Rosalind Whiting

Gender, Family Responsibilities and Career Success in the Accountancy Profession: a New Zealand Study Rosalind Whiting

Do you want to know why women are rarely found at the top levels of professional accountancy careers?This book presents a doctoral research study undertaken in New Zealand that investigates the causes, consequences and complexities of gender inequity in professional accountancy careers. Career history data originating from interviews with sixty-nine Chartered Accountants was used to revise a model of career success. Success in accountancy careers was enhanced by high career aspirations, long working hours and availability to clients, hard work, high technical competence and skills, networking, self-confidence, flexibility to relocate if required and large size and growth of the employing organisation. The author described five work/family strategies based on levels of work and family involvement. High levels of family responsibilities impacted on career aspirations, working hours, availability and networking and its influence explained career success much better than gender alone.