Women in Accounting: Career Progression Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a preliminary investigation into the comparative career progression offemale and male Irish Chartered Accountants. The paper describes the use of a focus group interview which was initiated as a preliminary stage to an empirical study. The findings of the focus group are not presented as an end in themselves, but rather, as a source of rich information which provides direction for further research. The specific areas which emerged which led to further research were that women may bring different qualities to the profession which are not being encouraged, that women may be suppressing those qualities, that women experience obstacles to their career advancement which are not experienced by men, that women have different career aspirations and that women do not favour a quota system of promoting women to increase their visibility in top management.