Career advancement for women accountants in Maltese auditing firms : an analysis

Abstract

Purpose - This analysis attempts to uncover the barriers and obstacles that women accountants encounter and that preclude them from top positions in Maltese auditing firms. Furthermore, it reports the success stories of females who have been already admitted to partnership. Design - The objectives of this analysis were attained by means of a questionnaire sent to women accountants and interviews conducted with female partners in Maltese auditing firms. Findings - This analysis unveiled that females still lag behind their male counterparts when it comes to leadership positions in Maltese auditing firms. It also showed that although women display different characteristics than men, they are not intimidated by cultures that may be masculine. However, it was revealed that women might not set out to achieve partnership as one of their top priorities in life when female partners confirm that determination to reach the goal is imperative for success. Conclusion - This analysis concludes that gender diversity is paramount for Maltese auditing firms if they are to remain competitive. Retaining the best female talent gives generous results in terms of service quality and financial success. However, the working environment must be redesigned to attract more females to partnership; and women themselves must move out of their comfort zone and embrace new challenges. Moreover, current and incoming female partners are the key to executing change and support more women to follow in their footsteps. Value - This is the first research to analysis the career advancement for women accountants and to recommend ways in which more females may be admitted to partnership to address the current gender imbalance at the top positions in Maltese auditing firms.