Relationship between accountability and public trust from the view point of staffs and clients
Uploaded by mariametsof on May 26, 2012
Measurement of citizens' attitude toward the government and administrative system is regarded as the main element relative to the new public management (Shlomo Mizrahi , et al, 2010). The operationalization of democracy is based on the public accountability. Public accountability presents a picture of loyalty, dutifulness, justice, clearness, try for improvement, and moral competence of governmental managers, and its promotion makes the managers secure against the criticisms. It also displays some democratic manifestations. Governmental managers should be accountable in the fields of strategy, program (effectiveness), performance (competence and economy), planning process, allocation and legitimacy (rules obedience). Increase of level of need to accountability and information in the society improve the expectations for available services and hence Public department could be developed (Del pino, 2007). Public trust refers to when individuals expect the governmental officials provide their needs by interacting with them during which there is a kind of distrust. In other words, public trust means the expectations of all people toward the positive response from behalf of their governmental officials. In added, by public trust we mean the degree of individuals' belief toward the public organizations which act based on their expectations. They are also truthful, have various capabilities and do suitable works (Sosuke Iwae , 2009).
From the viewpoint of managers, staffs and employers, public trust is very important because it plays a main role in the enforcement of public policies and cooperation’s. Citizens affect on the enforcement of government's programs by public trust and public trust is achieved in lieu of suitable response of governmental institutions (Gordon, 2000).
2. Review of literature
A) Accountability
The word "accountability" has been differently used in public management: Firstly, it refers to the political accountability idea in the democratic liberal system and secondly, it refers to the managerial accountability in governmental systems (Romzek and Ingraham, 2000).
With regard to the development of new public management by which the balance between political accountability and managerial accountability has been changed, the governance has became more complex (Anders Hanberger, 2009).
Farazmand believes that "the managers of public services are the guards of people's trust. Therefore, accountability toward the people's needs is a main issue in public organizations, because there are many aspects of activities by which many corruptions are created" (Farazmand, 2000).
The basic criterion of "public" is related to the public trust to the leader and the being responsiveness of public services toward the people.
The...