The Influence of Gender, Ethnicity, and Individual Differences on Perceptions of Career Progression in Public Accounting

Abstract

Prior research examining gender and diversity issues has generally lacked supporting theory and experimental investigation. This study provides theory‐based experimental evidence regarding the effects of gender, ethnicity, and other individual differences on performance evaluations of audit seniors. We utilized organizational socialization theory in examining the accounting profession's view of diversity issues. The process model of performance evaluation provided guidance in the selection of ratee, rater, and contextual characteristics as factors to analyze. An experiment was conducted with 95 audit seniors from one of the Big 5 public accounting firms. Results indicate that gender and ethnic heritage are important factors in the career prospects of audit seniors. The demeanor of an auditor was also important as an interactive factor and influences judgments differently depending on the gender or ethnic origin of the auditor evaluated. These results suggest that diversity is a very complex issue. Examining single factors without considering the interactions of a variety of factors may lead to incorrect conclusions.