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The only way is up? : An examination of women's “under-achievement” in the accountancy profession in the UK

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Lyonette, Clare, 1960- and Crompton, Rosemary. (2008) The only way is up? : An examination of women's “under-achievement” in the accountancy profession in the UK. Gender in Management: An International Journal, Vol.23 (No.7). pp. 506-521. ISSN 1754-2413

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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons for the apparent “under-achievement” of mothers working in accountancy, even when at similar levels of qualification to those of fathers.

Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales membership dataset was carried out, as well as semi-structured work-life interviews with ten male and ten female chartered accountants with children.

Findings – The paper finds that women do not progress in accountancy to the same extent as men, and earn considerably less. The qualitative evidence suggests that some residual gender discrimination is still present, but more important are the difficulties in combining paid employment with family responsibilities, particularly for those in higher-level positions. Part-time and flexible working carries with it a penalty in relation to both earnings and organisational status. The interviews do provide some evidence of change, however.

Practical implications – While men (and women) continue to work very long hours in the UK, while the gender pay gap persists, and while women continue to take on the majority of childcare and housework, women are also likely to “choose” to work below their abilities, especially when economic pressures are not a primary issue.

Originality/value – By adopting a mixed-methods approach, the paper highlights that, while workplace-related barriers still hinder mothers' career progression in accountancy, the division of domestic labour is at least, if not more, important.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5601 Accounting
H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute for Employment Research
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Women accountants -- Great Britain, Accounting -- Great Britain, Career development, Wages -- Working mothers -- Great Britain, Sex discrimination in employment -- Great Britain, Equal pay for equal work -- Great Britain, Work-life balance
Journal or Publication Title: Gender in Management: An International Journal
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 1754-2413
Official Date: 2008
Volume: Vol.23
Number: No.7
Page Range: pp. 506-521
Identification Number: 10.1108/17542410810908857
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
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URI: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/37536

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