Gender Roles and Organizational HR Practices: The Case of Women's Careers in Accountancy and Consultancy Firms in China

Abstract

The Chinese finance industry has experienced significant expansion both within the state sector and into the private sector. Professional consultancy firms have also emerged as a result of the rising interest in the outsourcing of accounting and management services. However, the study of women's careers in the accountancy profession in contemporary China remains largely an uncharted territory. Drawing on data from 69 interviews with auditors in five firms, this article investigates the nature of work of external auditors in China and how women auditors view their work‐life choices and constraints. We explore the likely differences between male and female auditors in their career aspirations and the extent to which these self‐perceived differences are informed by social conventions of gender role, organizational practices, and personal preferences. The study has strong implications for human resource management in professional service firms in China, with particular reference to job design, work organization, career support, and work‐life balance initiatives. The study contributes to the debate on gender, employment, and career development in the accountancy profession in different parts of the world. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Job demands–resources: a gender perspective on employee well-being and resilience in retail stores in China

“…In the Chinese context, Huang & Gamble (2015) found that some key determinants of job satisfaction are gendered. Similarly, gender plays an important role with particular reference to job design, work organisation, career support, and work-life balance initiatives (Cooke & Xiao, 2014). A recent study based on 857 employees in 120 retail branches of a financial services firm in the USA, found that gender pay inequality for employees reporting to a female manager exists only among employees in the lowest organizational ranks (Abraham, 2016).…”

“…Increasingly, researchers have begun to investigate the well-being of Chinese employees (Huang & Gamble, 2015;Sang, Teo, Cooper, & Bohle, 2013). While available research has often touched upon gender, few studies have focussed specifically on women's work and careers (Cooke & Xiao, 2014), or gender and well-being (Huang & Gamble, 2015). While existing research indicates different coping strategies between male and female workers when faced with stress and burnout (Purvanova & Muros, 2010), there is limited research on job-related factors affecting the well-being of employees working in the retail sector.…”

Gender Inequality in Accounting Profession From the Perspective of the Glass Ceiling

“…The women gender inequality in the audit has been a reflection of the personal life and care with family (DAMBRIN; LAMBERT, 2008). Cooke and Xiao (2014) investigate the nature of the work of external auditors in China, and how the personal lives of women auditors becomes a constraint for career. They explored the probable differences in aspirations for career advancement for male and female auditors and the extent to which these differences can be reinforced by the social role of gender, organizational practices and preferences.…”

Kariyer Seçim Faktörleri ve Sektörün Bu Faktörleri Öğrencilere Sunma Düzeyine İlişkin Bir Araştırma - Research Into Career Choice Factors And The Levels At Which Industry Present These Factors To Students

“…Bu konudaki bazı çalışmalar kariyer seçimi konusunda danışmanlık hizmetlerinin önemine vurgu yapmaktadır (Nilsson ve Ripmeester, 2016). Ayrıca kariyer seçiminde cinsiyetin rolüne odaklanmış ve erkek ile kadınlar arasında anlamlı farklılıklar olduğu bulgusuna ulaşmış çalışmalar da bulunmaktadır (Cooke ve Xiao, 2014).…”