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Mothering or Auditing? The French Big 4's Desperate Auditors

Author

Listed:
  • Claire Dambrin

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Caroline Virginie Lambert

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Les femmes restent proportionnellement moins nombreuses dans les plus hauts niveaux de la hiérarchie des cabinets d'audit, alors qu'au moment du recrutement, la parité est désormais quasiment respectée. L'objectif de cet article est de proposer une analyse des mécanismes à l'origine des obstacles rencontrés par les mères auditrices au sein des Big 4 en France. A partir de 24 entretiens menés auprès d'auditeurs et d'auditrices de niveaux hiérarchiques variés, nous montrons que les femmes sont confrontées à un dilemme en termes de gestion de leur vie personnelle/ vie professionnelle qui les amène à modifier leurs habitudes de travail et à opter pour des trajectoires spécifiques (spécialisations ou fonctions support). A terme, l'ensemble des contraintes s'imposant à elles les conduisent souvent à se retrouver exclues du groupe de « ceux (celles) qui sont susceptibles de devenir associé(e)s ».

Suggested Citation

  • Claire Dambrin & Caroline Virginie Lambert, 2007. "Mothering or Auditing? The French Big 4's Desperate Auditors," Post-Print halshs-00543064, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00543064
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00543064v1
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    File URL: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00543064v1/document
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
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