Chinese women in the accounting profession
Abstract
Purpose
This exploratory research aims to investigate the barriers to career advancement for women accountants in China.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight accountants working for business companies and occupying different-level positions.
Findings
Women accountants in China encounter barriers throughout their career paths. The main barrier is a negative perception of women’s work performance after having a child. Although the modern communist state claims that women have a role equal to that of men in their work contributions, centuries-old Confucian attitudes constrain women in their choices of balance between work and home life.
Originality/value
The findings of this research call for enforcement of employment laws in China to give women equal opportunities in both recruitment and promotion. This research contributes to both Western and Chinese existing literature, confirming some prior findings that are contrary to modern China’s rhetoric that “Women hold up half the sky”. It also adds the perspective of accountants working in business companies rather than public practice accounting firms.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper benefited from reviews and comments at the Meditari Accountancy Research European Conference, 2-3 July 2015, University of Bologna, Forlì and from the editor and two reviewers of this issue.
Citation
Zhao, Y. and Lord, B.R. (2016), "Chinese women in the accounting profession", Meditari Accountancy Research, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 226-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-08-2015-0058
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited