Achieving sustainable governance of horizontal integration of care services: progress and democratic accountability of strategic coordination bodies for older people

PurposeThe purpose is to analyse the relationship between democratic accountability and how sustainable governance is achieved by horizontally integrating care services for older people through collaboration in a coordination body of key leaders from across the health and social care system.Design/methodology/approachThe data and measures come from two surveys with coordination body members in Sweden (politicians, administrators, professionals) from a sample of 73 bodies in 2015 (n = 549) and the same/corresponding 59 bodies in 2019 (n = 389).FindingsThe governance of integrating care scale and the accountability scales repeatedly show consistency among individual members. Systematic progress is found among large coordination bodies: the greater the average perception of governance of horizontally integrating care in 2015, the greater it was in 2019 – and regardless of the period, the stronger the internal administrative or political monitoring and reviewing of the coordination body, the greater its governance (while the relationship to the external monitoring and reviewing is weak). However, the growing importance of external accountability is indirect, shown by stronger correlations between the internal political and external monitoring and reviewing, regardless of size.Research limitations/implicationsThe scales are based on self-reported perceptions that cannot be objectively verified, but they can be linked to changes in outcomes and user experiences in the later stages of the research.Originality/valueRepeatedly verified scales of internal and external accountability for analysing and evaluating governance of integrating care services horizontally, which is useful for improving strategic coordination of integrated care.

Do Turkish teachers feel personal accountability the same way? Measurement invariance and latent mean comparisons across gender, tenure, teacher branches and school grades

PurposeThe primary purpose of this study is to test the measurement invariance and the latent mean differences of the personal accountability measure (PAM) constructs.Design/methodology/approachObtained through the Turkish version of the PAM from a random sample of 453 teachers working in elementary and secondary schools in Aksaray province, data were analyzed using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the measurement invariance and latent mean differences of the internal and external accountability constructs across gender, tenure, school grade and teacher branches, respectively.FindingsTeacher internal and external accountability constructs were demonstrated in this study to be fully equivalent across gender and tenure, and partially equivalent across school grade and teacher branches. Latent mean comparisons showed that less-experienced tenure teachers, class teachers and ESL teachers in Turkey felt more internally accountable compared to their peers in other groups. No significant latent mean differences of teacher external accountability were observed across genders, tenures, school types or teacher branches.Originality/valueThis study contributes to research by providing further valuable information on the equivalencies of the external and internal accountability constructs across gender, tenure, school grade and branch for future research studying multigroup comparisons and structural relationships of personal accountability constructs. It also provides school principals and policymakers with more accurate, multigroup comparisons of teacher external and internal accountability dispositions across gender, tenure, school grade and branch.

Institutional complexity and multiple accountability tensions: A conceptual framework for analyzing school leaders’ interpretation of competing demands

While many studies on external accountability forms have illustrated the impact on the prevailing conceptions and values about the nature of school organizations, still little is known about the active role of school leaders as sense-makers who deal with conflicting accountability demands. We argue that while multiple external accountability forms driven by policies often manifest in apparently conflicting ways in school organizations, recent findings suggest that some school leaders have come to understand and adapt strategically and reconcile these logics in practice over time. In this article, we seek to highlight the institutional complexity that school leaders face when attempting to make sense of, interpret reconcile and/or counterbalance competing accountability demands from multiple and incompatible logics while considering their schools’ needs and conditions. We develop a conceptual framework that unpacks the intersection of the institutional complexity triggered by multiple institutional logics and school leaders’ sense-making about reform. This framework could illuminate how and why the multiple logics in the institutional environment shape and are being shaped by school leaders’ sense-making in the complex policy implementation processes that lead to different policy outcomes.

Bringing Peace, But Violating Human Rights

This chapter contains two case studies analyzing the evolution of pluralist accountability in response to the violation of the rights of detainees held in Kosovo by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and the NATO-led military operation KFOR. The analysis reveals that while pluralist accountability evolved in the case of detentions by the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), it failed with regard to KFOR detentions. The competitive environment stimulated regional organizations to sharpen their profiles as external accountability holders, in both cases by establishing an Ombudsperson Institution and a Human Rights Advisory Panel. However, the difference in UNMIK’s and KFOR’s vulnerability with regard to human rights demands explains why pluralist accountability evolved only in the case of UNMIK.

Accountable and Thus Legitimate? A Comparative Study of Philanthropists

This article takes a comparative qualitative approach to explore the intertwined external accountability and legitimacy attempts of independently wealthy philanthropists. By comparing accountability forums and institutional logics stated by philanthropists, it is investigated to whom they are externally accountable and how they legitimate their controversial funding of public goods. The study compares the external accountability and legitimacy attempts of philanthropists with that of public agencies, corporations, and fundraising-dependent nonprofits. Empirically, this is a cross-sectional study of funders supporting human embryonic stem cell research in either California or Sweden. The study shows that it is through local isomorphism, rather than any specific accountability forum or institutional logic, that philanthropists are accountable and thus legitimate their giving. This is in contrast to other types of funders, which are more similar within each form when comparing accountability forums across societies, and more similar within societies in their usage of institutional logics, with certain patterned statements. In addition, philanthropists in both societies are more detached than any other type of funder as regards both specific patient populations and the general electorate. This finding raises questions on what philanthropists’ private funding for public purposes actually entails.

Exploring the role of goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in embedding strategic learning plans in small firms

PurposeThis paper explores the role of goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The research question asks, how are strategic learning plans embedded in small firms?Design/methodology/approachInsights from in-depth action research carried out with three small firm owner-managers (OMs) inform the study.FindingsFindings present valuable insights into how small firms learn strategically, and the link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of embedded learning. A framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms is presented.Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers a contribution to knowledge in the areas of small firm learning, strategic planning and social learning theory. While the sample size is small, data and case protocols are in place which allow for replication of the study. As the research is embedded in social learning theory, alternative theoretical frameworks may shed a different light on the research question.Practical implicationsThe study may be of interest to practitioners working in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of learning interventions for small service firms. Given the importance of the small firm sector to the global economy, the research may also be of interest to government agencies, who strive to protect the survival and growth of small firms generally and who set aside resource amounts each year to fund training programmes for small firm OMs.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the body of existing knowledge in the small firm setting concerning social learning theory and small firm learning strategies. It has identified a link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of sustainable organisational learning in small firms and offers a framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The study answers calls for a more robust framework to advance understanding of how OMs learn and whether that learning is consequently embedded in the organisation. The proposed framework can be used as a guideline for support organisations in assisting small firms in reaching their learning potential. It can also be used by small firms in the attainment of strategy learning capability.

Exploring the role of goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in embedding strategic learning plans in small firms

PurposeThis paper explores the role of goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The research question asks, does an external learning intervention influence how strategic learning plans are embedded in small firms?Design/methodology/approachInsights from in-depth action research carried out with three small firm owner-managers (OMs) inform the study.FindingsFindings present valuable insights into how small firms learn strategically, and the link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of embedded learning. A framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms is presented.Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers a contribution to knowledge in the areas of small firm learning, strategic planning and social learning theory. While the sample size is small, data and case protocols are in place which allow for replication of the study. As the research is embedded in social learning theory, alternative theoretical frameworks may shed a different light on the research question.Practical implicationsThe study will be of interest to practitioners working in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of learning interventions for small service firms. Given the importance of the small firm sector to the global economy, the research may also be of interest to government agencies, who strive to protect the survival and growth of small firms generally and who set aside resource amounts each year to fund training programmes for small firm OMs.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the body of existing knowledge in the small firm setting concerning social learning theory and small firm learning strategies. It has identified a link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of sustainable organisational learning in small firms and offers a framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The study answers calls for a more robust framework to advance understanding of how OMs learn and whether that learning is consequently embedded in the organisation. The proposed framework can be used as a guideline for support organisations in assisting small firms in reaching their learning potential. It can also be used by small firms in the attainment of strategy learning capability.