Public Employee Accountability: An Empirical Examination of a Nomological Network

Abstract

While the field of public management has long emphasized the importance of holding public employees accountable for their actions, our understanding of how best to do so has been hindered by a dearth of empirical research on this topic. Recent literature has called for more examination of individual subjective experiences of being accountable—employee accountability—in order to research how macro accountability systems make a difference to individuals. To validate the employee accountability construct in the public domain, we collect data from two separate samples using a multidimensional scale to measure public employee accountability. We analyze these data to explore the nomological network of public employee accountability by assessing its relationship with both a logical antecedent and expected outcomes. Based on findings that validate the nomological network, we discuss how this research contributes to the literature on accountability and possible directions for future research.