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The world of accounting has changed much over the past several decades, but it remains virtually frozen in time for large numbers of minority CPAs. Certainly, a number of organizations, including some of the world's largest accounting firms, have adopted diversity programs that have resulted in an impressive uptick for women's initiatives and a general air of inclusion. However, the actual number of ethnic minorities in the accounting profession remains embarrassingly low.
This article explores some of the challenges and opportunities that come with the efforts to create greater diversity. We hope to foster dialogue among, and action by, Pennsylvania accounting firms.
Before exploring some of the challenges and opportunities, we need to define "diversity" for the purposes of this article. A broad definition adopted by some organizations often encompasses multiculturalism, gender, sexual orientation, and so on - inclusion in the broadest sense. In 2009, PICPA established a Diversity Committee to focus on increasing "ethnic diversity." Specifically, its mandate is to "increase ethnic diversity within the Pennsylvania CPA profession and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants." This article, similarly, focuses on ethnic diversity.
What Drives Diversity?
Croups such as the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), among others, have made efforts to improve the representation of ethnic minorities in the profession across the country. Unfortunately, their sincere efforts have yielded limited results, and many still wonder how to achieve measurable and sustained improvements in the number of minority accountants hired and retained.
There are countless reasons as to why measurable results have been elusive, and this article can only address some of those considerations.
Many argue that the short supply of minority accounting graduates is a substantial reason for the lack of diversity in the profession. Others point to the lack of a burning platform; that is, a substantial driver, that would encourage more organizations to address the issues in a meaningful way. For example, the impetus for cultural and social change historically has been driven by one of three primary sources:
* Government mandates - Federal, state, and local policies and practices that encourage greater minority participation.
* Social mandates - A widespread, principled belief within a culture that a wrong...