Study finds job embeddedness, not engagement, drives retention.

Know-How Korner
With Donny Shimamoto
Center for Accounting Transformation

A new study by Dr. Amy Cooper, CPA, CFE, CGMA, an assistant accounting professor and program director at University of Alaska Fairbanks, challenges conventional wisdom, revealing that job embeddedness—not engagement—is the key to keeping accountants in public firms.

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“I assumed smaller firms would foster stronger embeddedness, but my research showed the opposite,” says Dr. Cooper. “Larger firms offer more career mobility, specialization, and structured support, which increase long-term commitment.”

While job engagement—enthusiasm for daily tasks—seems important, it did not significantly predict turnover intentions. Instead, employees with deeper professional and community ties were less likely to leave.

Progressive firms are the key to the future of the profession.

The Disruptors

With Liz Farr

The world of M&A is full of disruption, distraction, and disorientation these days, says Ira Rosenbloom, CEO of Optimum Strategies. While the headlines focus on private equity’s increasing role in CPA firm acquisitions, two new types of acquirers are playing a bigger role: Family offices and wealth management.

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These different participants are disrupting “the more traditional marketplace, which for years has been driven by two CPA firms getting together that had a lot in common, except one was larger and the other one was smaller,” says Rosenbloom. “I just think that what we've seen is there's not one approach that works for everybody. We're seeing dimension now. We're seeing a whole bunch of choices.”

Transform your workday with generative AI and discover practical ways to save time.

Quick Tech Talk

With Steve Yoss

CPE Today

Generative AI tools are revolutionizing how we approach work, offering practical, efficient, and innovative solutions for professionals across industries. If you haven’t explored tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, now is the time to dive in. These cutting-edge technologies are as accessible as they are powerful, requiring no special training—just your ability to clearly express your needs.

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