An examination of gender stereotyping as an explanation for vertical job segregation in public accounting

Theorizing that sex-related stereotypes impede women's progression to leadership positions, this study tests the hypothesis that sex-role stereotypes negatively influence the evaluation of female accountants, thus reducing the upward mobility of women to partnerships in public accounting. Although the pro-male bias in our findings was less than robust, the study revealed instances where male managers devalued female managers who exhibited certain “masculine” leadership styles.