Content area
Full text
Most CPAs agree that public accounting is a high-stress profession. Studies have revealed that the cholesterol level of accountants increased significantly during busy season and decreased afterwards. Stress may be even greater for CPAs in today's economic climate. Clients are pressuring firms to reduce fees and hours, and increased competition among firms has created even more tension. At the same time, the expenses of running a firm are increasing. The profession faces many other difficult problems and challenges as well--an increasing liability risk, standards overload, a lack of growth in the demand for services, and an explosion in technological advances to keep pace with. All of these factors make it a tough time to be a CPA, and a stressful time as well.
Excessive stress can have a negative effect on an individual's performance and personal health. It can also produce important negative organizational effects, such as absenteeism, poor productivity, high turnover, and job dissatisfaction. In order for firm managers to mitigate the impact of excessive stress, they need to identify its primary sources at the job. Firms and individual CPAs should benefit by knowing who is under the most stress. How does stress differ among CPAs based on position level, firm type, and area of specialization?
Behavior patterns, and lifestyles can also have a significant effect on stress. For example, healthy coping behaviors and exercise are often suggested as ways to combat the negative effects of stress, while Type A personality is often associated with increased levels of stress.
The Study
To find answers to the question of the role stress plays in public accounting, a mail survey of members of the AICPA currently working in public accounting was undertaken. One thousand individuals were randomly selected from the Institute's membership directory for inclusion in the survey. Replies were received from 570 accountants. The questionnaire contained scales measuring stressors, individual factors, and consequences of stress.
Sixty-nine percent of the respondents were male and 31% female. Ten percent of the respondents were staff accountants, 30% seniors, 35% managers, and 25% were partners. The most common area of specialization was auditing, 37%, followed by tax, 30%; small business clients, 16%; management advisory services, 4%; and the remaining 14% in multiple areas. Fifty-eight percent of the respondents were...