Accountability

Machita Pratt HCS 475 January 10, 2013 Tyra Tomlin Importance of Accountability In health care today or any organization for that matter it is vital that accountability is leading within the forefront of the organization. Accountability is and should be implemented within the hierarchy of the organization in order to ensure an effective and successful outcome. It is important to uphold and factor into everyday life to support any and everything that he or she does. Topics will be depicted to what accountability is, the importance of accountability, measuring accountability, characteristics of checks and balances, effects of accountability on working culture, and maintaining a positive working culture. According to the Business Dictionary, accountability is “The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner. It is also the responsibility for money or other entrusted property or properties (BusinessDictionary.com, 2012).” Accountability is used as a response to a change or changes that are made. If responsibilities are not completed and performed accurately, then the repercussions of that must be faced by the employee(s) (BusinessDictionary.com, 2012). It is an important component of the business world or industry, so implementing strategic planning into the organization is vital to success. Individuals need to be open, docile, listens, and genuine to build the professional and personal relationship to succeed. From this may come various reactions such as positive, negative, or a feeling of insignificance (Emanuel & Emanuel, 1996). Accountability also ensures that someone is always conscious of what others are doing or has done. Never leave to chance the possibility that mistakes can occur, so it is vital to employee contribution and having a goal to work toward, and prevent negative outcomes and conflicts as well (Emanuel & Emanuel, 1996). It is also important to prevent the employees from taking advantage of the company through theft from the company or wasting time while on business hours. These are reasons accountability is important to have within an organization whether large or small. In some instances steps need to be taken to keep employees on track and staying productive; the way in which this is done is through fairly easy steps. The first step in employee accountability measuring begins with instituting performance standards, which are integrating into the annual performance appraisal (Hart, 2010). Establishing principles for performance for annual review ensures that they are meeting expectations of the job and company by supporting the goals of the organization of performance standards. Contemplate the impact of employee accountability and how it influences the values of the organization (Hart, 2010). Keeping employees engaged is the number one goal that needs to be set, in order for employees to demonstrate the ability to their job (Hart, 2010). When the path is clear the direction is clear employees will stay engaged and work environment becomes efficient. Another way to measure accountability is through the attendance of employees (Hart, 2010). Make it clear how many days are allotted to be absent, sick days, and vacation. When there are no restrictions to how much he or she may be absent, or what he or she may or may not do individuals sometimes take that for granted. Lastly, providing feedback to employees continuously is an informal way that employee accountability could be measured (Hart, 2010). It is found that management that utilize this technique notice an improvement within their employees, because workers notice the observance of him or her performance and they are more likely to do better and become more accountable (Hart, 2010). Employees recognizing this, it seems to build a more valuable relationship and a valuable impact to the organization. Checks and balances is accountability. It is used to guard him or her from detriment from themselves or others alike. Becoming willing to what is thought or done as though to be praised when and if needed is why he or she may do this (Lechowicz, 2011). Characteristics of checks and balance are honesty, accuracy, structure, and organization. Checks and balances are designed to prevent chaos and responsibilities that are distributed stay within the boundaries given. It also ensures that the operation of the organization is best suited. Board members are usually chosen to vote and give opinion(s) of what is deemed best for the operation of the organization as well (Lechowicz, 2011). Checks and balances would also be characterized as the finance department being separate from the management department. Each department operates that sector of the organization to guarantee that all departments are functioning properly and individual responsibilities are met (Lechowicz, 2011). An organization can not only be affected by lack of accountability but also by culture. The culture is the beliefs, apparitions, systems, and practices because it affects the way in which individuals and groups relate and view things. To thrive and grow within his or her organization, the work culture of the organization should be inspiring and motivational as well as the people. Implement some strategies to maintain a positive work culture through communicating honestly of the well fare of the organization (Stricoff, 2012). Make the mission and goals known to the employees and how their work ethics are tied together. Also be positive and plan ahead for the future and elaborate on how to collaborate to maximize productivity and efficiency. Ensure that policies and procedures are equal and fair to prevent the possibilities of any barriers (Stricoff, 2012). Managers should know what their role is and obtain the needed skills and abilities in which to perform his or her duties. Last, by initiating a management program to establish expectations, create an accountable environment, providing feedback, and sustain development of employees are vital ways to keep a positive working culture full of praise and motivation to prevent employees and management from pointing fingers (Stricoff, 2012). In conclusion the topics discussed were what accountability means, the importance of accountability, measuring accountability, characteristics of checks and balances, the effects of accountability, and how to maintain a positive work culture. The ability to rely on everyone within organizations makes for an easier rise to success for the employees and management alike. Do not put pressure on one set of individuals but the weight of becoming and sustaining accountability should be evenly distributed so that burn out and rivalry does not occur. Be one as a team, communicate, and express accomplishments seen individually and the organization as a whole. References BusinessDictionary.com. (2012). accountability. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/accountability Emanuel, E. J., & Emanuel, L. L. (1996, January 15). What Is Accountability in Healthcare. American College of Physicians, 124(2), 229-239. Retrieved from http://annals.org/ Hart, L. (2010, August 15). 6 Steps to Employee Accountability. Retrieved from http://ezinarticles.com'6-steps-to-employee-accountability Lechowicz, L. (2011, August 11). Health Care Checks & Balances- What Goes Around. Retrieved from http://www.hdmcorp.com/Effective-Use-Of-Healthcare Stricoff, R. (2012). Maintaining a Positive Work Culture. Retrieved from http://impactingyourpeople.com/strategies