Accountability as a function of power relationships in public governance networks

Eckersley, P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9048-8529, Lakoma, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2583-3813, Murphy, P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8459-4448, Caygill, T ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8551-2192 and Pell, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1504-2129, 2024. Accountability as a function of power relationships in public governance networks. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298

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Abstract

In public governance, power and accountability are inextricably linked. However, although an integrated exploration of these concepts could enhance our understanding of how governance operates, few studies have examined them together. Drawing on resource dependency theory, we suggest that power relationships within networks shape accountability and have a concomitant impact on the prevailing governance paradigm. Specifically, where principals possess important resources that enable them to exercise power over agents and hold them to account through hierarchical mechanisms, Traditional Public Administration approaches predominate. Where resources are diffused within elite networks in New Public Management contexts, individual actors can exercise greater power to achieve their objectives, and accountability arrangements become increasingly multi-directional and complex. Finally, if resources are shared across society as in the New Public Governance paradigm, actors generate power with each other to achieve shared goals, and accountability relationships are more horizontal with a focus on learning.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Public Administration
Creators:	Eckersley, P., Lakoma, K., Murphy, P., Caygill, T. and Pell, C.
Publisher:	Wiley
Date:	8 September 2024
ISSN:	0033-3298
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1111/padm.13032 DOI 2193314 Other
Rights:	© 2024 The Author(s). Public Administration published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	14 Aug 2024 08:16
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2024 14:41
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/51996

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