Cover Image
QR Code

Exploring the Sources of Cognitive Gap Between Accountability and Performance.

This article decouples accountability and performance to highlight the cognitive gap in the ability to discern between accountability and performance at the street level. A qualitative content analysis of interviews from child welfare caseworkers provides several noteworthy findings. While these ter...

Full description

Published in:Public Personnel Management Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 393 - 421
Main Authors: Hwang, Kwangseon, Han, Yousueng
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. Sep2020
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=144768852&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 144768852
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        00910260
        PPM
      jtl: Public Personnel Management
      issn: 00910260
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Sep2020
      vid: 49
      iid: 3
      pid: 344
      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
      place: Thousand Oaks, California
    artinfo:
      ui:
        144768852
        144768852
        144768852
        10.1177/0091026019873031
        144768852
      ppf: 393
      ppct: 28
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
      tig:
        atl: Exploring the Sources of Cognitive Gap Between Accountability and Performance.
      aug:
        au:
          Hwang, Kwangseon
          Han, Yousueng
        affil: Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
      sug:
        subj:
          Accountability
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Cognition
          Social Workers Psychosocial Factors
          Human
          Qualitative Studies
          Content Analysis
          Interviews
          Child Welfare
          Trust
          Professionalism
          Teamwork
          Job Characteristics
          Funding Source
      ab: This article decouples accountability and performance to highlight the cognitive gap in the ability to discern between accountability and performance at the street level. A qualitative content analysis of interviews from child welfare caseworkers provides several noteworthy findings. While these terms share certain common key themes, they also have different characteristics. Both terms may be understood and used interchangeably in practical applications, including serving (the children and families), responsible action (trust), following rules, completing the task, integrity/ethics, and effectiveness. Aside from the common key themes, accountability was also understood as embodying the key themes of explanation/meeting, expectation, and ownership. Conversely, performance was perceived as representing professionalism, skill, and teamwork. In general, when the frontline workers talk about process and relationships, they reference accountability and when they are discussing outcomes, they reference performance. This study highlights common and disparate characteristics associated with accountability and performance that explain why they are pursued simultaneously and why enhancing accountability sometimes does not lead to improving performance and vice versa.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N