Abstract
Orientation: Most CEOs in South Africa are chartered accountants (CAs). Retaining women CAs might therefore lead to an increase in women in leadership. The Job Demands-Resources model presents a framework to investigate organisational job-related factors that promote or deter voluntary turnover of women CAs.Research purpose: The primary objective was to investigate which organisational factors promote or reduce the risk of turnover intentions for South African women CAs. The secondary objective was to investigate the moderating potential of job resources on the relationship between job demands and turnover intentions.Motivation for the study: There is a fair amount of research on the problems associated with the retention of women CAs in public practice but very little is known about how those problems interact with each other, and whether there are factors that could buffer them.Research design, approach, and method: The study consisted of a sample (n = 851) of women CAs in public practice firms nationally in South Africa. We used structural equation modelling together with moderated regression analysis.Main findings: Job demands promote turnover intentions, whereas job resources have a negative effect on turnover intentions. Counter-intuitively a negative direct effect was found between job insecurity and turnover intentions. Statistical support was found for the moderating role of all job resources, except financial advancement, on the relationship between work–family conflict and turnover intentions; and growth opportunities, on the relationship between job insecurity and turnover intentions.Practical/managerial implications: No job resource measured could buffer the impact of job overload on turnover intentions.Contribution: This is the first study to investigate factors that may retain women CAs in public practice audit, tax, and advisory firms (Big Four Accountancy Firms) using the JD-R model. Few studies have investigated the buffering effect of job resources on the relationship between job demands and turnover intentions in general.Keywords: gender; auditing; voluntary turnover; female; moderate; JD-R model
Highlights
Significant changes in the global economic and social environment with underpinning legislation have resulted in public practice firms having to consider strategic ways to ensure the retention of women accountants
Moderately strong positive correlations were reported between the job demands indicators and turnover intentions, whereas negative correlations were found between job resources and turnover intentions
The present study shows that job demands promote turnover intentions, whereas job resources combat turnover intentions of women working in the accountancy profession in South African public practice firms
Summary
Significant changes in the global economic and social environment with underpinning legislation have resulted in public practice firms having to consider strategic ways to ensure the retention of women accountants. International research has shown for decades that more women graduates are entering the accountancy profession each year than men (Crosley, 2006; Gold, 2008a; Meredith & French, 1996). A small percentage of women chartered accountants (CAs) remain employed in large public practice firms after completion of their trainee apprenticeships. An attrition rate of 56% immediately after completion of the training period is reported (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants [SAICA], 2009). Which is perhaps a knock-on effect of the first outcome, the percentage of women partners in accountancy public practice firms remains low (Crosley, 2006; Gold, 2008a, 2008b; Kornberger, Justesen & Mouritsen, 2011)
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