Project Title: Up, Out or Sideways? Comparing Career Patterns of Male and Female Executives in Accounting and Finance

KISS-DTC Theme:  5 – Work & Organisations (W&O)

Partner Organisation: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

King’s Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (KISS-DTC) is inviting applications for one of the ESRC Doctoral Collaborative Studentships in the Department of Management at King’s College London in collaboration with the ACCA. The studentship is going to form part of Theme 5 – Work & Organisations (W&O) of KISS-DTC and will start from October 2013 onwards.

Project Description:
While women make up 50% of accounting graduates and 45% of accounting employees, only 21% of partners in accounting firms are women (Catalyst, 2013). Like in many other areas, women in accounting rarely reach senior positions. The scarce research on women in accounting and finance has largely focused on experiences of individual women rather than enablers of women’s careers (Sealy and Doherty, 2012). Research also often centres on big accounting firms excluding the experiences of women in other accounting and finance contexts. Most importantly, there is very limited research that would systematically compare the careers of men and women in accounting and finance to determine differences and similarities in their career patterns. The proposed research aims to provide an in-depth analysis of career enablers and disablers for men and women in accounting and finance. In order to achieve this, the careers of male and female executives in finance are systematically compared to generate insight into what hinders and what helps men and women to achieve an executive career in accounting and finance.

Funding Details:  The scholarship will pay an annual maintenance allowance at the standard rate of £17,590 (based on the ESRC’s current rate), a Research Support & Training Grant fund (currently £750 per year) and all tuition fees at the Home/EU rate.

Length of Award:  3 years (PhD)

Eligibility:  Full ESRC studentship support is normally available only to students who (a) have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for the previous three years; (b) other than citizens of European Union countries, whose residence during that period has not been wholly or mainly for the purposes of full-time education; and (c) who have permission to reside permanently in the United Kingdom. Potential applicants who are uncertain as to their eligibility should contact Jennie Eldridge (jennie.eldridge@kcl.ac.uk).

Application Details: Students for this award should hold a minimum 2.1 class undergraduate degree in business and management, sociology, women’s and gender studies or related discipline and have passed, or expect to have passed by autumn 2013, a Masters qualification from an ESRC-recognised research training course or a Masters degree with 65% or above, which includes a substantial research element or equivalent research experience in a work setting. In this project, qualitative research methods will be particularly important. The candidate will also need to be able to demonstrate good interpersonal skills and the ability to make effective verbal and written presentations to senior level managers in a commercial environment.

Deadline:  Applications must be made by 4pm on Monday, 17 June 2013. Formal interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held on Monday, 8 July 2013 at King’s College London.

Informal inquiries: Scarlett Brown (scarlett.brown@kcl.ac.uk).

Application: Please follow exact instructions available after pressing the ‘Apply’ button below.