The growing body of literature about women’s experience of the working environment indicates that women have different experiences to men. Some of this literature narrows the focus to women in the professions, including in the accounting profession, and women as academics. There is scant literature about the experiences of women as students of accounting. This study provides experiences of women accounting academics and students as an accounting department became a much less male-dominated domain. Female students’ decisions to attend university were influenced primarily by family and friends, many of them women. Student—staff and staff—staff relationships varied depending on the personalities involved, with some gender discrimination being perceived by earlier graduates and the first women staff members. The commerce degree opened up job opportunities, particularly for women who graduated in the middle of the twentieth century. Many graduates perceived gender discrimination when they entered the business world, and female academic staff at appointment and on applying for promotion.
Barker, P.C. and Monks, K. ( 1998), "Irish Women Accountants and Career Progression: A Research Note", Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol.23, No.8, pp.813-23.
2.
Bebbington, J., Thomson, I. and Wall, D. ( 1997), "Accounting Students and Constructed Gender: An Exploration of Gender in the Context of Accounting Degree Choices at Two Scottish Universities ", Journal of Accounting Education, Vol.15, No.2, pp.241-67.
3.
Bennetts, J. ( 2006), "Varsities Lag on Gender Balance: Call for More Women Academics", The Press, Christchurch, 3 April, pp.A1, A3.
4.
Canlar, M. and Bristol, J. ( 1988), "Female and Male Undergraduate Accounting Students", The Woman CPA, April, pp.20-3.
5.
Canterbury College (1879-1934), Calendar/Canterbury College, Christchurch: Tombs. Canterbury College ( 1897), The Canterbury College Review, No.1, May.
6.
Canterbury University College (1935-1957), Calendar/Canterbury University College, Christchurch: Whitcombe and Tombs.
7.
Carnegie, G.D. and Napier, C.J. ( 1996), "Critical and Interpretive Histories: Insights into Accounting’s Present and Future through its Past", Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol.9, No.3, pp.7-39.
8.
Carnegie, G.D. and Napier, C.J. ( 2002), "Exploring Comparative International Accounting History ", Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol.15, No.5, pp.689-718.
9.
Carolfi, I.A., Hasselback, J.R. and Pillsbury, C.M. ( 1996), "The Hiring of Women in Accounting Academia", Journal of Education for Business, Vol.71, No.3, pp.151-6.
10.
Carpenter, V.L., Friar, S. and Lipe, M.G. ( 1993), "Evidence on the Performance of Accounting Students: Race, Gender, and Expectations", Issues in Accounting Education , Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-17.
11.
Ciancanelli, P., Gallhofer, S., Humphrey, C. and Kirkham, L. ( 1990), "Gender and Accountancy: Some Evidence from the UK", Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol.1, No.2, pp.117-44.
12.
Collins, M. and Bloom, R. ( 1991), "The Role of Oral History in Accounting", Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol.4, No.4, pp.23-31.
13.
Colquhoun, P. ( 1996), "The First Century", Chartered Accountants Journal, Vol.75, No.2, pp.25-8.
14.
Coney, S. ( 1993), Standing in the Sunshine: A History of New Zealand Women Since They Won the Vote, Auckland: Viking.
15.
Devonport, B.F. ( 2008), "The Participation of Women in the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants: 100 Years of Social Stereotyping?", Pacific Accounting Review, Vol.20, No.3, pp.269-81.
16.
Dobson, R. ( 1997), "Women Doctors Believe Medicine is Male Dominated", British Medical Journal, Vol.315, No.7100, 12 July, p.80.
17.
Emery, M., Hooks, J. and Stewart, R. ( 2002), "Born at the Wrong Time?: An Oral History of Women Professional Accountants in New Zealand", Accounting History, Vol.7, No.2, pp.7-34.
18.
Federation of University Women (Local History Group, Canterbury Branch) (1979), "Women and Education", in Regional Women’s Decade Committee, Christchurch (eds.), Canterbury Women Since 1893. Christchurch: Pegasus Press.
19.
French, S. and Meredith, V. ( 1994), "Women in Public Accounting: Growth and Advancement", Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol.5, No.3, pp.227-41.
20.
Gaffikin, M. ( 1998), "History is Dead, Long Live History", Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol.9, No.6, pp.631-9.
21.
Gardner, W.J. ( 1979), Colonial Cap and Gown, Christchurch : University of Canterbury Press.
22.
Gill, J. ( 2008), "Women, Public Sector Accountants Losing Out", The Chartered Accountants Journal, Vol.87, No.7, pp.21-2.
23.
Goode, J. and Bagilhole, B. ( 1998), "Gendering the Management of Change in Higher Education: A Case Study", Gender, Work and Organization, Vol.5, No.3, pp.148-64.
24.
Hammond, T. and Sikka, P. ( 1996), "Radicalizing Accounting History: The Potential of Oral History", Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal , Vol.9, No.3, pp.79-97.
25.
Harfield, T. and Clark, S. ( 1994), Mainstreaming the Minority: Report on the Research into the Under-representation of Academic Women in Employment and Formal Decision-making at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch: Equal Employment Opportunity Office, University of Canterbury.
26.
Hay, D. and Maltby, H. ( 1997), "A New Approach to Accounting Examinations: The Final Qualifying Examination in New Zealand", Journal of Accounting Education, Vol.15, No.2, pp.169-79.
27.
Haynes, K. ( 2008), "Moving the Gender Agenda or Stirring Chicken’s Entrails?: Where Next for Feminist Methodologies in Accounting", Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol.21, No.4, pp.539-55.
28.
Haynes, K. and Fearfull, A. ( 2008), "Exploring Ourselves: Exploiting and Resisting Gendered Identities of Women Academics in Accounting and Management", Pacific Accounting Review, Vol.20, No.2, pp.185-204.
29.
Icanz (2004), Annual Report 2004 , Wellington: Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand.
30.
Jenkins, E.K. and Holley, J.H. ( 1991), "Learning Style Preferences and the Prospective Accountant: Are There Gender Differences?", The Woman CPA, Vol.53, No.4, pp.46-9.
31.
Jordan, C.E., Pate, G.R. and Clark, S.J. ( 2006), "Gender Imbalance in Accounting Academia: Past and Present ", Journal of Education for Business, Vol.81, No.3, pp.165-9.
32.
Kirschstein, R.L. ( 1996), "Women Physicians: Good News and Bad News", The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol.334, pp.982-3.
33.
Knights, D. and Richards, W. ( 2003), "Sex Discrimination in UK Academia", Gender, Work and Organization, Vol.10, No.2, pp.213-38.
34.
Laband, D.N. ( 1993), "Is There Sex Discrimination in the Legal Profession?: Further Evidence on Tangible and Intangible Margins", The Journal of Human Resources, Vol.28, No.2, pp.230-59.
35.
Layne, P. and Chin, K. ( 1998), "Women in Engineering: How Far Have They Come?", Chemical Engineering, Vol.105, No.4, pp.84-90.
36.
Lehman, C. ( 1992), "‘Herstory’ in Accounting: The First Eighty Years", Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol.17, No.3-4, pp.261-85.
37.
Loft, A. ( 1992), "Accountancy and the Gendered Division of Labour: A Review Essay", Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol.17, No.3-4, pp.367-78.
38.
McKeen, C.A. and Richardson, A.J. ( 1998), "Education, Employment and Certification: An Oral History of the Entry of Women into the Canadian Accounting Profession", Business and Economic History, Vol.27, No.2, pp.500-21.
39.
Malthus, S. and Fowler, C. ( 2005), "Liberal Education: Perceptions of New Zealand Practicing Accountants", Working Paper No. 19, School of Accounting and Commercial Law, Victoria University of Wellington.
40.
Ministry for Culture and Heritage (2008), "World Suffrage Timeline - Women and the Vote: First in the World". (http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/womens-suffrage/world-suffrage-timeline ).
41.
Mutchler, J.F., Turner, J.H. and Williams, D.D. ( 1987), "The Performance of Female Versus Male Accounting Students ", Issues in Accounting Education, Vol.2, No.1, Spring, pp.103-11.
42.
Neale, A. ( 1995a), "Women in the Profession: A Question of Equality", Chartered Accountants Journal, November, pp.43-6.
43.
Neale, A. ( 1995b), "Women in the Profession: Current Status and Future Prospects", Chartered Accountants Journal, December, pp.16-21.
44.
Neale, A. ( 1996), "Women in the Profession: Future Prospects", Chartered Accountants Journal, February, pp.22-6.
45.
Norgaard, C.T. ( 1989), "A Status Report on Academic Women Accountants", Issues in Accounting Education, Vol.4, Spring, pp.11-28.
46.
Nzica (2006), 2006 Annual Report , Wellington: New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
47.
Nzsa (1961), Year Book 1961, New Zealand Society of Accountants, Wellington.
48.
Nzsa (1971), Year Book 1970-71 , New Zealand Society of Accountants, Wellington.
49.
Nzsa (1981), Year Book 1980-81 , New Zealand Society of Accountants, Wellington.
50.
Nzsa (1991), Year Book 1990-91 , New Zealand Society of Accountants, Wellington.
51.
Park, L.J., Hayes, R.S. and Foster, S.F. ( 1994), "Men and Women: Equal in Accounting?", Journal of Education for Business, Vol.69, No.6, pp.349-53.
52.
Robbins, L. and Kahn, E.D. ( 1985), "Sex Discrimination and Sex Equity for Faculty Women in the 1980s", Journal of Social Issues, Vol.41, No.4, pp.1-16.
53.
Smigla, J.E. and Zimmerman, C. ( 1998), "Are Female Accounting Majors Outperforming Male Accounting Majors?", New Accountant, Vol.14, No.2, pp.15-16, 32.
54.
Spurr, S.J. ( 1990), "Sex Discrimination in the Legal Profession: A Study of Prom", Industrial & Labor Relations Review, Vol.43, No.4, pp.406-18.
55.
Tyson, T. ( 1996), "Rendering the Unfamiliar Intelligible: Discovering the Human Side of Accounting’s Past Through Oral History Interviews", The Accounting Historian’s Journal, Vol.23, No.2, pp.87-109.
56.
University of Canterbury (1958-2002), Calendar/University of Canterbury, Christchurch: The University.
57.
Walker, S.P. ( 2008), "Accounting Histories of Women: Beyond Recovery?", Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol.21, No.4, pp.580-610.
58.
Walsh, M.R. ( 1985), "Academic Professional Women Organizing for Change: The Struggle in Psychology", Journal of Social Issues, Vol.41, No.4, pp.17-27.
59.
Whiting, R.H. and Van Vugt, O. ( 2006), "Effect of Gender, Family Structure and Firm Affiliation, on Career Promotion in Auditing", Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting Conference, Cardiff, Wales, 10-12 July.
60.
Whiting, R.H. and Wright, C. ( 2001), "Explaining Gender Inequity in the New Zealand Accounting Profession", British Accounting Review, Vol.33, pp.191-222.
61.
Williams, L.K. ( 1991), "A Synthesis of Research Studies on the Performance of Male and Female Accounting Students", The Woman CPA, Spring, pp.12-15.
