Accountability When Hierarchical Authority is Absent: Views from Public-Private Partnership Practitioners

The American Review of Public Administration, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 3-23, 2008

Posted: 27 Jan 2012

See all articles by Muhittin Acar

Muhittin Acar

Hacettepe University

Chao Guo

Penn School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania

Kaifeng Yang

Florida State University - Askew School of Public Administration and Policy

Date Written: March 1, 2008

Abstract

What function does accountability serve in public-private partnerships where one partner has no authority over others and no control over results? This article aims to shed light on this question by studying participants of partnerships formed between K-12 public schools and private and/or nonprofit organizations. Findings support the notion that accountability plays a greater role in public management than indicated by the idea of answerability. Five potential functions of accountability are identified: mapping and manifesting expectations, mobilizing and motivating (ex-ante), monitoring and measuring progress and performance, modifying, and mobilizing and motivating (ex-post).

Keywords: accountability, public–private partnerships, collaborative governance, networks, contemporary public management, practitioners

Suggested Citation

Acar, Muhittin and Guo, Chao and Yang, Kaifeng, Accountability When Hierarchical Authority is Absent: Views from Public-Private Partnership Practitioners (March 1, 2008). The American Review of Public Administration, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 3-23, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1992155

Muhittin Acar (Contact Author)

Hacettepe University ( email )

Ankara
Turkey

Chao Guo

Penn School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania ( email )

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6214
United States

Kaifeng Yang

Florida State University - Askew School of Public Administration and Policy ( email )

Tallahasse, FL 32306
United States

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