| To understand the corporate value | | | | period. |
| "Accountability" imagine the role of the accountant | | | | Without accountability (as a corporate value) the |
| in the organization. | | | | management would only manage on results. The |
| First a definition; a clear definition of accountability | | | | disadvantage of this method is that the results |
| is available at Wikipedia: "Accountability is defined | | | | come at the end of the period. A manager wants |
| as "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to | | | | more insight in activities and implicit decisions that |
| inform B about A's (past or future) actions and | | | | are taken. It is also possible that the result is not |
| decisions, to justify them, and to suffer | | | | only financial but also productive where the |
| punishment in the case of eventual misconduct" | | | | characteristics do not match previous descriptions. |
| To simplify the work of the accountant in the | | | | For instance, in the private sphere: you are to buy |
| organization one could say that he or she | | | | some groceries and when the demanded brand is |
| registers all transactions that are done during the | | | | no longer available you decide to take another of |
| operation. The work of the accountant in an | | | | a different quality. |
| organization is often called controller which is the | | | | Accountability is important if you want to prevent |
| role dedicated to monitors internal controls (wiki). | | | | a laissez-faire management approach. You send |
| At the end of a period, which can be a year, the | | | | someone to do a job and he finishes offering a |
| final statement is prepared where all the | | | | slightly different result. If you let people free in |
| operational transactions are summarized into a | | | | the end they may come up with very creative |
| single overview. This overview may serve | | | | solutions but which may not fit with the existing |
| different purposes and will be tailored like-wise. A | | | | base and more important: with what is really |
| fiscal overview has different guidelines than the | | | | needed. |
| operational overview. | | | | Being to strict on accountability will take the |
| The main idea is that an official report is needed | | | | creativity out of the organization. As a corporate |
| to communicate the results. | | | | value, think of the function of the accountant. It is |
| If an organization values accountability it values: | | | | a role that is not always really "wanted" by the |
| transparency in the operational process. | | | | specialists. They "know what to do" ... but in the |
| Management and external stakeholders need | | | | end it is the accountant who will signal that the |
| insight in activities of employees (the set of | | | | performance-target is not met. And then, if there |
| transaction that have been executed) and they | | | | is no track-record of actions and decisions, it is |
| desire measurable results which is communicated | | | | not the accountant (messenger) who has the |
| by the summary or bottom-line at the end of the | | | | problem, but the manager of the operation. |