An Analysis of Formal Mentoring Programs and Perceived Barriers to Obtaining a Mentor at Large Public Accounting Firms

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph E. Viator
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Public Accounting Firms ◽  
Formal Mentoring Programs ◽  
Goals And Objectives

One way for firms to promote the mentoring of employees is to establish formal programs that match employees with potential mentors. Whether employees are satisfied with such formal mentoring is an empirical question. This paper examines that issue as well as whether formal mentoring programs serve to reduce perceived barriers to obtaining a mentor. The study is based on survey data obtained from 723 respondents currently working at the major public accounting firms. The study found that certain methods for matching potential mentors and prote´ge´s, as well as certain formal structures (e.g., meeting regularly and setting goals and objectives), are associated with greater mentorship satisfaction by employees. Also, the study found evidence that employees exposed to formal mentoring programs perceive no more barriers to obtaining a mentor than employees who develop informal mentoring relationships. No evidence was found suggesting that female employees, compared to males, perceived greater barriers to obtaining a mentor, or were more likely to leave the firm. These results suggest that formal mentoring programs may be associated with a changing social structure at the large public accounting firms.

scholarly journals Formal Versus Informal Mentoring Of MAS Professionals

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip H. Siegel ◽  
Todd Schultz ◽  
Sharon Landy
Keyword(s):  
Poor Performance ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Cpa Firms ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Formal Mentoring Programs ◽  
Management Advisory

<span>CPA firms have consistently experienced high turnover and poor performance amongst their management advisory and information systems professionals. As Keller (2008) suggests, mentoring programs are a mechanism to help attract and maintain good employees. The extant accounting literature well documents the benefits of mentoring such as enhanced communication, greater organizational commitment, higher professional performance and reduced personnel turnover (Scandura &amp; Viator, 1994; Siegel &amp; Reintein, 2001; Siegel et al., 1997). In light of their potential benefits, CPA firms have begun to develop formal mentoring programs for accounting specialists to ensure that the advantages of mentoring are maintained rather than relying on happenstance (Siegel et al., 1997). The extant literature also addresses the benefits and shortcomings of formal mentoring programs for both auditing and tax professionals. (Viator, 2001; Siegel, et al., 1997; Herbohn, 2004). However, to date, no research addresses formal mentoring relative to management advisory services (MAS) professionals employed by CPA firms. MAS professionals work milieu is generally less structured than other professionals employed by CPA firms. In addition, they have greater operating autonomy than is usually the case in public accounting. Thus the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of formal and informal mentoring program effects on MAS professionals working at international public accounting firms. To evaluate the different mentoring programs, the study examines the mentoring processes within the tax departments of two international CPA firms that employ both formal and informal mentoring programs. The results indicate no significant differences between formal and informal programs on MAS professionals career development. However, the statistical analysis did show a significant difference in the perceived influence of the programs at two professional levels on personal development that appears at the middle range of the programs. The results suggest that the informal mentoring approach leads to stronger personal relationships but does not extend to higher professional firm levels. Neither formal nor informal programs appear to have a significant influence to staff level professionals.</span>

Formal Mentoring Programs: A Mentor-Centric and Longitudinal Analysis

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1527-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frankie J. Weinberg ◽  
Melenie J. Lankau
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Program Satisfaction ◽  
Formal Mentoring Programs ◽  
Longitudinal Examination

Formal mentoring programs are becoming more popular as organizations attempt to reap the benefits that have long been associated with informal mentoring. The present study adds to the small number of mentor-centric studies and offers a unique longitudinal examination of formal mentoring programs. Findings suggest that as formal mentoring relationships develop over time, mentors begin to use their time more efficiently and the negative effects of cross-gender differences dissipate. Furthermore, whereas mentor reports of psychosocial support and role modeling appear to relate to mentor program satisfaction and protégé reports of mentor effectiveness, reports of vocational support appear to have no impact on these variables. Study limitations are discussed, and implications for future research and for practice are suggested.

scholarly journals Developing a Mentorship Program in Higher Education Institutions

EDIS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Orsini ◽  
Matthew P. Benge ◽  
Hannah S. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
Great Cost ◽  
Mentorship Program ◽  
Organizational Challenges ◽  
Formal Mentoring Programs

Higher education institutions are currently tackling a growing number of organizational challenges that have forced departments to evolve their business practices. Administrators are faced with the need for more diverse programs which require facilities, faculty, and services, and must decide whether to develop talent internally or recruit new qualified candidates (Kutchner & Kleschick, 2016). Given the great cost of faculty searches, and the perceived diminishing availability of talented applicants, it is imperative that administrators understand the importance and value of mentoring relationships to fill needs with qualified candidates in higher education institutions. However, formal mentoring programs have been slow to develop in higher education institutions. This publication defines mentorship, explains the value of mentorship, and describes how mentoring programs can be established.

WARREN W. NISSLEY: A CRUSADER FOR COLLEGIATE EDUCATION

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott L. Slocum ◽  
Alfred R. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Independent Schools ◽  
College Graduates ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Graduate Level ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Public Accounting Firms ◽  
College Programs

Warren W. Nissley's intense dedication to public accounting led him to crusade for development of schools of accountancy and improvement of education of accountants. Nissley conceived and championed the Bureau for Placements, 1926–1932, which resulted in: public accounting firms recruiting college graduates and developing permanent professional staffs, publishing the first Institute career publication, academic and student awareness of public accounting, and improved quality of college programs and graduates. Nissley's campaign for independent schools of accountancy, 1928–1950, influenced the Institute's committee on education. Many elements of his recommendations may be recognized in the evolution and current developments of accounting education. However, Nissley would continue to express disappointment in the failure to establish separate professional, graduate level, schools of accountancy for public accounting.

A Contemporary Analysis of Accounting Professionals' Work-Life Balance

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Buchheit ◽  
Derek W. Dalton ◽  
Nancy L. Harp ◽  
Carl W. Hollingsworth
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Important Distinction ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Accounting Professionals ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Public Accounting Firms

SYNOPSIS In recent years, work-life balance surpassed compensation as the most important job satisfaction factor among AICPA members (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA] 2004). Despite the continued importance of this issue in the accounting profession (AICPA 2011), prior research has not examined work-life balance perceptions across different segments of the profession. We survey 1,063 practicing CPAs in order to assess the comparative work-life balance perceptions across (1) Big 4 versus smaller public accounting firms, (2) audit versus tax functions, and (3) public accounting versus industry work contexts. Consistent with predictions based on institutional logics theory, we find that work-family conflict and job burnout perceptions (our proxies for work-life balance) are highest in the Big 4. We are the first study to measure both support-for and viability-of traditional alternative work arrangements (AWAs), and we report an important distinction between these two constructs. Specifically, while CPAs across all public accounting firms (i.e., Big 4, national, regional, and local firms) report similar levels of organizational support-for AWAs, Big 4 professionals report significantly lower perceived viability-of AWAs (i.e., the ability to use AWAs and remain effective at one's job) compared to accounting professionals at smaller public accounting firms. Further, we find no differences between audit and tax professionals' perceptions across any of our work-life balance measures. We also document nuanced differences regarding work-life balance perceptions in public accounting versus industry. For example, contrary to conventional wisdom, work-life balance is not uniformly “better” in industry (e.g., burnout is actually lower in smaller public accounting firms compared to industry). Finally, we use open-ended responses from a follow-up survey to provide several recommendations for firms to improve their work-life balance efforts.

An Analysis of Cross-Sectional Differences in Big and Non-Big Public Accounting Firms' Audit Programs

2006 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Blokdijk ◽  
Fred Drieenhuizen ◽  
Dan A. Simunic ◽  
Michael T. Stein
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Big 5 ◽  
Public Accounting Firms ◽  
Audit Approach ◽  
Control Risk

A significant body of prior research has shown that audits by the Big 5 (now Big 4) public accounting firms are quality differentiated relative to non-Big 5 audits. This result can be derived analytically by assuming that Big 5 and non-Big 5 firms face different loss functions for “audit failures” and is consistent with a variety of empirical evidence from studies of audit fees, auditor changes, and the stock price reaction to audited earnings. However, there is no existing evidence (of which we are aware) concerning the underlying production differences between Big 5 and non-Big 5 audits. As a result, existing empirical evidence cannot distinguish between the possibility that Big 5 audits are simply perceived to be different (e.g., by investors) or actually differ in how they are produced. Our research objective is to identify the production characteristics of audit engagements that may explain the differences in expected audit quality between Big 5 and non-Big 5 firms. In this archival study, we examine the total audit effort and the allocation of effort to four audit phases—planning, (control) risk assessment, substantive testing, and completion—for a cross-section sample of 113 audits of Dutch companies in 1998/99 by 14 public accounting firms. We find that, after controlling for client characteristics: (1) both types of auditors exert about the same amount of total audit effort; (2) Big 5 auditors allocate relatively more effort to planning and (control) risk assessment, and relatively less to substantive testing and completion; and (3) client size, use of the business-risk-based audit approach, and reliance on client internal controls affect audit hours differently for the two auditor types. We conclude that the Big 5 firms actually produce a higher audit quality level, and that this quality difference is related to how audit hours are deployed in a more contextual and less procedural audit approach.

A Theoretical Framework of the Relationship between Public Accounting Firms and Their Auditors

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dreike Almer ◽  
Julia L. Higgs ◽  
Karen L. Hooks
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sociology Of Professions ◽  
Rich Description ◽  
Public Accounting Firms ◽  
Current Article ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Significant Attention

The behavior of auditors in the context of their employment by public accounting firms has received significant attention in the accounting literature. The current article extends this literature by providing a framework that identifies what auditing professionals contribute and receive as a result of their work efforts, as well as related influences. Using agency theory modified with fundamental ideas from the sociology of professions literature, we develop a model of the auditor-public accounting firm employment relationship. This framework is grounded in a timely, contextually rich description of the public accounting work environment, and the pressures and incentives faced by auditors. Propositions for future research are suggested that arise from understanding the auditor-firm relationship.

An Examination of Perceived Barriers to Mentoring in Public Accounting

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven E. Kaplan ◽  
Annemarie K. Keinath ◽  
Judith C. Walo
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
The Other ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Big 5 ◽  
Local Firm

While both mentoring and peer relationships exist among some auditors in public accounting, little is known about these relationships. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on perceived barriers to mentoring and peer relationships in public accounting. Analysis of responses indicated three interpretable factors representing barriers to forming mentoring relationships. First, participants without a mentor perceived greater barriers from access to mentors and from willingness of the mentor. Gender differences were significant in all three factors. Partners perceived barriers from access to mentors to be lower than those perceived by the other ranks. Finally, willingness of the mentor was perceived to be a greater barrier by local firm participants than by intermediate or Big 5 firm participants.

scholarly journals Effective Characteristics of Formal Mentoring Relationships: The National Athletic Trainers' Association Foundation Research Mentor Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Effective Characteristics ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Mentor Program ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association

Context: Mentoring is a beneficial mechanism to support junior faculty members as they navigate job expectations, institutional nuances, and the professional landscape during the first few years as a faculty member. Whereas effective characteristics of informal mentoring relationships are generally understood, less is known about factors that contribute to formal mentoring relationships. Objective: Gain mentor and mentee perceptions of effective mentoring in a formal setting. Design: Qualitative phenomenology. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Six mentees (4 women and 2 men with 3 ± 4 years in their current faculty position) and 4 mentors (2 women and 2 men with an average of 10 ± 3 years in their current faculty position) participating in the 2015 National Athletic Trainers' Association Foundation mentor-program cohort. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed one telephone interview before starting the mentor program and one interview upon program completion 11 months later. Participants also completed 3 structured online journals at 3-month increments throughout their participation in the program. Two researchers independently analyzed the interview and journal data using a phenomenological approach. To improve trustworthiness, we used peer review and pilot testing of the interview guides, member-checks, and multiple-analyst triangulation. Results: Participants described effective mentoring relationships as those that facilitated collaboration and demonstrated humanistic qualities. Participants who collaborated on scholarly activities during their mentoring experience perceived this to be a highly valuable aspect of the experience that increased the potential for a long-lasting relationship. Whereas the mentoring focused on professional development, humanistic attributes such as approachability and personal connections further enriched participants' mentoring experiences. Conclusions: Participants in formal mentoring experiences describe effective mentoring characteristics similarly to those who have participated in informal mentoring and should be encouraged to exhibit them. Additionally, coordinators of formal mentoring programs should provide participants with resources and guidance to facilitate their experiences.

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