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

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.

Citation

Lyonette, C. and Crompton, R. (2008), "The only way is up? An examination of women's “under‐achievement” in the accountancy profession in the UK", Gender in Management, Vol. 23 No. 7, pp. 506-521. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410810908857