Few are Called, Fewer are Chosen : Elite Reproduction in U.S. Academic Accounting

Previous work on academic accounting in the U.S. has documented impressive concentrations in publications and labor market success by faculty with credentials from a relatively small number of universities. Utilizing the theoretical contributions of Bourdieu, this paper argues that elite institutions constitute a unique positioning that favors a particular type of candidate. Through systematic personnel movements, elites within the discipline are able to reproduce. A study of faculty cultural capital acquired from previous matriculation at elite universities offers empirical support for these ideas. The results suggest that previous studies of concentration are a foredrawn conclusion of a systematic selection process