Joint Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions

Breaking the Glass: Fostering Female Leadership in the Accounting Profession

• In Event: Dialogue 2: Behavioral and Organization

Abstract

The 2019 report from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) shows that males make up 49% of new hires at U.S. CPA firms, and females make up 51%. Despite the fact that, at the entry level, representation of men and women in the industry is almost equal, females make up only 23% of partners in the industry, whereas men make up 77%. The glass ceiling theory explains this under-representation of females at the upper management and partner levels (Hull & Umansky, 1997). The theory refers to the invisible barrier that women face as they navigate their careers.
This study identifies the major barriers women face in the accounting professions, and classifies the barriers into two categories: individual barriers and structural barriers. This study also proposes actionable strategies for female professionals to mitigate the effects of the barriers and achieve success in leadership roles at the same rate as their male peers. The study will use a qualitative research approach and analyze the academic literature and professional whitepapers that focus on gender discrimination in leadership. It will develop a theoretical model identifying a wide range of tools that accounting firms should implement to reduce the gender gap in leadership roles. The findings of this study will be of interest to accounting professionals and top executive members of practices who make decisions on workplace diversity and equitable promotion and reward systems.

Authors

• Mahfuja Malik, Sacred Heart University

• London Duncza, Sacred Heart University