Accountability and the Promise of Performance: In Search of the Mechanisms

Abstract

Abstract

In an effort to determine the basis for the assumed relationship between accountabilityand performance that pervades much of contemporary administrative reform efforts, this paper applies a "social mechanisms" approach to elaborate the factors that might be involved in account giving and various forms of administrative performance. This searchfor mechanisms indicates that the relationship is paradoxical and either spurious or so contingent as to raise questions regarding administrative reforms based on it. Various theoretical approaches for dealing with the relationship are considered.

Department

Political Science

Publication Date

Winter 2005

Journal Title

Public Performance & Management Review

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1080/15309576.2005.11051839

Document Type

Article

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