IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/crpeac/v43y2017icp110-124.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Accounting as gendering and gendered: A review of 25 years of critical accounting research on gender

Author

Listed:
  • Haynes, Kathryn

Abstract

This paper gives a critical review of 25 years of critical accounting research on gender, addressing what we have learned to date and what are the most challenging areas to be investigated in the future. It considers accounting as a political construct implicated in perpetuating inequality, with reference to global gender challenges. Gendered histories of accounting and stories of individual struggles show barriers to entry being overcome; but challenges remain. Accounting acts as both a gendered and gendering institution in relation to career hierarchies, motherhood, work-life debates, and feminisation and segmentation, and interacts with gendered identity, embodiment and sexuality. The paper outlines the contribution of feminist theory to accounting research on gender and calls for further research on the interaction of gender relations with global capitalism.

Suggested Citation

  • Haynes, Kathryn, 2017. "Accounting as gendering and gendered: A review of 25 years of critical accounting research on gender," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 110-124.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:43:y:2017:i:c:p:110-124
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2016.06.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1045235416300272
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.cpa.2016.06.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anderson-Gough, Fiona & Grey, Christopher & Robson, Keith, 2005. ""Helping them to forget..": the organizational embedding of gender relations in public audit firms," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 469-490, July.
    2. Lupu, Ioana, 2012. "Approved routes and alternative paths: The construction of women's careers in large accounting firms. Evidence from the French Big Four," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 351-369.
    3. Joyce, Yvonne & Walker, Stephen P., 2015. "Gender essentialism and occupational segregation in insolvency practice," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 41-60.
    4. Loft, Anne, 1992. "Accountancy and the gendered division of labour: A review essay," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 367-378.
    5. Haynes, Kathryn, 2008. "(Re)figuring accounting and maternal bodies: The gendered embodiment of accounting professionals," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(4-5), pages 328-348.
    6. Kornberger, Martin & Justesen, Lise & Mouritsen, Jan, 2011. "“When you make manager, we put a big mountain in front of you”: An ethnography of managers in a Big 4 Accounting Firm," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 514-533.
    7. Hamilton, Susan E., 2013. "Exploring professional identity: The perceptions of chartered accountant students," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 37-49.
    8. Martin Kornberger & Lise Justesen & Jan Mouritsen, 2011. "“When you make manager, we put a big mountain in front of you” : An ethnography of managers in a Big 4 Accounting Firm," Post-Print hal-02311997, HAL.
    9. Bryer, R. A., 2000. "The history of accounting and the transition to capitalism in England. Part one: theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 131-162, February.
    10. Burrell, Gibson, 1987. "No accounting for sexuality," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 89-101, January.
    11. Adapa, Sujana & Rindfleish, Jennifer & Sheridan, Alison, 2016. "‘Doing gender’ in a regional context: Explaining women's absence from senior roles in regional accounting firms in Australia," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 100-110.
    12. Kokot, Patrizia, 2015. "Let's talk about sex(ism): Cross-national perspectives on women partners’ narratives on equality and sexism at work in Germany and the UK," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 73-85.
    13. Haynes, Kathryn, 2008. "Transforming identities: Accounting professionals and the transition to motherhood," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 620-642.
    14. Naoko Komori, 2008. "Towards the feminization of accounting practice," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(4), pages 507-538, May.
    15. Shearer, Teri L. & Edward Arrington, C., 1993. "Accounting in other wor(l)ds: A feminism without reserve," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 18(2-3), pages 253-272, April.
    16. Komori, Naoko, 2015. "Beneath the globalization paradox: Towards the sustainability of cultural diversity in accounting research," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 141-156.
    17. Gammie, Elizabeth & Whiting, Rosalind, 2013. "Women accountants: Is the grass greener outside the profession?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 83-98.
    18. Kyriacou, Orthodoxia, 2016. "Accounting for images of ‘equality’ in digital space: Towards an exploration of the Greek Accounting Professional Institute," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 35-57.
    19. Rihab Khalifa, 2013. "Intra-professional hierarchies: the gendering of accounting specialisms in UK accountancy," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(8), pages 1212-1245, October.
    20. Walker, Stephen P., 2003. "Professionalisation or incarceration? Household engineering, accounting and the domestic ideal," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(7-8), pages 743-772.
    21. Annisette, Marcia, 2003. "The colour of accountancy: examining the salience of race in a professionalisation project," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(7-8), pages 639-674.
    22. Elizabeth Dreike Almer & Margaret G. Lightbody & Louise E. Single, 2012. "Successful promotion or segregation from partnership? An examination of the “post-senior manager” position in public accounting and the implications for women’s careers," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 122-133, June.
    23. Stephen Walker, 2011. "Professions and patriarchy revisited. Accountancy in England and Wales, 1887-1914," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 185-225.
    24. Roberts, Jennifer & Coutts, J. Andrew, 1992. "Feminization and professionalization: A review of an emerging literature on the development of accounting in the United Kingdom," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 379-395.
    25. Annisette, Marcia, 2000. "Imperialism and the professions: the education and certification of accountants in Trinidad and Tobago," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(7), pages 631-659, October.
    26. Martin Kornberger & Chris Carter & Anne Ross-Smith, 2010. "Changing gender domination in a Big Four accounting firm : Flexibility, performance and client service in practice," Post-Print hal-02311996, HAL.
    27. Duff, Angus & Ferguson, John, 2011. "Disability and the socialization of accounting professionals," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 351-364.
    28. Jérémy Morales & Caroline Virginie Lambert, 2013. "Dirty work and the construction of identity. An ethnographic study of management accounting practices," Post-Print hal-01097571, HAL.
    29. Lee D. Parker & James Guthrie, 2014. "Addressing directions in interdisciplinary accounting research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(8), pages 1218-1226, October.
    30. Martin Kornberger & Chris Carter & Anne Ross-Smith, 2010. "Changing gender domination in a Big Four accounting firm: Flexibility, performance and client service in practice," Post-Print hal-02276735, HAL.
    31. Grey, C., 1998. "On being a professional in a "Big Six" firm," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(5-6), pages 569-587.
    32. Rumens, Nick, 2016. "Sexualities and accounting: A queer theory perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 111-120.
    33. Jane Broadbent & Linda Kirkham, 2008. "Glass ceilings, glass cliffs or new worlds?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(4), pages 465-473, May.
    34. Kathryn Haynes, 2013. "Sexuality and sexual symbolism as processes of gendered identity formation," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(3), pages 374-398, March.
    35. Hopwood, Anthony G., 1987. "Accounting and gender: An introduction," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 65-69, January.
    36. Morales, Jérémy & Gendron, Yves & Guénin-Paracini, Henri, 2014. "State privatization and the unrelenting expansion of neoliberalism: The case of the Greek financial crisis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 423-445.
    37. Duff, Angus, 2011. "Big four accounting firms’ annual reviews: A photo analysis of gender and race portrayals," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 20-38.
    38. Kathryn Haynes, 2008. "Moving the gender agenda or stirring chicken's entrails?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(4), pages 539-555, May.
    39. Sylvia Chant, 2006. "Re-thinking the “Feminization of Poverty” in Relation to Aggregate Gender Indices," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 201-220.
    40. Hammond, Theresa & Streeter, Denise W., 1994. "Overcoming barriers: Early African-American certified public accountants," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 271-288, April.
    41. Kamla, Rania, 2012. "Syrian women accountants’ attitudes and experiences at work in the context of globalization," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 188-205.
    42. Jeacle, Ingrid, 2011. "A practice of her own: Female career success beyond the accounting firm," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 288-303.
    43. Nieves Carrera & Isabel Gutierrez & Salvador Carmona, 2001. "Gender, the state and the audit profession: evidence from Spain (1942-88)," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(4), pages 803-815.
    44. Crompton, Rosemary, 1987. "Gender and accountancy: A response to Tinker and Neimark," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 103-110, January.
    45. Jeacle, Ingrid, 2003. "Accounting and the construction of the standard body," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 357-377, May.
    46. Stephen P. Walker, 2008. "Accounting histories of women: beyond recovery?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(4), pages 580-610, May.
    47. Jesse Dillard & MaryAnn Reynolds, 2008. "Green Owl and the Corn Maiden," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(4), pages 556-579, May.
    48. Hines, Ruth D., 1988. "Financial accounting: In communicating reality, we construct reality," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 251-261, April.
    49. Ken Shackleton, 1999. "Gender segregation in Scottish chartered accountancy: the deployment of male concerns about the admission of women, 1900-25," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 135-156.
    50. Almer, Elizabeth Dreike & Lightbody, Margaret G. & Single, Louise E., 2012. "Successful promotion or segregation from partnership? An examination of the “post-senior manager” position in public accounting and the implications for women's careers," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 122-133.
    51. Cheryl Lehman, 2012. "We've come a long way! Maybe! Re‐imagining gender and accounting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 25(2), pages 256-294, February.
    52. Martin Kornberger & Lise Justesen & Jan Mouritsen, 2011. "“When you make manager, we put a big mountain in front of you” : An ethnography of managers in a Big 4 Accounting Firm," Post-Print hal-02276736, HAL.
    53. Kornberger, Martin & Carter, Chris & Ross-Smith, Anne, 2010. "Changing gender domination in a Big Four accounting firm: Flexibility, performance and client service in practice," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 775-791, November.
    54. Kirkham, Linda M. & Loft, Anne, 1993. "Gender and the construction of the professional accountant," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 507-558, August.
    55. Patrizia Kokot, 2014. "Structures and relationships: women partners' careers in Germany and the UK," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(1), pages 48-72, January.
    56. Edgley, Carla & Sharma, Nina & Anderson-Gough, Fiona, 2016. "Diversity and professionalism in the Big Four firms: Expectation, celebration and weapon in the battle for talent," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 13-34.
    57. Cooper, Christine & Taylor, Phil, 2000. "From Taylorism to Ms Taylor: the transformation of the accounting craft," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 555-578, August.
    58. Puja Ladva & Jane Andrew, 2014. "Weaving a web of control," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(4), pages 634-654, April.
    59. Claire Dambrin & Caroline Lambert, 2012. "Who is she and who are we? A reflexive journey in research into the rarity of women in the highest ranks of accountancy," Post-Print hal-00687845, HAL.
    60. Morales, Jérémy & Lambert, Caroline, 2013. "Dirty work and the construction of identity. An ethnographic study of management accounting practices," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 228-244.
    61. Gendron, Yves & Spira, Laura F., 2010. "Identity narratives under threat: A study of former members of Arthur Andersen," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 275-300, April.
    62. Eve Chiapello, 2007. "Accounting and the birth of the notion of capitalism," Post-Print hal-00466515, HAL.
    63. Walker, Stephen P., 2011. "Ethel Ayres Purdie: Critical practitioner and suffragist," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 79-101.
    64. Claire Dambrin & Caroline Lambert, 2008. "Mothering or auditing? The case of two Big Four in France," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(4), pages 474-506, May.
    65. Dambrin, Claire & Lambert, Caroline, 2012. "Who is she and who are we? A reflexive journey in research into the rarity of women in the highest ranks of accountancy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 1-16.
    66. Kirkham, Linda M., 1992. "Integrating herstory and history in accountancy," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 287-297.
    67. Bryer, R. A., 2000. "The history of accounting and the transition to capitalism in England. Part two: evidence," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(4-5), pages 327-381, May.
    68. Sharon Bolton & Daniel Muzio, 2008. "The paradoxical processes of feminization in the professions: the case of established, aspiring and semi-professions," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 22(2), pages 281-299, June.
    69. Benschop, Yvonne & Meihuizen, Hanne E., 2002. "Keeping up gendered appearances: representations of gender in financial annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 611-636, October.
    70. Kumiko Nemoto, 2013. "When culture resists progress: masculine organizational culture and its impacts on the vertical segregation of women in Japanese companies," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 27(1), pages 153-169, February.
    71. Viator, R. E., 2001. "An examination of African Americans' access to public accounting mentors: perceived barriers and intentions to leave," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 541-561, August.
    72. Angus Duff & John Ferguson, 2011. "Disability and the professional accountant: insights from oral histories," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 25(1), pages 71-101, December.
    73. Wootton, Charles W. & Kemmerer, Barbara E., 1996. "The Changing Genderization of Bookkeeping in the United States, 1870–1930," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 70(4), pages 541-586, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bitbol-Saba, Nathalie & Dambrin, Claire, 2019. "“It’s not often we get a visit from a beautiful woman!” The body in client-auditor interactions and the masculinity of accountancy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Sian, S. & Agrizzi, D. & Wright, T. & Alsalloom, A., 2020. "Negotiating constraints in international audit firms in Saudi Arabia: Exploring the interaction of gender, politics and religion," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    3. Edgley, Carla & Sharma, Nina & Anderson-Gough, Fiona, 2016. "Diversity and professionalism in the Big Four firms: Expectation, celebration and weapon in the battle for talent," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 13-34.
    4. Dambrin, Claire & Lambert, Caroline, 2012. "Who is she and who are we? A reflexive journey in research into the rarity of women in the highest ranks of accountancy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 1-16.
    5. Faragalla Widad Atena & Adriana Tiron-Tudor, 2019. "Gender as a Dimension of Inequality in Accounting Organizations and Developmental HR Strategies," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, December.
    6. Durocher, Sylvain & Bujaki, Merridee & Brouard, François, 2016. "Attracting Millennials: Legitimacy management and bottom-up socialization processes within accounting firms," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 1-24.
    7. Carmona, Salvador & Ezzamel, Mahmoud, 2016. "Accounting and lived experience in the gendered workplace," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 1-8.
    8. Baker, Darren T & Brewis, Deborah N, 2020. "The melancholic subject: A study of self-blame as a gendered and neoliberal psychic response to loss of the ‘perfect worker’," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    9. Agrizzi, Dila & Soobaroyen, Teerooven & Alsalloom, Abeer, 2021. "Spatiality and accounting: The case of female segregation in audit firms," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    10. Kokot-Blamey, Patrizia, 2021. "Mothering in accounting: Feminism, motherhood, and making partnership in accountancy in Germany and the UK," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    11. Mara Del Baldo & Adriana Tiron-Tudor & Widad Atena Faragalla, 2018. "Women’s Role in the Accounting Profession: A Comparative Study between Italy and Romania," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, December.
    12. Lupu, Ioana, 2012. "Approved routes and alternative paths: The construction of women's careers in large accounting firms. Evidence from the French Big Four," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 351-369.
    13. Adriana Tiron-Tudor & Widad Atena Faragalla, 2018. "Women Career Paths in Accounting Organizations: Big4 Scenario," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-16, October.
    14. Sheerin, Corina & Garavan, Thomas, 2022. "Female leaders as ‘Superwomen’: Post-global financial crisis media framing of women and leadership in investment banking in UK print media 2014–2016," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    15. Lehman, Cheryl R., 2019. "Reflecting on now more than ever: Feminism in accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    16. Anderson-Gough, Fiona & Edgley, Carla & Robson, Keith & Sharma, Nina, 2022. "Organizational responses to multiple logics: Diversity, identity and the professional service firm," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    17. Egan, Matthew & Voss, Barbara de Lima, 2023. "Redressing the Big 4’s male, pale and stale image, through LGBTIQ+ ethical praxis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    18. Young, Joni J., 2015. "(En)gendering sustainability," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 67-75.
    19. Kamla, Rania, 2012. "Syrian women accountants’ attitudes and experiences at work in the context of globalization," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 188-205.
    20. Ogharanduku, Bridget Efeoghene & Jackson, William J. & Paterson, Audrey S., 2021. "Beautiful SWAN, or ugly duckling? The attempt to reduce gender inequality by the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:43:y:2017:i:c:p:110-124. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/critical-perspectives-on-accounting/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.