A JUGGLING ACT: WORK/LIFE BALANCE IN THE U.S. ACCOUNTING PROFESSION HONORS THESIS. Presented to the Honors Committee of

Transcription

1 AJUGGLINGACT: WORK/LIFEBALANCE INTHEU.S.ACCOUNTINGPROFESSION HONORSTHESIS PresentedtotheHonorsCommitteeof TexasStateUniversity SanMarcos InPartialFulfillmentof therequirements ForGraduationintheUniversityHonorsProgram By RoxanneMoralez SanMarcos,Texas December2009

2 AJUGGLINGACT: WORK/LIFEBALANCE INTHEU.S.ACCOUNTINGPROFESSION Approved: Dr.RoselynE.Morris DepartmentofAccounting SupervisingProfessor Approved: Dr.HeatherC.Galloway Director,UniversityHonorsProgram

3 Dedication Mom IcouldnotbethepersonIamtoday,ifitwerenotforyourunconditionalsupport,love,and guidance.thankyouforinstillinginmetheconfidencetopursuemygoals.iloveyou! Sister Youhavegrowntobeanamazingyounglady.Thankyouforteachingmetofollowmyheart andfightforwhatibelievein.loveyou!

4 Abstract Theperspectiveoffemalesintheaccountingprofessionhaschangedwithinthepast twodecades,aswomenhavecreatedastrongpresenceintheaccountingprofession. Womenstrugglewiththebalancebetweenworkandpersonallife,aswellaswiththelimits inadvancement.asaresult,firmshaveimplemented women/choiceinitiatives, programs createdbyfirmstoofferfemaleemployeesadditionalresourcesutilizedasneededandat thediscretionofthefirm,toendorsetheadmission,growth,andfullparticipationof women,aswellastopromotegenderdiversityinthefirmandtheprofession.such programshaveprovenbeneficial,aswellas,detrimentalforfemaleaccountants.currently, menalsoutilizetheseinitiatives,thusemphasizingtheimportanceofabalancebetween personalandprofessionalresponsibilities.minimalresearchregardingaccountantswho havebenefitedorsufferedfromtheimplementationofcurrent work/lifebalance programs hasbeenconductedsincetheexplosionoffemalesenteringtheaccountingfield inthelate1970s.datagatheredfromawork/lifebalancesurveyscompletedbycertified publicaccountantsandaccountingstudentsareusedtoprovidecurrentperspectives.

5 TableofContents Introduction... 1 FemalesintheProfession...2 Work/LifeIssues...7 CurrentTrends Survey Background Methodology Results ProfessionalResponses DemographicInformation LeaveArrangements PregnancyandParentingPolicies FlexibleWorkArrangements AdditionalWorkProvisions FormalityofPolicies Open EndedQuestions CollegiateResponses DemographicInformation LeaveArrangements PregnancyandParentingPolicies FlexibleWorkArrangements AdditionalWorkProvisions FormalityofPolicies Open EndedQuestions Discussion Conclusion References Appendices AppendixA AppendixB AppendixC AppendixD AppendixE AppendixF... 66

6 TableofFigures Figure1:GeographicalAreaCoveredbySurvey Figure2:SurveyTimeFrame Figure3:ProfessionalRespondents GenderandAge Figure4:Participants'JobTitles Figure5:LeaveArrangementResponses Figure6:PaidLeave Figure7:FlexibleWorkArrangements Figure8:CollegiateRespondents,GenderandClassification Figure9:CollegiateRespondentsFutureEmployment Figure10:LeaveArrangementResponses Figure11:PregnancyandParentingPoliciesResponses Figure12:FlexibleWorkArrangements Figure13:SurveyLimitations... 41

7 Introduction Itsfiveo clockonafridayafternoon,thestarttothelongawaitedweekend,butthe clienthascalledtheengagement spartnertonotifytheauditteamoftheirintenttofilethe quarterfinancialsonmonday,daysbeforetheactualdeadline.thepartnerwalksintoshare thenewsandtheteamdiligentlybeginstodeterminetheworkneededtocompletethetask. Thenextstep everyteammemberbeginstomodifyweekendplans.onemembercancelsa weekendtriptovisitfamily;anotherrealizesababysitterwillbeneededastheirspousewill beoutoftown,whileyourealizeyourrelaxingweekendisgone. Thistendstobethestoryformostprofessionals,atsomepointintheircareer,when adeadlineisnearorchangesabruptly.femalesareoftenthemostaffectedbysuchchange inschedule.traditionally,thestereotypeofawomanisofonedestinedtolivethelifeofa nurturingmotherandobedientwife,stayinghometotendtothefamily sneeds.however, throughouthistory,womenhaveservedinnumerouscapacitieswithinthesocietal spectrumbeyondwifeandmother.today swomenareviewedasmulti taskersandasthe CFO,orChiefFamilyOfficer,ofthefamily snucleus.thestereotypeofwomenhaschanged tothatofafull timemother/spouseandfull timeemployeeconstantlyonthemoveand dependentupontheadequateschedulingofboth,professionalandpersonal,lives. Therefore,thechallengewithintheaccountingprofessioncontinuestobeoneof encouragingthegrowthanddevelopmentofwomenwhileallowingforabalancebetween workandlife.thedifficultyofthisbalancebeganwhenfemalesenteredtheprofessional workforce.itwasalsoatthistimethatthedifferencesbetweenrolesmenandwomenserve inlifewerebroughttotheattentionofemployers.researchaccountants,reid,acken,and Jancura(1987)claimthattheproblemofwomennotbeingheldatthesamestandardsmay 1

8 haverisenfromwomenpreconditionedbysocietytosacrificethemselvesfortheir husbands,children,orelderlyandsickparents. Associetyaccommodatestocurrenttrends,afemaleworkingfull timehasbecome moresociallyaccepted,howeveremployershavehadtorecognizethatworkingmenand womenmaintainresponsibilitiestotheirfamilies.toavoidhighratesofattrition,firms needtoimplementprogramstoaccommodatetheseemployees. Thispaperwillexplorethehistoryoffemalesintheaccountingprofession,the evolutionofwork/lifebalancewithintheprofession,andcurrenttrends.forabetter understandingofcurrentandfutureprofessionalsperspectivesregardingwork/life initiativesintheprofessionsurveyswereissued.thepaperwillalsoincludedetailsabout thesurvey,presentationoftheresults,andadiscussionofthesurveyresultswitha comparisonbetweentwocategories professionalsandcollegestudents. 2

9 FemalesintheProfession Recordsdatingbacktotheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturyrecognizewomenas record keepers(reid,acken,&jancura,1987).sincethisperiod,womenhavealsoserved asbookkeepers,accountants,andcashiers.womenareviewedasdetail orientedand capableofmulti tasking,allowingtheirskillstobeutilizedbytheirimmediatefamilyand subsequently,theirhusbandforfamilyaffairsorpersonalbusinessesandfinances. The1880sbroughtabouttheformationoftwoassociations,theInstituteof AccountantsandBookkeepersin1882,andtheAmericanAssociationofPublicAccountants in1887(aicpa,2008;romeo&kyj,1998).thesethenjoinedforcestoenactthefirst certifiedpublicaccountancylawsinnewyorkin1896,aswellasinpennsylvaniain1899 (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987).Withthelawsset,thoseinterestedinacareerinpublic accountingwererequiredtoholdacertificatewhichrepresentedthattheindividualhadsat forthecertifiedpublicaccountantexam.thefirstwomanwhowasacertifiedpublic accountantwaschristineross,whoreceivedcertificatenumber143ondecember27,1899 innewyorkstate.shesatforthefourthexaminationgiveninjune1898andwasrankedas thethirdhighestcandidate(reid,acken,&jancura,1987). Womenwhotookaccountingcoursesinthemid1900scompetedsuccessfullywith theirmalecounterparts.accountingeducationwasofferedtowomen;however,thegeneral ruleamongpublicaccountingfirmswasnottohirewomen.this,inturn,madeitdifficult forwomentogaintheexperienceneededtositforthecertifiedpublicaccountant examination.reasons,givenbythefirms,whywomenwerenothiredincludedthe objectionsbyclientstowomenprofessionals,embarrassmentofheterogeneouspersonnel, anddifficultyandinconvenienceofworkinglateintotheevening(reid,acken,&jancura, 3

10 1987).Femalesweredominantlyviewedasmothersandcaretakersofthehouse,asthese werethemajorrolestheyplayed.thesidetasks,maintainingthefamilyfinancesand managingthefamilybusiness,werenotviewedasjobswhereonecouldpotentiallybepaid; rathertheywereviewedasfreeservice. Astimeprogressedandwomenweremakinganimpactintheworkforce,the AmericanWomen ssocietyofcertifiedpublicaccountants(awscpa)wasestablishedin 1933forthepurposeofadvancingprofessionalinterestofwomen.Theorganization focusedonthefollowinggoals: 1. tohelpwomenreceivepublicaccountingexperienceandcertificates 2. toinformthepublicofthewomenaccountants abilitiesandaccomplishments 3. toencouragewomentoactivelyworkinthetechnicalaccountingsocieties (AWSCPA,2008;Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987) Inaddition,theAmericanSocietyofWomenAccountants(ASWA)wascreatedin1938 to increasetheopportunitiesofwomeninallfieldsofaccounting andtoexpandtoinclude noncertifiedwomenaccountantsintheunitedstates(aswa,2008;reid,acken,&jancura, 1987).Bothorganizationsremainactive. Asaresultofthestockmarketcrashof1929andduringtheGreatDepression,the governmentfelttheneedtoregulatepubliccompaniesbyrequiringthemtoreporttothe federallevelasopposedtothestatelevel,whichhadbeentheprocess.indoingso,the SecuritiesActof1933and1934mandatedthatpubliclyheldcompaniessubmitannualto thereportssecuritiesexchangecommissionsforcingthegovernmenttohireaccountantsat anamplifiedrate.thisledtoashortageinaccountantswhichcontinuedtoposeaproblem asworldwariirequiredthemalepopulation,includingaccountants,toleavetheirjobsto serveinthearmedforces.onanequalnote,thisopenedthedoorsforwomentoenterand becomepublicaccountingprofessionals.yet,thefirstwomendocumentedasnewhiresby 4

11 thegovernmentwereinthebureauofinternalrevenuesectorin1917wheretheywere giventhetitleof auditors (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987). Duringtheearly1940s,8.4%offemalewomenaccountantswereemployedby publicaccountingfirmsandgiventheopportunitytoprovethelong livingmythwrong,as theyworkedlonghours,traveled,andgainedacceptancebyclients.asaresult,theattitudes ofthebusinessprofessionalsgraduallyimprovedasthewomen sjobqualityandabilities wereacknowledged.itiswiththisslightchangeinperception,thatthenumberofwomen participatingascertifiedpublicaccountantsin1940and1950rosefrom175to600asthey heldthepositionsofaccountantsandauditors. (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987) ThenextdecadewouldbringchangesinAmericansociety.Asscientistsbeganto betterunderstandthefemalebody,theintroductionandavailabilityofbirthcontrol broughtaboutfamilyplanning.eveninitsearlystages,birthcontrolofferedwomencontrol oftheirlivesandtheopportunitytopursueotherventures,asidefrombeingthenurturer. Additionally,newlifepatternsandeconomicinflationforcedwomentosupportthemselves andtheirfamilies,asoneincomewasnotsufficient(reid,acken,&jancura,1987). Atypicalfemalecertifiedpublicaccountantduringthisera,whoservedasan accountant,auditor,andcontroller,was39 years old,single,collegeeducatedwithan averagesalaryof$6,185.eventhen,publicaccountingfirmswerenotcomfortablehiring women,statingthatthey wereunsuitedforout of towntravel,werenotcareer minded, andhadhighturnover. Genderdiscriminationwithinemploymentofferedmajor disadvantagestowomenwhoalsofacedalackofexperienceneededtositfortheexamand nonexistentrolemodels.(reid,acken,&jancura,1987) Salarydiscriminationwasanotherissue.AccordingtoReidetal(1987),women, whoheldthesameposition,earned60%ofaman ssalary.inadditiontothedifferencein pay,womenoftensoldthemselvesshortwhenjoiningfirms.beginningsalarieswerenot 5

12 equalbetweenmenandwomenandincreasesinsalarieswerenotequal.thesefactorsled toresentmentassomemenadvancedaheadofwomeneveniftheypossessedinferiorskills (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987).Thegovernmentsteppedinwiththeimplementationofthe CivilRightsActandtheFairEmploymentPracticesActof1964.ThisledtotheEqual EmploymentOpportunitiesCommissionservingasanagentwhichprohibitedsex discriminationandstatedthatmenandwomenbetreatedfairlywhencompetingfor employment(unitedstatesequalemploymentopportunitycommission[u.s.eeoc], 1964).Beforetheact,employerscouldspecifygenderforavailablepositions,thuslisting severalpositionsas menonly (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987). Onceagain,asocietalshiftoccurred.The1970sand1980sbroughtaboutan increaseindivorcerateandthedifficultytosurviveonminimalincome,forcingwomento entertheworkforceatahigherrate.inthelate1980swomenwereattainingthecertified publicaccountantcertificateatearlierageswithmorewomenmajoringinaccountingand takingtheexamduringtheirsenioryearofcollegeorupongraduation.thepercentageof mengraduatingwithintheaccountingfielddecreased,whereasthenumberofwomen increased,shiftingthedemandoffemaleaccountantsinthejobforce.withmorewomen completingtheirpost secondaryeducationwithaninterestinaccounting,firmsbeganto investpositionsintherecentfemalegraduates.dependentontheirjobs,womenwerenot hesitanttoleavepublicaccountingfirmsduetolimitedchancesforachievementsandbetter opportunities,listingexcesstravelasthetopreasonforlookingelsewhereforemployment. (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987) 6

13 Work/LifeIssues In1985theaveragefemaleaccountantwas39years oldanddidnothavechildren (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987).Femalecertifiedpublicaccountants,asinpreviousyears, werecontemplatingtheirprioritieswithrespecttotheirpersonalandprofessionallives. Womenbeganto feelthe[burden]oftheinabilitytofulfillthenumberofexpectedwork hours,meetoff jobcommitments,andbalancerewardsoftheprofessionwithpersonal costs (Pasework,VIator,2006). Withmorewomenactivelyparticipatingintheworkforce,theAmericanInstituteof CertifiedPublicAccountantscreatedacommitteein1984thatspecializedinthe upward mobility ofwomen.thecommitteebeganbyfocusingon14issues,oneofwhichincluded thedifficultyofwomentoadvanceassocietypressuresthemtobethe centeroffamily units,includingtheroleofchildbearerandchildraiser (Reid,Acken,&Jancura,1987). Thus,theyrecognizedthefemales abilitytofulfillbothaprofessionalroleandnurturing rolepossibleifwomenweregrantedflexibility. Thebiologicaldifferencebetweenmenandwomenliesinthefactthatwomen possesstheabilitytogivebirth.asanamendmenttothecivilrightsactof1964,the PregnancyDiscriminationActinstitutedthatchildbirthbeconsideredatemporary disability;thereforetheemployeemustofferthesamebenefits,asthosewithadisability, suchasmodifiedtasks,alternativeassignments,disabilityleaveorleavewithoutpay (UnitedStatesEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission[U.S.EEOC],2004). Comparedtomen,womendomaintainthegreatestconcernaboutwork/life effectiveness,ortheabilitytobalanceafamilyandcareerwithease(almer,2007).as MandyPope,SeniorVice PresidentandController,ParkwayProperties,putsit, The 7

14 greatestchallengefacedbywomenisovercomingtheinternalstruggleofwork/life balance (AmericanInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants[AICPA],2005).Her understandingreinforcesthefactthatmanywomencarrythepreconditionednotionthey mustsacrificeprofessionalgoalstotendtotheirfamiliesastheycarefortheirchildrenand significantother. TheAllianceforWork/LifeProgress(AWLP,2008)defineswork/lifeas policies, programs,services,andattitudeswithinacompanythatarespecifictofosteringthewellbeingofitsemployeesthroughtheeffectivemanagementofwork,family,andpersonallife. Work/lifebalanceinitiativesbenefitfirmsofallsizesaswellasattractandretain professionals,providingakeyfactorofemployeesatisfaction(lewison,2006).firmshave recognizedwomenaspositiveassetsthathaveledfirmstobecomingproactiveincreating programsthatpositivelyimpactthebalancebetweenworkandlife.employees,including women,aremorewillingtobeloyaltotheiremployersiftheemployeractsinamannerthat provesthattheiremployeesareatoppriority. Thetypeofwork/lifeprogramscurrentlyavailableincludeflextime,flexibleweeks, work at home,flexplaceortelecommuting,part timejobsharing,andpart time telecommuting(lewison,2006).thecpajournal(1998)statesthat flexiblework arrangementscreategreaterstabilityinclientserviceandfacilitatecontinuedprofessional growthandlearning. Thus,emphasizingareductioninturnoverwithanincreasein retention,anincreaseintop qualityrecruitment,andtheabilitytohandlethenatural professionalemploymentshift.theseareonlyafewoftheprogramscreatedand implementedbyfirmstobetteraddressthework/lifeissue.moreover,firmsarenow offeringsupplementalprograms,suchaslast minuteday carefacilities,conciergeservices, nursingnecessities,whicharegender neutral,aswellasavailableformenwhosewivesare 8

15 notemployedbythefirm.astrendsarechangingovertime,successfulprogramsaddress elder careandchild careneeds(lewison,2006). Asidefromwork/lifebalanceprogramsbenefitingtheemployee,thereareafew advantagesonthefirm ssideincludingreducedabsenteeism,reducedturnover,increased productivity,reducedovertimecosts,andclientretention(lewison,2006).inturn,a positiveworkenvironmentiscreatedfortheemployeesduetoalackofcontinuouschanges inco workers.inaddition,thefirmbenefitsfromcreatingloyaltyamongemployeesfor boththefirmandthefirms clients. 9

16 CurrentTrends Almer(2007)statesthatby2004,womenmadeup56%ofnewentrantsintopublic accounting.thisnumberisconsistentwiththemaletofemaleratioamongundergraduate studentsintheunitedstates. Firmshavecreatedprogramsofferinganadvantagetotheworkingmotherand/or wife.since1993,firmshaveofferednon partnershipcareertracks,mutualagreementsthat theprofessionalwillnotprogressupwardinthefirm,andalternativepartnership agreements,progresstowardspartnerwithpart timeandnon equityasoptions(almer, 2007).Leadersoffirmsrecognizetheimportanceofembracingtheadvancementofwomen. Shiroemphasizesthatanindividual sprogresscanbeattained byremovingfocuson tenureand[allowing]thedevelopmentandachievementofskillsets (Hooks,1996).By offeringadditionalcareertracks,pursuablebyafamilyorientedemployee,thefirmcan retainitsmostproductiveemployees.employeesmaybemoreattractedtoacareerand employerwhooffersjobsecurityandtheabilitytobalanceworkandlife.thealternative workarrangementsallowforanincreaseinemployeeretentionandrecruitmentamong recentcollegegraduates.two thirdsoffirmscurrentlyofferflextimeorpart timework arrangements(almer,2007).indoingso,thefirmsallowemployees,maleandfemale,to tendtoneedsinbothspheresoftheirlife. TheAmericanInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants(AICPA,2005)affirmsthat workflexibility,althoughonceafemaleissue,intoday sworldisgender neutralandmaybe linkedtogenerationalthemes.yet,improvementofflexibleworkarrangementsmayhelp retainaccountants,buttheydonotnecessarilyassistinadvancingthem(almerandsingle, 2007). 10

17 In1996,theBig6auditors,thelargestinternationalaccountingfirms,understood thenecessityofembracingdiversityandsupportingwomen.hookscollectedanumberof statementsfrombig6leadersregardingdiversityandfamilyissues.forexamples,shiro statesthat agenuinecommitmenttodiversity[brings]agreaterrangeofideas,approach, experiencesandabilities thatcanassistinsolvingauditengagementissues(hooks,1996). However,leadersalsounderstoodthatthewomenbearmoreoftheparenting responsibilitiesthanmen(hooks,1996). By2005,theJournalofAccountancysharedthecurrentshifttowardbalancewith dataprovidedbyanaicpasurvey.theresultsconfirmedtheslowrateinwomen advancementandcontinuedoutnumberingbymalecounterparts,anincreaseinflexible workoptionsbyfirms,andanincreaseinprofessionalchangeduetotechnological progression(baldiga,doucet,2001).suchadvancementsincluderemoteaccesstowork filesasfirmshavedeemedthepaperlessrouteeffective,manageable,andbeneficialfor employeeswhoseekflexibleworkarrangements.thesurveyalsopresentedtheretention ofyoungmotherspossiblyduetofamily friendlyfirmpolicies,butmaintainedthat work/lifebalancewasnotachievedasaresultof clientdemandsandtightdeadlines, as wellaslackofadequatestaffing(baldiga,doucet,2001). Variousaspectsoftheaccountingprofessionhavebeenanalyzedbasedonthe changeinworkforce,asgenerationsxandyarereplacingthebabyboomers.theentrance ofgenerationsxandyhasincreasedimportanceofflexibilityandtheabilitytomaintaina decentamountoffamilytime.whereas,theprofessionalboomersarecarryingthesame mentalityandwanttoexperiencelifeoutsideofwork,astheyincludemotherswhohave foughttoreenterthelaborforce, andarefacedwiththe warningsofpublichealth crisis becausepeoplenolongerhavethetimetoexercise,cook,orsleep (Molas,2006; Eckler,Kofman,2006).Themainissue theyoungergenerationwantsmorecontrolover 11

18 theirtimetoensurethatbothaspectsoflifearenotintertwinedinanundistinguishable manner. Theimportanceofbillablehoursisthefocusofmanyfirmsanddrilledintothe mindsoftherecentgraduatesenteringtheprofession.molas(2006)encouragesfirmsto weighthecostsofhighturnoverandheftystaffreplacementcosts tothebenefitsofhigh ratesofhoursofbillableworkperformedbyprofessionalsatlowratesofpay. Indoingso, thefirmswillrealizethattherecruiting,hiring,andtrainingofnewstaffmayexceedthe amountofprofitmadeonbillablehoursafterpayingstaff.ananalysisofstaffvaluationwill forcefirmstorealizethattheknowledgeheldbystaffmembersisthefirm struecapital. Movingawayfromawholesale(employeecompensation)andretail(feesforservices) conceptwillcreateloyaltyamongstemployeestowardsthefirm(molas,2006). Lastly,withinthepastdecade,economicalpressureshaveforcedtheviewofthe traditional bread winner tochangefrommaletofemaleinsomemarriages(larkin, Ragan,2008).Therecentdownfalloftheeconomyhasaffectedresponsibilitieswithin families,astheneedtoremainfinanciallystablehasbecomeaburden.firmshave determinedthatadecreaseinclient srequestsresultingfrombudgetreductionshas decreasedtheirneedforsurplusprofessionals.cutbackshaveaffectedseveralfamilies nation wideandencouragedcouplestodemonstratetheircommitmenttotheirspouse, puttingasidesocietalgenderexpectations.thetooltobalancingone smarriageliferelies ontheimportanceofbothpartnersagreeingto,sharing,andunderstandingthe commitmenteachplaceoneachother sdesiredcareer(larkin,ragan,2008). 12

19 Survey Tomeasurethecurrentwork/lifebalanceperspectiveintheaccountingprofession, professionalsregisteredwiththetexasstateboardofpublicaccountancyandstudents designatedasaccountingmajorsweresurveyed.detailsregardingtheissuanceofthe surveyandthedataretrievedarepresentedbelow. Background ThesurveytookplacewithinthestateofTexas,primarilyintheAustin,Dallas, Houston,andSanAntoniometropolitanareas,asseeninFigure1onthefollowingpage. Invitationalpostcardswer edmid September,withreminderpostcardsmailedinmid October.SurveysweremadepubliconSeptember15,2008andclosedonNovember15, 2008.Thisallowedforatwo monthaccessperiodforthoseinvitedtoparticipate. Thesamplepopulationincludedcertifiedpublicaccountantsregisteredwiththe TexasStateBoardofPublicAccountancy(TSBPA)andstudentscurrentlyenrolledas undergraduateandgraduatedegreeseekingaccountingmajorsfromfourpublic universitiesintexas.thesampleexcludesmembersoftsbpafromareasoutsidethe metropolitanareaspreviouslymentionedandnotedinfigure1,aswellasstudentsseeking degreesasidefromaccounting. Figure1:GeographicalAreaCoveredbySurvey DALLAS AUSTIN HOUSTON SANANTONIO 13

20 Theresearcherdefineswork/lifebalanceastheamountoftimespentonone s professionalcareerversustheamountoftimespentonone spersonallife.when equilibrium,orthatnearit,occurstheindividualhasbalancebetweenworkandlife.an individual sequilibriumisbasedonpersonalperspectiveandcurrentstateoflife,thusone s equilibriumbetweenworkandlifemaycontinuallychange.therefore,choosingtospend equaltimeonworkandlifeorbalancingfull timehourswithorwithoutovertimewillbe basedontheindividualandwillnotbeconsistentamongothers. Methodology Theresultsofthesurveywillprovidedocumentationofvariousperspectives regardingwork/lifebalanceintheaccountingprofession.theobjectiveofthisresearch projectwastoattempttounderstandthebeliefsheldbycollegestudentsandprofessionals inregardstowork/lifebalance.throughtheparticipationoftherespondents,the researcherattemptedtounderstandhowtobestsatisfytheneedsoforganizationsandthe needsofemployeeswithrespecttoimplementationofwork/lifebalanceincentives. Potentialsubjectswerecategorizedintwosubsets Group1:Professionalsin PublicAccountingandGroup2:UpperLevelAccountingMajors.Thisstudyaimedtoreach approximately1,000to3,000certifiedpublicaccountantsintheaustin,houston,dallas, andsanantoniometropolitanareas,aswellas250declaredaccountingmajorsfromfour publicuniversities:texasstateuniversity SanMarcos,UniversityofHouston,Universityof Texas Dallas,andtheUniversityofTexas SanAntonio.Respondentsfromthesespecific classeswillbeusedasasampleofalargerpopulation.thefollowingclassesofsubjectsare beingusedtogainperspectiveofwork/lifebalanceissuesfromadiversepopulation,those currentlyintheprofessionandthosestudyingforafutureintheprofession.accounting 14

21 firmsarepredominantlylocatedinmetropolitanareasofwhichtexasoffersanumberof citiesthatfittheprofile.however,theresultsmaynotaccuratelyrepresenttheperspectives heldbyprofessionalsemployedbyfirmsoutsidemetropolitanareas,thussmallcities. Therefore,dataincludedinthesurveymaybenefitfirmswithintheselectedmetropolitan areas,butmaybeutilizedbyfirmslocatedinsimilargeographicalareas.inaddition,the studentsrepresentthepoolinwhichfirmsfromlistedgeographicalareasrecruitpotential professionals. Theprocedureforrecruitmentamongtheprofessionalsandcollegestudentswas similar.respondentswerecontactedwitharequestfortheirparticipationwiththelinkto theweb basedsurvey. Theprojectmethodologyforprofessionalsbeganwitharequestforparticipationby apostcardthatwasmailedtothemwithpertinentinformationrelatedtothesurvey.the respondentswereselectedfromthetexasstateboardofpublicaccountancymembership listasofjuly30,2008.namespertainingtothefourmetropolitanareaslistedabovewere pulled.atthattime,therandomsamplegeneratorwithinmicrosoftexcelwasusedbasedon theamountofnamesperregioninordertopull2,500respondentspermetropolitanarea. Asperthecollegiaterespondents,thedepartmentcoordinatorforaccountingwas contactedviae mailwitharequesttoencouragetheirstudentstoparticipateinthesurvey. Thee mailincludedsimilarinformationlocatedonthepostcard abriefintroductiontothe survey,linktothewelcomepage,andcontactinformation.figure2detailsthetimeframe forthefieldwork. 15

22 Figure2:SurveyTimeFrame Group1:ProfessionalsinPublicAccounting ThedateofdistributionfortheinitialpostcardswassetfortheweekendingSeptember 12,withreminderssentduringtheweekendingOctober10withadeadlineof November15.(Namesofcurrentcertifiedpublicaccountantshavebeenobtainedbythe TexasStateBoardofPublicAccountancy.) Group2:SeniorandJuniorLevelAccountingMajors The wasdistributedonOctober8,withreminderssentonOctober27witha deadlineofnovember15. AsamemberoftheUniversityHonorsProgramatTexasStateUniversity San Marcos,theresearcherwasallowedtocreateawebpagetobeusedbyrespondentsto accessthesurvey.thewebpageincludedabriefintroductiontotheresearcherand backgroundinformationonthetopicofthesurvey.respondentsweredirectedtothe welcomepageforthesurveyandthusgiventheopportunitytochoosethesurveythatbest suitedtheircurrentclassification professionalorcollege. Uponarrivingtothesurveysite,hostedbySurveyMonkey.com,bothclassifications ofrespondentsweregivenaconsentform.atthebottomoftheconsentformthe participanthadtheoptionofagreeingorrejectingparticipation.iftherespondentaccepted toparticipatethesurveycontinued.however,iftherespondentdeclinedparticipationthe surveyledtoa Thankyou page.thesurveycontinuedwithdemographicquestions, matrixofchoicequestions,andconcludeswithopen endedquestions. Collectionofdatathroughtheweb basedsurveywascompletedthroughanonline systemapplication.therewasnocompensationofferedorprovidedtotheparticipants. Potentialriskswereminimalsincenoidentifiableinformationwascollectedfrom therespondents.therespondentshadtheopportunitytooptoutofparticipationbeforethe commencementofthesurvey,asthesurveywasbeingheld,anduponcompletionofthe survey.students currentstandingattheirinstitutionwasnotaffectedbecause 16

23 administrators,professors,andotherschoolofficialsdidnothaveanymethodofidentifying actualparticipants.thestatusofcertifiedpublicaccountantswhoparticipatedwasnot affectedascurrentorpotentialemployersdonothaveamannerindeterminingactual participants. Theproceduresforprotectingagainstorminimizinganypotentialriskswerethe methodsinwhichthedatawascollected.noidentifiableinformationwasrequestedand participantswereinstructednottowillinglyoffertheinformation.additionally, respondentsarenotforcedtoparticipateandmaychoosenottobeginthesurvey. Subjectswerenotidentifiedbynames,thusallowingtheopportunitytoexpress theirfeelingsandopinionstowardsthecurrentissuesrelatingtowork/lifebalanceinthe accountingprofession.theinformationcollectedwillallowsocietytobetterunderstandthe currentnotionregardingwork/lifebalanceissues.however,opinionschangeovertimeand uponwritingthesummaryofthedataorpublicationofthedata,theinformationpresented maynotbecurrent. Anumberofassumptionshavebeenmadewithregardtothissurveyandthedata thatwasreceived.theresearcherbeganwiththevalidityoftheinstrument.eachsurvey wassubjectedtoseveralreconstructions.inaddition,thesurveywashandedtoagroupof testsubjectstoevaluatetheunderstandingofthestatementsandquestions,aswellasthe timingforcompletionofthesurvey.forimmediatefeedback,theresearcher 1. Foundfellowclassmatestoactasrespondents. 2. Gavethema final copyofthesurveyandwereinstructedto pleasecompletethe surveyasifyouwereanactualrespondent.feelfreetoaskquestionsasyou completeanyportionsofthesurvey. Theresearcherhandedthesurveyoverand satquietlyasthesurveywascompleted.thesurveygiventotherespondentswasin draftform. 17

24 3. Questionsraisedduringthetestingofthesurvey,mostlyrequestsforclarifications, wereconsidereddefectiveitems.modificationsweremadetoitemsmentioned.the processwascompletedoncemorewithadditional simulatedrespondents. Theanticipatedresponseforthesurveyswas1,000professionalsand250students. However,limitationsexistandtheseexpectationswerenotmet.Tobegin,theTSBPAonly providesmailingaddressesforitsmembers,thereforeinvitationsneededtobe reconfiguredfrome mailstopostcards.inatechnologydrivensociety,tangibl has becomeprimarilycreditcardoffersandadvertisements.asaresult,postalmailhasbecome anuisance.furthermore,accountantscurrentlywithapublicfirmhavevariedbusy seasons,asanumberofclients fiscalyearendsduringthefourthquarterorclientsare requiredtosubmitquarterlyfilings. Asperthecollegiatesurvey,thoseinvitedtoparticipatewereinvitedthrough .Asacurrentstudentatapublicinstitution,theresearcher sinboxoftenincludesa numberofe mailsfromtheirrespectivedepartment,college,thedeanofstudents, universityupdates,andadditionalnotificationsorrequestsfromuniversityadministrators. Thus,ithasbecomeeasiertodeletesuche mailsifthesubjecttitledoesnotseem important. Results Surveyresultsforprofessionalandcollegiateresponsesarepresenteddependent upondifferencesbetweengenderorage.whenresultsarebrokendownbygender,there mayhavebeenaminimaltonodifferenceinage,andviceversa.therefore,theinformation isrenderedbasedonthesignificantdifference.figuresdepictedwithintablesrepresentthe actualnumberofresponsesreceived,unlessindicatedbyapercentage(%)symbolor directlystated. 18

25 ProfessionalResponses DemographicInformation Theresearcherwelcomedmaleandfemalerespondents.Onehundredthirtytwo professionalscompletedthequestionnairewith65.2%oftherespondentsbeingfemaleand 34.8%male.Ageplaysaroleinwork lifebalance,ofthosethatrespondedapproximately 10.6%werebetween21and30yearsold,20.4%werebetween31and40yearsold,butthe majority(68.9%)wereolderthan40yearsold.inregardstoethnicityrespondentsbest representedafricanamerican(5.3%),hispanic(6.8%),andwhite,notofhispanicorigin (87.9%). Figure3:ProfessionalRespondents GenderandAge Male Female OverhalfoftherespondentsdeclaredaBachelor sdegree(55.3%)astheirlevelof education,withamaster sdegree(42.4%)closelyfollowingandtheremaining2.3%holda DoctorateDegree.Withrespecttotherespondents metropolis,thechoicesgivenincluded Austin(40.2%),Dallas(18.2%),Houston(16.7%),SanAntonio(23.5%),andOther,where 19

26 respondentswereabletospecifytheirmetropolisifnotgivenasananswerchoice. AdditionalresponsesincludedNewBraunfelsandSanMarcos,whicharelocatedbetween AustinandSanAntonio. Whenitcametomaritalstatus,themajorityoftheparticipants,76.5%,listed themselvesasmarriedorinalivingtogetherrelationship,whereas14.4%aresingleand 9.1%aredivorced.Theparticipants responsesaboutfamilystatuswassomewhateven,as thedataillustratedthat30.3%donothavechildren,35.6%areparentsofchildren18years oldandyounger,and34.1%havegrownchildren,19yearsoldandabove.ofthosethat participated9.8%employfullorpart timechildcareand18.2%statedthateitherthe spouseortherespondentprovidethechildcarenecessary,however72.0%statedthat childcareisnotutilizedintheirfamily. Figure4:Participants'JobTitles Numberof JobTitle responses Accountant 20 Manager 20 Controller/AssistantController 16 Senior/Supervisor 15 President/CEO/CFO 14 Director 10 Partner 9 Staff 8 Self employed 6 Vice President/AssistantVice President 4 Other 4 Professor 3 Administrator 3 SurveyparticipantsbestrepresentedtheFinance/Accountingjobfunctionwith 85.6%,whileothersselectedHumanResources,InformationTechnology/MIS, Administration,Sales,Marketing,Engineering,andlistedLawandAcademiaasOthers.For themostpart,respondentsbestdescribedtheiremployer sstatusaspublic(37.1%)or Industry(39.4%).Otherchoicesincludedgovernment,education,andother.Thosewho 20

27 selectedtheotheroption,indicatedtheiremployerasaprivateornon profitorganization, whereasothersspecifiedself employment.contributorsweregiventheopportunityto specifytheirjobtitle.responsesvariedfromchiefexecutiveofficertoprofessorto Shareholder.Figure4,onthepreviouspage,liststhejobtitlesasbyrespectivecategories withamountofresponsesthatpertainedtoeach.thesurveyresponsesdetailedthat74.2% ofrespondentshaveworkedintheirprofessionfor10yearsormore,yettheamountof timewiththeircurrentorganizationvarieswith22.0%between1and2years,23.5% between3and5years,and31.8%havingworkedfortheiremployerfor10yearsormore. LeaveArrangements Themajorityoftherespondents,83.6%,agreedthatcareerleave,theallowingof employeestotaketimeofftocareforandsupportasickfamilyorhouseholdmember,was importantorveryimportant.womenrespondentsdesignatedtheopportunityforcareers leaveasanimportantwith88.2%,whereas74.4%ofmalerespondentsdesignatedsuch importance.additionally,75.0%ofparticipantsrespondedinagreementthatthe opportunitytoleaveifcarearrangementsforchildrenorotherdependentschangeina moment snoticeisveryimportant.themajoritywhodeclaredthisimportantwerefemale asleavearrangementsareconsideredimperativewithinthegender;moreover,the responsesbetweengenderswere78.8%forfemalesand67.4%formales.thisis statisticallysignificantandmayportraygenderspecificperspectivesandfollowthe stereotypicalresponsibilitiesbetweengenders.figure5,below,showstheresponses brokenbygender.totalresponsesaveraged85forfemalesandaveraged43.25formales, asthedatashowsthatsomeofthequestionswereskippedbythissubset. 21

28 Figure5:LeaveArrangementResponses Withregardstostudyandtrainingleave,50.8%feltitwasimportantorveryimportant; however,28.9%remainedneutral.oftherespondents30yearsoryoungerwhofeltthat studyandtrainingleaveareimportant69.2%perceivethistobeofgreatimportance, whereasapproximatelyhalfofeachoftheotheragegroupscarrythesameperception. Whenparticipantswereaskedtoconsidertheimportanceofcareerbreaks,theresponses includedneutralityof38.3%and,overall,41.4%ofindividualseitherrepliedwith unimportantorveryunimportant.inregardstotheagegroupsandtheirresponses,each ofthethreebreakdownsrepliedisasimilarfashion,oneofunimportancerangingbetween 38.5%and43.0%,for30yearsoryoungerthrough40yearsorolder,respectively.Takenas awhole,87.6%ofrespondentsfeltthatbereavementleave,aminimumoftwodaysaftera familymember sdeath,iseitherimportantorveryimportant.mostoftherespondents, 65.1%,agreedthatthepoolingofleaveentitlements,abilitytopoolalloftheemployees leaveentitlements,i.e.,sickleave,careerleave,etc,thusgivingemployeesalargernumber ofdaysiftheyneeditforpersonalreasons,waseitherimportantorveryimportant.a resounding92.3%ofthe30yearsoryoungerrespondentsagreedthatpoolingofleaveis important. 22

29 PregnancyandParentingPolicies Onthewhole,surveyrespondentsagreedthatmaternityleaveisimportantorvery important.paternityandadoptionleavefollowedclosebehindwhenconsidering importancewithinthelivesoffamilies.withrespecttopaidparentingleaves,participants repliedwiththefollowingresponses,asshowninfigure6 Figure6:PaidLeave Important/ Very Important Neutral Unimportant/ Very Unimportant Unableto Rate Paidmaternityleave 64.3% 15.1% 13.5% 7.1% Paidpaternityleave 40.5% 31.7% 20.6% 7.1% Paidadoptionleave 49.2% 25.0% 20.2% 5.6% Respondentsbetweentheagesof31and40ratepaidleaveformaternity(88.0%),paternity (65.4%),andadoption(65.4%)asimportant.Furthermore,respondentshighlyvaluethe opportunitytoreturntothesamejobaftermaternity/paternityleaveandadoptionleaveas 73.2%ratedthisasimportantorveryimportant.Participantsalsoperceiveastaggered returntoworkafterpregnancy,atemporaryreductionofworkhourswhentheyreturn,as importantorveryimportantwithanoverallresponseof67.0%.onehundredpercentofthe respondents30yearsoldoryoungerviewtheopportunitytoreturntothesamejobora staggeredreturnwithgreatimportance.respondentswereaskedtonotetheirperception withregardtobreastfeedingroomsandlactationbreaks.responsesfavoredthesebenefits as36.5%and39.4%,respectively,identifytheirperceptionasimportantorveryimportant. Datashowsthatrespondentsbetweentheagesof31and40yearsoldfindlactationbreaks androomsbeneficialtoemployeeswhoarenewmothers,as69.3%and73.1%, respectively,selectedtheimportantorveryimportantchoice.conversely,respondentsalso remainneutraltotheideaofbreastfeedingrooms(31.7%)orlactationbreaksatwork (33.9%). 23

30 FlexibleWorkArrangements Participantsweregivenanumberofstatementsregardingflexiblework arrangementpossibilities.about73.6%ofparticipantslisttelecommuting,wherean employeecanworkfromhomeoralocationoutsidetheemployer soffice,asimportantor veryimportant.however,itisthe30yearsoldandyoungeragegroupthatperceivesthis optionwithgreatimportance,as92.3%ofrespondentsinthisagegroupselectedthis option.moreover,76.4%oftheparticipantsranktheopportunitytonegotiatepart timeor full timeworkwithgreatimportance.oftheseresponses,86.8%offemalesand88.5%of respondentsbetween31and40yearsold,findschedulenegotiatingvaluable.additionally, 81.6%oftheresponsesdeclaredastaggeredstartandfinishtimes,wheretheemployeeis allowedtochoosetheirownstartandfinishtimesaslongasrequiredhoursaremet,as importantorveryimportant.fromthis,92.3%ofrespondents30yearsoryoungerfind self rostering,pickingone sownscheduleaslongasagreeduponworkhoursisachieved, accommodating.lastly,gradualretirement,wheretheemployeemayreducetheirnumber ofhoursoveraperiodoftimepriortoretirement,wasrankedasimportantaswith36.8%. Figure7depictsthatnumberofresponsesforquestionsrelatedtothistopic.Response countsaveraged13forages30andyounger,25.86forages31through40,and85.56for ages41andolder. Figure7:FlexibleWorkArrangements 24

31 AdditionalWorkProvisions Whencontributorswereaskedtoconsideradditionalworkprovisions,77.6%stated thataccesstoatelephoneforpersonaluse,whichwouldallowemployeestocontactfamily membersifneeded,iseitherimportantorveryimportant.alargeamountofrespondents withinthe31and40yearsoldagegroup,84.6%,findeasyaccesstothetelephonea necessity.othersaffirmedthathealthprograms(50.4%)andexercisefacilities(44.8%)are ofgreatimportance,but(34.4%)remainedneutralforthelatter.overhalfofthe participants(54.4%)agreedontheimportanceofrelocationassistancewhenanemployee isrequestedtomoveforworkpurposes,aswellastohelpthefamilyadapttothenew environment. FormalityofPolicies Participantswereaskedtorespondtoquestionsbasedontheircurrentemployer. Fifty twopercentoftherespondents employersdidnothavewrittencopiesoftheirworklifebalancepolicies,whereas60.2%hadnotbeengivenorhadnotseenacopyofthe organization swork lifepolicies.whenaskedabouttheapplicationofwork lifebalance policiesamongalllevelsofmanagement,aresounding46.2%disagreedthatsuchpolicies werenotappliedinthesamemanner.however,responsesindicatedthat52.1%ofcurrent employersoffermaleandfemalesthesamelevelofaccesstothework lifepoliciesand 46.3%treatpart timeandfull timeemployeessimilarly.anoverwhelming71.9%disagreed thattheirorganization smanagementfrownsonemployeestakingleaveforfamilyrelated matters.inaddition,63.6%disagreedthatco workersresentthosewhotaketimeofffor familyreasons.theresponsesrevealedthat54.5%ofparticipantsbelievethatitismade difficult,inpractice,tousethework lifepoliciesofferedbytheemployer. 25

32 Open EndedQuestions Respondentswereaskedwhattheywouldrateasmostimportantaboutworkingfor anemployer.belowarethemajorcategorieswithcommentsgivenbyparticipants. Flexibility/Telecommuting:Thelargestnumberofrespondentswith36 commentsnotedtheimportanceforflexibility,oralternativeworkschedules.flexible schedulesarerequestedastheemployeesmayneedtopickupchildren,attendschool functions,orrunerrands.additionally,participantsareinterestedinvariedstartandend times,aslongashoursaremet.telecommutingispairedwithflexibility,wherementioned, asmanywouldenjoytheopportunitytoworkfromhomeoraremotelocation,when possible. EmployeeRecognition:With23commentsregardingsenseofappreciation, respect,andrecognition,respondentsaskedthatuppermanagementnotehardworkand contributionstotheorganization.mutualrespectbetweenmanagementandemployees,as wellasbetweenco workersisalsorequested.participantsstatethatfeelingvaluedbythe employerandtheteamisofgreatimportance. Compensation/Benefits:22commentsnotedtheimportanceofadjustedpay accordingtoamountandtypeofworkbeingcompleted,thusreasonablepayforreasonable work.compensationincludedbenefitsandnon salaryitems,i.e.medical,retirement,and educationcostreimbursement. WorkEnvironment:Respondentsaffirmtheimportanceofachallengingwork environment,theneedforonetoenjoywhatonedoesandthepeoplewithwhomone works.agreatworkenvironmentisdetailedasonethatfostersautonomyandloyalty,as wellasallowingtheemployeesasenseofownership.oneresponseexplainsthatitiseasier toworkthelonghoursiftheenvironmentisfunandexciting.(20comments) 26

33 OrganizationalSupport/Management stone:withregardstothe tone, 17 comments,notethenecessityofworkexpectationsbeinginsyncwithmanagement,thus carryingdowntheethicalcultureoftheorganization.responsesemphasizetheneedfor employerstounderstandthevalueoffamilyandtheemployees familysituationand accommodateforfamilyneeds. Othermajorthemeswithintheresponsesincluded8commentspertainingtojob opportunities/advancement,jobsecurity/stabilitywithsixcomments,work life balancewhichhadfourcomments,fairness/consistency(fourcomments),includingthe needformanagementtoremainconstantateverylevelwithrespecttoemployeetreatment. Threecommentsemphasizedtheneedfortrainingandcontinuingeducationnotingthe needforunderstandingone sjobandsufficienttraining.jobsatisfactionhadtwo commentsandhiringpractice/workloadwithtwocommentsasrespondentsstatedthat theemployer scommitmenttohiringthebestpeopleandmanagementofworkloadasa necessity.growth/skilldevelopmentwasmentionedtwotimesasrespondentswould liketheopportunitytogainpersonalandleadershipskills.tworesponsesdeclaredano Commentasbothstatedthattheyweretheemployerandemployee.Twocommentscould notbeplacedinamajorcategory;thesepertainedtotheimportanceofindependence(one comment)andfeedback(onecomment)fromtheemployer. Additionally,participantswereaskedwhattheywoulddoaspresidentofan organization/firm,toensureemployeeretention.belowarethemajorthemesthe respondentswouldfocusoninordertopreservetheiremployees. Flexibility:Byfar,respondentsnoted,with31comments,flexibilitywouldassist withretention.participantsstatedthattheywouldallowtheiremployeestodeterminetheir ownworkschedulebyallowingflex time.additionalresponsesemphasizethenecessityof condoningflexibilitybeginningwithtopmanagementandflowingthroughimmediate 27

34 supervisors,thereforeallowingtheemployeestoparticipateindecisionsabouttheirown scheduleswiththeemployer ssupport. Compensation/Benefits:Onecommentoutofthe26encouragedtheuseofcosteffectivebenefits.Theinstallationoffreesoftdrinkmachines,thesubsidizationofgym memberships,andfreeflu shotsislowcostanddifferentfromthestandardbenefits employersprimarilyfocuson.thesearerecurringbenefitsthatemployeestendtobe consciousofandconsiderimportant. Communication:Anoverwhelming25commentsdetailedtheimportanceof communicationwithinanorganization.respondentswouldmaintainanopendoorpolicy, fosteranhonestenvironment,andensurethatresponsibilitiesareclearlydefined.another respondentwouldimplement360reviewsaspartofanannualperformanceevaluation, whileotherswouldcommunicatewithemployeesonadailybasistolistenabouttheir concerns. EmployeeRecognition/Fairness:Outofthe17commentsaboutthistheme,one statestheimportanceoftreatingemployeesashumanbeingsandrespectingthemas individuals.whileanotheraddedthatoneshouldnotaskemployeestodoanythingone wouldnotdo.otherresponsesincludedtheneedofrecognizingtheimportanceofthe employees jobandshowingappreciationasneeded. WorkEnvironment:Tencommentsemphasizedtheimportanceofdevelopinga teamculturewhereorganizationscreateanatmospherewherepeopleenjoycomingto workeachday.anatmospherethatisfun,relaxed,andsafewouldpromoteretentionand benefittheorganizationandtheemployee. Othermajorthemesincludedwork lifebalance,withsevencomments,as respondentswouldmaintaincurrentpolicies,instillthementalitythatachievingthe balanceisboththeresponsibilityoftheorganizationandtheemployee,andcouplethe 28

35 policieswithclearexpectationsofperformance.sixcommentscitedhiring practice/workloadthatmentiontappingintothemarketofparentswhowanttowork part timeandminimizetheamountofworktakenhome;management s tone/consistencywithfivecommentsthatpromotemanagementtransparencyandthe preservationofapositiveattitude.fivecommentspertainedtotraining/mentoring,four commentsconcernedjobsecurity/stability,andclientintakewasmentionedtwice. Lastly,contributorsweregiventheopportunitytosubmitadditionalcomments. Submissionsincludedpersonalreflectionsbasedontherespondents experiencewith employersencouragingwork lifebalanceandotherswhohavesufferedwithoutsuch policies.otherofferedwordsofencouragement,whileahandfulpresentedconstructive criticism.oneresponsethatstoodoutfromthemanyisaresponsethatdescribesthe similaritybetweengenerationxandthebabyboomers.alargenumberofprofessionals currentlyenteringtheworkforcewereraisedbytheirgrandparents,thusinstillingthe importanceofafamilylife,astheirparentswereworkdriven.anothersuggeststhatthe surveybecompletelydiscardedandre done.thereasonisvalidatedastheparticipant goesontoexplainhowwork lifebalanceisnotaone size fits allpolicy.benefitsthat accommodateoneemployeewillnotnecessarilyaccommodatetheircolleagues. 29

36 CollegiateResponses DemographicInformation Aswiththeprofessionalsurvey,theresearcherwelcomedmaleandfemale respondentsfromthecollegiatelevelaswell.perthissurvey,84participantscompletedthe questionnairewith67.9%oftherespondentsbeingfemaleand32.1%male.ofthosethat responded,themajorityfellwithinthe25yearsoryoungerbracketwith65.5%ofthe participants.theremaining34.5%were30yearsoldorolder.whenitcametoethnicity, respondentsbestdescribedthemselvesaswhite,notofhispanicorigin(71.4%),hispanic (15.3%),andtheremainingselectingAsian,AfricanAmericanandtheOtheroption,where oneparticipantdescribedthemselvesasmiddleeasternandanotherasbothwhiteand Hispanic. Figure8:CollegiateRespondents,GenderandClassification Graduate Senior Junior Sophomore Freshman Male 9 Female Overall,79.8%oftherespondentsrepresentedtheupperclassmendivisionof students,thusacknowledgingtheirclassificationaseitherajunior,senior,orgraduate student.whenparticipantswereaskedabouttheintendedlevelofeducationtheywishto 30

37 pursue,anoverwhelming82.1%declaredamaster sdegree,withabachelor sdegree (16.7%)closelyfollowingandtheremaining1.2%intendtoacquireaDoctorateDegree.In pursuanttothisinformation,92.9%anticipatetositforthecertifiedpublicaccountant Exam.Withrespecttotherespondents intendedmetropolis,austintookthereinswith 56.0%,Houstonwith21.4%,andotherchoicesincludedDallas(8.3%),SanAntonio(7.1%), andother,whererespondentsspecifiednewyorkandcorpuschristi,texasasapossible joblocation. Themajorityoftheparticipantsdeclaredtheirmaritalstatusassingle(67.9%),with 29.8%listingthemselvesasmarriedorinalivingtogetherrelationshipandtheremaining 2.4%aredivorced.Perthedata,theparticipants responsesaboutfamilystatusnoted 83.3%ashavingnochildren,andtheothershavingchildrenages18yearsoldandyounger. Asaresult,88.1%respondedwiththeNotApplicablechoicewhenaskedabouttype childcareutilizedandtheotherportionemployingpart time,full time,andspousal childcare. Figure9:CollegiateRespondentsFutureEmployment Other 4 EducaIon 1 Government 7 2 Female Industry 13 5 Male Public Closeto55%ofthecollegiateparticipantsstatedthattheyarecurrentlyemployed. Jobtitlesvariedfromon campusstudentworkertolifeguardtoassistantbudgetdirector. 31

38 Respondentsbestdescribedtheirintendedemployer sstatusaspublic(61.9%)orindustry (21.4%),withgovernmentandeducationfollowingwith10.7%and1.2%,respectively. Thosewhoselectedtheotheroption,indicatedtheirintendedemployerasatransitionfrom publictoindustryorself employment. LeaveArrangements Withregardtocareerleavethemajorityoftherespondents,86.6%,agreedthatthe availabilityofthisoptionwasimportantorveryimportant;ofthose,71.8%werefemale. Moreover,82.9%ofparticipantsagreedthattheopportunitytoleaveforfamily emergenciesisimportantorveryimportant.oncemore,themajoritywhoaffirmedthe importancewerefemale,87.5%ofthegenderagreeing.whenaskedtorateleaveforstudy andtraining,74.4%feltitwasimportantorveryimportant.whenparticipantsconsidered theimportanceofcareerbreaks,theresponsesillustratedthatthemajorityofcollege studentsremainneutral,42.7%,tothisoption.womenseemedtomaintaintheneutrality withregardtocareerbreaks,whereasmenviewsucharrangementasimportantorvery important.overall,93.9%ofrespondentsfeltthatbereavementleaveiseitherimportantor veryimportant.seventy eightpercentofrespondentsagreedthatthepoolingofleave entitlementswaseitherimportantorveryimportant.responsesaveraged55.875for femalesand26.25formales,whereasspecificsareshownbelow. Figure10:LeaveArrangementResponses 32

39 PregnancyandParentingPolicies Takenasawhole,surveyrespondentsagreedthatmaternityleave(75.6%)is importantorveryimportant,withpaternityleave(63.6%)followingclosebehind,yet adoptionleavejustbarelytiltedoverthemajoritymarkwith54.5%claimingimportance and36.4%statingneutrality.whenconsideringgender,womenseentofollowtheoverall patternofholdingpaidleavewithgreatimportance.themalesfollowasomewhatsimilar rhythm,butleadintoneutralitywhenitcomestopaidadoptionleave,with54.2%believing inthismanner.insimilarfashion,respondentsnotethesignificanceoftheopportunityto returntothesamejobafterparentalleave88.5%ratedthisasimportantorveryimportant. Figure11:PregnancyandParentingPoliciesResponses 33

40 Moreover,participantsrecognizethattheimplementationofastaggeredreturntowork afterpregnancyisofgreatimportantwithanoverallresponseof67.9%.thestatement pertainingtobreastfeedingroomsandlactationbreaksbroughtaboutneutralityasthe 41.0%and46.2%,respectiveresponserate,somewhattiltedtowardsthemajorityside.The overalldataalsorepresentsthegenderspecificresponses,aswomenandmenbothdenote theirneutralitywithrespecttobreastfeedinganditsaccommodations.responsesaveraged 53.83forfemalesand24formales. FlexibleWorkArrangements Whengivenanumberofstatementsregardingflexibleworkarrangement possibilities,39.7%listjobsharingasaneutralchoice,but80.8%ofparticipantsconsidera telecommutingoptionasimportantorveryimportant.femalestendtoleanmoretowards telecommutingas85.2%ofthefemalerespondentsviewthisarrangementwithgreat importance.furthermore,82.1%oftherespondentsranktheopportunitytonegotiateparttimeorfull timeworkwithgreatimportance.whereas,70.5%ofresponsesacknowledged thatstaggeredstartandfinishtimes,areimportantorveryimportantforemployees.males 34

41 remainconsistentwhenitcomestonegotiatingworkschedulesandstaggeredwork arrangements,as70.8%and75.0%,viewbothoftheseopportunitiesasimportant.from thecollegestudents perspective,48.1%rateagradualretirementwithhighregard. Responsesaveraged54.43forfemalesand24formales. Figure12:FlexibleWorkArrangements AdditionalWorkProvisions Thecontributorswereaskedtoconsideradditionalworkprovisions;asaresult 65.4%statedthataccesstoatelephoneforpersonaluse,whichwouldmorelikelyinclude contactingfamilymembers,iseitherimportantorveryimportant.menandwomenseemto viewrelocationassistancewithinthesamemanner,as79.2%and72.2%,respectively, agreethatsuchassistanceprovidedbytheemployerisimportant.withregardtothe importanceofhealthprogramsandexercisefacilities,respondents results,respectively, were57.7%and59.0%inagreementthattheprovisionwouldbenefittheemployee.about 74.4%oftheparticipantsagreedontheimportanceofrelocationassistanceforthe employeebytheemployer. FormalityofPolicies Participantswerenotgivenclearindicationastowhattobasetheirresponsesfor question18,therefore,thedatagatheredfromthecollegiatesurveywillnotbeexplainedin furtherdetail.participantsshouldhavebeeninstructedtobasetheirperspectivesontheir 35

42 currentemployer.thisdetailwasleftoutandthustheresponsesareviewedasnonreliable. Open EndedQuestions Respondentswereaskedtostatewhatismostimportantaboutworkingforan employer.belowarethemajorcategorieswithcommentsgivenbytheparticipants. Flexibility:With14comments,respondentsnotedtheimportanceforflexibilityand alternativeworkschedulestomeetfamilyneeds.flexibleschedulesarerequestedtoallow theemployeestimeforeducationalactivities. OrganizationalSupport/Management stone:understandabilityfrom managementwasthecommentmostreiterated.respondentsstatedthatatherearework andfamilycommitments.inaddition,theneedforone semployertocareaboutthe employee ssuccesswasmentioned.(10comments) EmployeeRecognition/Equality:Withintheeightcommentsregardingsenseof appreciation,respect,andrecognition,respondentsaskthatuppermanagementnottalk downtoemployeeswhenfacedwithawrongdoing.theemployerisaskedtoremainfair andactwithcharacterandintegrity. Compensation/Benefits:(7comments)Ofthe7comments,themajorityofthe participantsnotedtheimportanceofpayinaccordancetoworkbeingcompletedonthejob, thereforenoworkistakenhome;employeesarenotgivenpreferenceforarrivingearly,or leavinglate.forthosethatlistedbenefitsdetailedthatsuchincludesmedical,dental,and 401(k).Inaddition,rewardforajobwelldoneshouldbemadethroughpayincreases accordingtosurveyrespondents. WorkEnvironment:Fivecommentsaffirmedtheimportanceofacomfortable workenvironment.theemployeeshouldnotfeelintimidatedandmaintainagood 36

43 relationshipwiththeemployerandcolleagues.onerespondentstatedthatarelaxed environmentisnecessarytoallowonetoexcelattheirgreatestpotential. Othermajorthemeswithintheresponsesincludedfourcommentspertainingto growth/careerdevelopment,jobopportunities/advancementwithtwocomments, work lifebalancewithtwocomments,andcommunication,whichalsohadtwo comments.thefollowinghad1comment childcare,needtobefocused,and independence.twootherresponsesdidnotfallintoaparticularcategory,norcouldthe meaningbeidentified. Additionally,participantswereaskedwhattheywoulddoaspresidentofan organization/firm,toensureemployeeretention.belowarethemajorthemesthe respondentswouldfocusoninordertopreservetheiremployees. Flexibility/Telecommute:Byfar,respondentsnoted,with19commentsthat flexibilitywouldassistwithretention.workingathomewithconfidencethattheemployee willnotbepunishedforneedingtostayhomewithasickchildisgivenasanexample. Anotherpossibilityistheimplementationofhalf dayfridaysaslongasdeadlinesarebeing met. Compensation/Benefits:11commentsencouragedtheexecutionofgood incentives.thus,theemployerwouldkeepbenefitsinlinewiththeemployee schanging needs.benefitpackageswouldbewideinscopeandallowforimmediateadmissiontonew hires. Communication:Onerespondentstatedtheneedforeffectivecommunicationwith anemployeesoastobeawareofdifficulties,concerns,orchangesthathaveoccurred, whetherpersonalorprofessional.listeningtotheemployeeisalsonotedasbeneficial becauseoneshouldbegiventhebenefitofthedoubt.employersareencouragedto 37

44 maintainanopendoorpolicytogiveemployeescomforttotalkwithupperlevel management.(10comments) EmployeeRecognition/Fairness:Appreciation,equality,andrespectare overwhelmingthroughouttheninecommentswithinthistheme.oneresponsestatedthat anemployershouldtakethetimetonoticeemployeesandtrytobepartoftheorganization, asopposedtorunningit.allhandsdown,employeesasktobenoticedandcommendedona jobwelldone,ratherthanbeingreprimandedforthewrong.maintainingfairnessamong employeesalsoresoundsintheresponses. Othermajorthemesincludedwork lifebalance,withtwocomments,as respondentswouldimplementproperpoliciesandhealthprogramsatadiscountedrate. Each,workenvironment,management stone,childcare,andnocommentwere mentionedtwice;whereas,theorganizations hiringpractices,training,andemployee ownershipwascommentedononce. Withintheadditionalcommentssections,oneresponsestoodout.Theparticipant suggestedthatorganizationspromoteasymbioticrelationshipamongtheemployee s professionalandpersonallife.indoingso,companieswouldallowpersonaltimeduringthe slowperiodstoacertainextent.alsomentionedistheuseoftelecommuting,allowing salariedindividualstostayhomeandtendtopersonalmatterswhilemaintainingthe company sproductivity. Discussion Fromthedatagathered,theresearchercanconcludethatanoverwhelmingamount ofemployeesareinterestedinflexibleworkarrangements,theabilityfortheemployerto maintainasenseofequalitywithintheteam,aswellasaneedforfairbalancebetween employeerecognitionandconstructivecriticism. 38

45 Thedatafurthersuggeststhatcurrentprofessionalsandstudentsplanningfora careerinaccountinghavesimilarviews.alargepercentageoftherespondentsindicated thathavingtheabilitytoleavewhenanemergencyorfamilysituationshouldoccurishighly important.however,ascollegestudentsplantoearnamaster sdegree,thereforeanticipate sittingforthecertifiedpublicaccountantsexam,theallowanceofstudyleaveisessentialfor preparation.whenitcametopoolingleaveentitlements,bothsubsetsagreedthatindoing sowouldallowtheemployeeagreateramountofdaystotendtofamilyneedswhen necessary. Whenquestionedaboutparentingpolicies,alargerpercentageofprofessionals notedtheimportanceoflactationbreaksandbreastfeedingrooms,whereasthecollegiate responsesremainedneutraltotheidea.collegiateresponsesfrommalesdetailedthatthe majorityoftheneutralperspectivesstemmedfromthispopulation.professionalsalsotend tobemoreacceptingofpaidadoptionleave,asthismaintainedconsistencyamongthe otherpaidleavesthatwerereferencedwithinthesurvey,maternityandpaternity. Professionalsmaybemoreinclinedtofavorablyviewsuchopportunitiesastheyhave experiencedorobservedaparent sneedswhentendingtotheirfamilies.oneconcernthat lurksinthemindsoffemalesistheabilitytoreturntotheirjobaftermaternityleave.when observedfurther,professionalfemalesandrespondentswithintheagesof31and40years oldlistedthisopportunityasimportant,whereasbothmaleandfemalecollegestudents favoredthisprospect.atthemomentfemalesintheworkforceandfuturegraduatescarry thesameconcern jobsecurity.bothsubsetswanttoensurethattheyareemployedand canprovideforthemselves,aswellastheirimmediatefamily,astheoutlookforthe Americaneconomyconstantlychanges. Flexibilitywasaresoundingresponseheardfromprofessionalsandcollege students.manyrespondentsstatedthattelecommutingwouldbeagreatarrangement.the 39

46 malesandfemaleswithintheprofessionalsubsetagreedontheimportanceofremote locations,yetinthecollegiatesubsetfemalesfavoredthisresolutionmorethanthemales. Telecommutingoffersachangeofenvironment,theabilitytoworkindependently,and workathomewhenneeded.thelatterisoftenseenasanegativeoutcomewithinthe profession,asmanyusuallywanttoleaveworkattheofficeandtakeinfamilytimeathome. However,thosewhoareparentsunderstandtheneedtostayhomewhenachildissickor thechildcaresituationchangeswithoutnotice.graduatesenteringtheworkforceare lookingformorefreedomandownershipoftheirtime.therefore,alargepercentageof respondentswithinthecollegiatesubsetprefertonegotiatestaggeredstartandfinish times,soastobetteraccommodateone sworkandpersonallife.thisarrangementisoften beneficialtotheemployeraswellastheemployee,astheemployeemayhavetotakeinto considerationtraffic,distancefromhometooffice,andfamily,henceifbotharriveatan agreement,theemployercanexpecttheemployeetoworkefficientlyandeffectively throughouttheday. Withintheprofessionalrealmtheexplanationofofficeetiquettebeginswith limitingone suseoftheirpersonalcellphone.yet,withtherecentchangeofeventsand concernsforsecuritywithinournation,parentsandchildrenhavecometorelyheavilyon theirphoneforcommunicatingwitheachother,primarilyafterschoolorwork.agreater percentageoffemalecollegestudentsandprofessionalswithinthe31and40yearsold rangerankedtelephoneforpersonaluseasveryimportant.otherprovisionsnotedinthe surveyincludepersonalneedopportunitiesandparentalsupportprograms.whenthedata wasanalyzed,theresearchernoticedthatagreatamountofrespondentswithinboth subsetswouldprefertokeeptheirworkandpersonallifeasseparateaspossible,thus rankingtheprovisionsasunimportant.nonetheless,bothcurrentandfutureprofessionals 40

47 wouldliketotakeadvantageofthehealthprogramsandsubsidizedgymmembershipsif offeredbytheirorganization. Resultsshowthatemployeesfromvariedaspectsmaintainsimilarperspectivesas theywantunderstandingfrommanagementwhenitcomestofamilyneeds,recognitionand incentivesforworktheydo,andtheabilitytocommunicateinafriendlyandcomfortable workenvironment.additionally,employeesaremorepronetochooseanemployerthat remainsfairthroughallaspectsoftheorganization sactionsandoffersnumerous opportunities,whethertheyarejobadvancementsoranoutstandingbenefitspackage.one respondentindicatedthattheir companyoffersagenerousbenefitspackageand outstandingwork/lifebalancepolicies.asaresult,[they]arenotsufferingfromashortage ofapplicantsandretentionishigh. Withintheadditionalcommentssectionofthesurveyrespondentswerenot hesitanttoreplywithlimitationsthatthesurveyheld.suchlimitationsarelistedinfigure 13. Figure13:SurveyLimitations SurveyRespondents AdditionalComments 1. Question15isunclearwhetherleaveswouldbepaidorunpaid. 2. Academiaisdifficulttofitintoyourquestions. 3. Thissurveyisbiasedtowardsworkerswithchildren. 4. Alltheleaveisrelatedtopregnancyandchildren.Sometimessinglepeopleneedtime off. 5. Thissurveyhastoomanyquestions. Suchlimitationsshouldbetakenintoconsiderationforfutureresearch.Theresearchermay choosetoanalyzetheperspectiveofacertainpopulation,comparesingleprofessionalsand marriedprofessionals,orsimplyfocusonaspecificportionofthecurrentsurvey. 41

48 Conclusion Asanadult,onelearnstoacceptsacrificeinpersonallifetoachievesuccess professionally.however,work/lifebalanceprogramshaveprovenbeneficialforemployers asproductivityandloyaltyhaveincreased.asgenerationme(gensxandy)entersthe workforceandfocusesonabalancedlifestyle,suchprogramswillonlyimproveinnature andenhanceanemployee sperspectiveoftheiremployer.work/lifebalanceprogramsare heretostay.theissueofenhancingone slifehastransitionedfromafemaleissuetoan issuethataffectsprofessionalswhoaresingleormarriedandparentsornon parents. Asinthe1980 s,manyfemaleaccountantsareleavingpublicaccountingforacareer inindustry,asthehoursandtravelaremoreaccommodatingandconducivetoraisinga family(reid,acken,&jancura,1987).hence,largefirmsareofferinginitiativesand programssuchasflex time,part timework,anddaycarefortheiremployees.womendo notconsiderworktobemoreimportantthanfamily,butofferingtheabilitytostructure theircareeraroundfamilytimebenefitsboththefirmandemployee.aflexibleschedulehas alsobeenproventopromoteethicalconductonthejob,accordingtosharonallen, ChairmanoftheBoardforDeloitte&Touche(T+D,2007). JenniePalen,thefirstfemaletobeappointedprincipalinaleadingaccountingfirm, noted, Itisadifficultcareer,fullofhardwork,hardthinking,andheavyresponsibilities; anditsrewardsareonlyforthosewhoenjoymeetingthechallenge."herstatement, althoughexpressedinthe1930s,holdstruetoallthosecurrentlypracticingwithinthe profession.thecurrentchallengeforfirmsistoofferallemployeesawellbalancedlifestyle, notonlyhealth wise,butcareerwise. 42

49 References Almer,E.D.(2007).AICPAWork/LifeandWomen sinitiatives2004research.adecadeof ChangesintheAccountingProfession:WorkforceTrendsandHumanCapitalPractices ExecutiveSummary.IssuesinAccountingEducation22(1): Almer,E.D.,&Single,L.E.(2007).SheddingLightontheAICPAWork/LifeandWomen s InitiativesResearch:WhatDoesItMeanEducatorsandStudents?.IssuesinAccounting Education22(1): AmericanInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants(AICPA).(2005).StaffingUpdate:Issues, Trends,Initiatives.JournalofAccountancy.RetrievedJanuary30,2008,from AmericanInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants(AICPA).(2008)FAQs.RetrievedApril21, 2008,fromtheAmericanInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants(AICPA)Website AmericanWomen ssocietyofcertifiedpublicaccountants(awscpa).(2008)historyof AWSCPA.RetrievedApril21,2008,fromtheAmericanWomen ssocietyofcertifiedpublic Accountants(AWSCPA)Websitehttp:// AssociationforWork/LifeProgress(AWLP).(2008).RetrievedMay4,2008,from Balancepromotesethics?(2007).T+D,June1,16. Baldiga,N.R.,&Doucet,M.S.(2001).Specialreport:Havingitall:Howashifttowardbalance affectedcpasandfirms.journalofaccountancy191,no.5,(may1): DeloitteLLP UnitedStates.(2008)Leadersandshapers.RetrievedApril21,2008,fromthe DeloitteLLPWebsite 070,00.html Eckler,K.,&Kofman,B.(2006).Handlingthenextgenerationofleaders'demandforwork life balance.canadianhrreporter,november6,18,25. Hooks,K.L.(1996).Diversity,familyissuesandtheBig6.JournalofAccountancy182,no.1, (July1): ). 43

50 Larkin,J.,&Ragan,J.(2008).TheDual CareerBalancingAct.PennsylvaniaCPA Journal,July1, September13,2009). Lewison,J.(2006).TheWork/LifeBalanceSheetSoFar.JournalofAccountancy202(2): Molas,S.A.(2006).FlexibilityBecomingtheNormintheWorkplace.PennsylvaniaCPAJournal, October1, ). Newguidehelpsfirmsplanflexibleworkarrangements.1998.TheCPAJournal68,no.1, (January1): ). Reid,G.E.,Acken,B.T.,&Jancura,E.G.(1987).AnHistoricalPerspectiveonWomenin Accounting.AICPACentennialIssue, Romeo,G.C.,&Kyj,L.S.(1998,June)Theforgottenaccountingassociation:Theinstituteof accounts.theaccountinghistoriansjournal.retrievedapril21,2008,from UnitedStatesEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission.(1964)TitleVIIoftheCivilRights Actof1964.Washington,DC:UnitedStatesEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission. RetrievedApril21,2008,fromhttp:// UnitedStatesEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission.(2004)Factsaboutpregnancy discrimination.washington,dc:unitedstatesequalemploymentopportunitycommission. RetrievedApril21,2008,fromhttp:// preg.html 44

51 Appendices

52 AppendixA InstitutionalReviewBoardApplication CertificateofApproval

53 AppendixB

54 E MailInvitationstoCollegeStudents InitialInvitation

55 E MailInvitationstoCollegeStudents ReminderInvitation

56 AppendixC PostcardInvitationstoProfessionals InitialInvitation

57 PostcardInvitationstoProfessionals ReminderPostcard

58 Appendix D

59 WelcomePageHostedByUniversityHonorsProgram

60 AppendixE

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72 AppendixF

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81