident in the supporting letters we received from both PhD students and professors at an early career stage. As one highlights: 

I can speak to Dr. Webb’s impact not only as an evaluator of his scholarship, but as someone whose career was fundamentally shaped by his mentorship. He was the first faculty member who took a genuine interest in my background and my goals, and he engaged me with a rare combination of directness, honesty, and care. 

Working with him was demanding in the best way. He insisted on a proper scientific approach laser focused on research validity…I also saw the same standard he held for himself that he held for his students―he lives the research values he teaches. 

Even in retirement, his ongoing involvement with University of Waterloo PhD students and continued investment in others’ success reflects who he is and what he values. I say with great confidence that I owe my academic success to the training and mentoring from Dr. Webb. 

Dr. Webb has also served in various editor roles, including as Editor-in-Chief, of Contemporary Accounting Research. In these capacities, he was instrumental in recognizing and promoting all areas of accounting research as well as supporting the work of more junior and international scholars. Dr. Webb is currently a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance.  

A common thread running through all the letters supporting his nomination is that we would be hard pressed to identify a more deserving candidate. The selection committee could not agree more such that we are thrilled to recognize Alan as the 2026 recipient of the Haim Falk Award for Distinguished Accounting Thought. Congratulations Alan!  

The selected submission, besides being original and innovative, is highly impactful for its deep ethical and intellectual transformation of accounting education. It is a philosophically transformative submission as it has the potential to reshape students’ professional identity, moving away from the traditional method of learning reinforcement. It is a full-course redesign with documented impact.

On behalf of the Best Accounting Perspectives Case Award Committee (Committee), I am pleased to advise that the Committee selected Island Kelp Limited: An Instructional Case as the recipient of the Best Accounting Perspectives Case Award (Award) for cases published in Accounting Perspectives from January 1 to December 31, 2025. The authors, Kai Bauman, Tasha Brooks, Chris Burnley and Leah Hudson, will be recognized during the Canadian Academic Accounting Association Conference to be held in June 2026.

The Committee evaluated cases including Island Kelp Limited: An Instructional Case againstfactors including, but not limited to:

• Clarity;
• Originality;
• Realism;
• Interest;
• Educational value;
• Currency of technical issues;
• Diversity of technical issues;
• Inclusion of enabling competencies;
• Requirement to prioritize issues, integrate, etc.;
• Completeness; and
• Quality of instructor resources

Based on the evaluations performed by Committee members, Island Kelp Limited: An Instructional Case was selected as the recipient of the Award for the following reasons:

• In addition to traditional financial reporting and audit issues, the case incorporates sustainability considerations and data analytics in the context of Indigenous business. Therefore, it addresses several of the reimagined skills and competencies CPAs require in a changing world and a shortage of cases consistent with the new CPA Professional Program.
• Although fictional, the authors conducted extensive kelp industry research to ensure the case is realistic.
• The case content related to Indigenous land rights, governance and community perspectives was authored by an Indigenous scholar. Further, the case was reviewed by an Indigenous Elder/faculty member and a senior leader of an Indigenous economic development corporation.
• The case provides opportunities for students to develop enabling competencies related to critical thinking, professional judgment, ethical awareness and Indigenous governance.

• The case and related instructor resources are well written and comprehensive

Ning Jia is a Professor of Accounting at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. She serves as Academic Director of the Global MBA Program, Member of the Interdisciplinary Research Academic Committee, Director of the Center for Globalization of Chinese Enterprises, and Associate Director of the China Business Case Center. Her research primarily explores the interface between accounting and corporate strategy, with a particular focus on IT strategy and innovation strategy, alongside China-focused accounting research. She has published extensively in leading accounting, management and information systems journals, including Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, Management Science, and Information Systems Research. 

Ningzhong Li is a Professor of Accounting at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas. He is a highly productive scholar, with publications in major top-tier accounting journals. His research spans a wide range of topics, including financial contracting, supply chain, corporate disclosure, political economy, ESG, and, more recently, AI. Professor Li obtained his PhD in Accounting and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and bachelor and master degrees in Finance from Peking University in China.  

Da Xu is an Associate Professor of Accounting at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. He received his Ph.D. in Finance and Financial Accounting from Tulane University and his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Xiamen University. His research primarily focuses on corporate information disclosure. Dr. Xu has published extensively in leading accounting journals, including Journal of Accounting and Economics, Management Science, and Review of Accounting Studies. He currently works as an ad hoc reviewer for The Accounting Review and Contemporary Accounting Research. 

Yuwen Zhang is a PhD student at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Beijing Normal University. Her research primarily focuses on corporate information disclosure.