Career Enablers for Women in Regional and Metropolitan Accounting SMEs

Abstract

Despite the efforts of Australian organisations to create inclusive workplaces, women continue to be under-represented in workforce participation and senior leadership roles. Accounting firms are no exception. In this paper, we aim to explore the perceptions of women's career experiences in senior roles in small and medium sized accounting firms in regional and metropolitan Australia. Thirteen interviews with accountants in regional New South Wales and seventeen interviews with accountants from small and medium sized accounting firms in Sydney were conducted. Results obtained from the exploratory study point to the influence of owner-managers' gender, firm size and the firm's geographical location in shaping women's career experiences. Results also show that, particularly in regional accounting SMEs, gender inequality continues to be reinforced and reproduced by male principals and partners through day-to-day work and social practices constraining women's aspirations to progress to senior roles. From the interviews, we have identified a suite of 'best practices' for enabling women's career progression that are occurring in some SMEs which, if taken up more widely, may enhance women's access to more senior roles in accounting SMEs.