Assessing the Elite Publication Benefits of Academic Pedigree: A Joint Examination of PhD Institution and Employment Institution

This descriptive study is a joint analysis that assesses the relative importance of PhD institution vs. employment institution for publication success in elite accounting journals. Specifically, we examine the association between academic pedigree (i.e., graduating from and/or being employed at a top 25, 26–50, or 51–75 accounting program) and publication success in elite accounting journals from 1990 to 2013. Our pairwise and multivariate analyses quantify the significant associations between (1) published articles and whether faculty graduated from top 25, 26–50, or 51–75 accounting programs, (2) published articles and whether faculty were employed at top 25, 26–50, or 51–75 accounting programs, and (3) published articles and whether faculty jointly graduated from and were employed at top 25, 26–50, or 51–75 accounting programs. We also find differences for top 3 vs. top 6 accounting journals, and for private vs. public institutions. Overall, the analyses reveal that employment institution is more significantly associated with publications in elite accounting journals than the PhD institution, while the PhD institution is generally significant only for graduates of top 25 institutions. These findings are relevant to prospective and current PhD students, faculty at elite institutions who change schools, and accounting program administrators and deans.