Gender differences in public accounting students' motivations, expectations, and barriers

This article identifies gender differences in the motivations, expectations, and barriers of public accounting students, highlighting implications for accounting education and instruction. A quantitative methodology was employed to conduct the research, which served as the basis for a survey designed and administered to a population of 181 students in the Public Accounting undergraduate program at the Universidad Cat & oacute;lica Luis Amig & oacute; in the city of Medell & iacute;n. The results revealed that motivations, expectations, and perceived barriers may vary according to gender. Men are driven by professional fulfillment and career advancement but perceive barriers associated with work pressure and challenges. On the other hand, women are motivated by job flexibility and professional development, and, like LGBTIQ+ individuals, they perceive barriers related to employment exclusion and differential treatment based on gender and sexual orientation, respectively.