Abstract
Historically, women in the accounting industry have been barred from leadership positions, preferring instead to work in secretarial and general support roles. Gender inequalities were caused by the belief that women could not undertake leadership roles. Furthermore, there is opposition to women's efforts to gain top leadership positions, as seen by the persistent pay disparity between men and women, which is most visible in leadership positions and is referred to as the glass ceiling. Because women are excluded from senior positions in the organization's hierarchy, the glass ceiling effect inhibits women's salaries from being equal to men's income. Black women are significantly underrepresented in the profession of Chartered Accountants (CA) in South Africa. According to the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) (2022) figures, just 20 per cent of registered South African CAs are African, Coloured, or Indian, with Black women accounting for only 8.7 per cent of the total (and African Black CAs accounting for even fewer, at only 7.2 per cent).
This study focused on gender imbalances in leadership positions within the accounting profession, using various participants from entities within the accounting field. The study used the qualitative paradigm and thematic analysis to identify and analyse the themes of the study. Four major themes emerged from the data collected.
The major finding from the study was the existence of gender imbalances and the underrepresentation of females in leadership positions within the accounting profession. The findings showed that the causes for this imbalance varied from age, sexual harassment, lack of policies, communication challenges, and a lack of role models and mentors. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the level of gender imbalances in the accounting profession varied across various organisations, and work life balance emanated as a critical aspect to be dealt with by females who are in leadership positions and those who strive to be leaders.
The recommendations included setting policies across different platforms, including government, accounting boards and organisations within the accounting profession. Furthering women’s education and raising awareness across all accounting platforms was also recommended to reduce the causes of gender imbalances so that
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organisations may realise a more gender-balanced leadership representation in the accounting profession.
Keywords: Accounting profession, gender imbalances, female leadership, feminist leadership, leadership, gender, and leadership.