Essay on the Causes and Effects of Accountability in Organizations

This essay delves into the multifaceted concept of accountability, exploring its causes and profound effects within organizational contexts. It begins by defining accountability as the acceptance of responsibility for one's actions and the transparent disclosure of outcomes, contrasting this with the tendency to avoid responsibility. The essay then outlines the causes of accountability, including trust, commitment, stability, and established standards, emphasizing how these factors foster better relationships, enhance employee dedication, and promote long-term retention. Furthermore, it highlights the positive effects of accountability, such as improved performance, increased efficiency, and the creation of a positive and healthy work environment. The essay also addresses the negative consequences of a lack of accountability, such as conflicts, poor productivity, and unethical behavior. It concludes by underscoring the critical role of accountability in promoting trust, openness, employee engagement, and effective decision-making, thereby contributing to overall organizational success. The essay also includes references to relevant research and academic sources that support the arguments made throughout the document.

RUNNING HEAD: CAUSE AND EFFECT OF ACCOUNTABILITY
0
Cause and effect of accountability
Essay
System 0032
[Pick the date]

Cause and effects of accountability
1
Causes and Effects of Accountability
Accountability is related to taking the responsibility of own actions and its consequences, this is
considered as an obligation of an organization or an individual to accept the responsibilities of
their actions, and disclose all the results and outcomes in a fair and transparent manner (Breland,
Laird and Bhakta 240). Nowadays, organizations or people are not ready to take responsibility
for their actions and blame others. With the help of accountability an organization can eliminate
the efforts and time on unproductive activities and unethical behavior. In relation to the
organization, causes of accountability are trust, commitment, stability and standards. Trust is an
important factor in any relationship whether its friends or employee or employers, accountability
of actions ensure trust and better relationship (Wang, Waldman and Ashforth 12-35).
Accountability brings commitment in an individual for the organization and for goals, due to
accountability employees feel valued and work more efficiently and effectively in the
organization. Accountability brings sense of stability in the employees as they are more
dedicated and feel responsible for their work and actions in the organization and this help the
organizations to retain employees for long run (Olsen 122).
Transparency with others benefits an individual in many ways; accountability helps an individual
to achieve its purpose in life as this shows that an individual achieved what they said. People
should be accountable because it demonstrates their progress as this helps the person to track
their progress in their path (Hall, Frink and Buckley 212). Through accountability a person can
measure its success and failure and from that they can learn and amend their moves (Butta and
Carman 5).

Cause and effects of accountability
2
Accountability improves performance of employees, and brings efficiency and effectiveness in
the operations (Busuioc and Lodge 100). Accountable person proves to be the asset for a
company because they deliver their work as per the standards and thinking about the major
consequences whether it’s positive or negative. “Accountability is like rain–everyone knows
they need it, but no one wants to get wet”. Accountability improves trust, morale and
productivity amongst the employee and employers (D. M. Christensen 381). Accountable person
has the ability to avoid the conflicts, promote positive culture and create healthy workplace
competition. Make accountability everyone’s responsibility. Employees who blame others for
their actions are the cause of conflicts in an organization and can bring more problems in the
working environment (Roberts 115).
Effects of accountability are that it includes zero excuse and no space for the ego problems. The
people who perform their action have to be liable and this brings sense of responsibility. Further it
impact on the performance of organization as accountability ensures that integrity and honesty is
embedded in the company’s culture (Ebrahim 123). Accountability brings clear communication,
authenticity, courage to accept mistakes. Responsibility and accountability are two main factor of
organizational success. Responsibility is related to the discipline and duty whereas accountability
is proactive, positive choice to take responsibility of their problems and its solutions (Christensen
and Laegreid 210).
There is link between results and accountability, building an accountable culture in the workplace
or in any organization brings the clarity of results to workers. When the target of individual is set
they can contribute more in day to day tasks. Accountable people can own it, see it, do it and
solve it (Schwindt and Tavits 39). Further impact of accountability is that it promotes employee
engagement and innovation. Whereas lack of accountability is an issue in many organizations and

Cause and effects of accountability
3
due these employees get demotivated and this affects the key results (Balla and Gormley 15).
Accountability helps in empowering the employees to not only understand and analysis the
critical gap but try to find out the desired results.
Accountability mainly strengthen the decision making process of employees, as communication
is the key of accountability as people who show trust in their actions and words are more
responsible and committed towards their work and career. In a nutshell, accountability in an
organization promote environment of trust and openness, helps employees to stay motivated,
avoid conflicts and mismanagement, helps in set clear goals, review and track progress on the
continuous basis, ensure the accountability from the side of leaders and followers (Schilllemans
and Smulders 250) So accountability is the most important factor and has many positive
implications. When in any organization accountability is absent it leads to conflicts, poor
productivity, and unethical behavior.
Bibliography

Cause and effects of accountability
4
Balla, S J and W T Gormley. Bureaucracy and democracy: Accountability and performance. CQ
Press, 2017.
Breland, J W, et al. "The effects of felt accountability and role ambiguity on organisational
commitment: a replication of results analysing social network analysis." International
journal of transitions and innovation systems (2016): 231-253.
Busuioc, M and M Lodge. "Reputation and accountability relationships." Public administration
review (2017): 91-100.
Butta, F and J G Carman. "Accountability: Breaches and Trust. ." Global encyclopedia of public
administration, public policy and governance (2017): 1-7.
Christensen , T and P Laegreid. "Performance and accountability - A theoritical discussion and
an empirical assessment ." Public Organization Review (2015): 207-225.
Christensen, D M. "Corporate accountability reporting and high profile misconduct." The
accounting review (2015): 377-399.
Ebrahim, A. Measuring social change: performance and accountability in a complex world.
Stanford university press, 2019.
Hall, A T, D D Frink and M R Buckley. "An accountability account: A review and synthesis of
the theoritical and empirical research on felt accountability." Journal of organizational
behavior (2017): 204-224.
Olsen, J P. Democratic order, autonomy and accountability . New York: Routledge, 2016.

Cause and effects of accountability
5
Roberts, J. Accountability, In the routledge companion to critical accounting. New York:
Routledge, 2017.
Schilllemans, T and R Smulders. "Learning from accountability? Whether, what and when."
Public performance and management review (2015): 248-271.
Schwindt, L A and M Tavits. Corruption, accountability and clarity of responsibility. Cambridge
university press, 2016.
Wang, D, D A Waldman and B E Ashforth. "Building relationship through accountability: An
expanded idea of accountability ." Organizational Psychology Review (2019): 12-35.