Responsibility and Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Responsibility and Accountability - Essay Example This means that one can be relied upon to oversee and implement their duties. Accountability, on the other hand, involves the assumption and acknowledgment of the consequences of actions, policies and decisions in governance and administration. It also encompasses the obligation to report, elaborate and be answerable for the consequences resulting from the decisions. Being accountable entails assuming the results for a particular action. In the community, it is important to identify who is responsible for certain actions and the one accountable for the consequences of these actions. Currently, there is an ongoing debate regarding the application of responsibility and accountability in the governing bodies. The roles that public relations practitioners take imply the responsibility to undertake certain functions. In business, the term can be used to describe the obligations or duties that have been assigned to a person with respect to the person’s function or position. Therefore, responsibility can be viewed as a collection of obligations that are associated with a function or a job. Therefore, a responsible actor can be viewed as a person whose job entails a set of obligations. These obligations are usually predetermined. The obligations must be met for the accomplishment of the job. Responsibility also includes moral obligations. These moral obligations are usually related to functional obligations. Henceforth, a certain level of maturity in terms of morals is required for an individual to be termed as responsible. Responsibility also encompasses the need for a person’s ability to reason in a moral and mature way. Ability to reason is the awareness of consequences and action that might follow ones action. Accountability is when a person is credited or blamed for his/her actions. These actions are usually associated with an established responsibility. Here, the difference between the two terms can be noted. A