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Accountability in action?: the case of a database purchasing decision
Daniel Neyland1, Steve Woolgar
1Said Business School, University of Oxford.
The British Journal of Sociology
|August 13, 2002
Summary
University audits raise concerns about research impact. This study explores how accountability, including value for money, influences technology decisions in academic settings through ethnographic research.
Area of Science:
- Management Science
- Higher Education Studies
- Sociology of Science
Background:
- Increasing prevalence of audits in universities.
- Concerns regarding adverse effects of performance measures on research and knowledge generation.
- Need to understand the practical application of accountability in academic settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the drivers behind the commitment to audit in universities.
- To analyze how accountability is enacted in practice within university settings.
- To examine the influence of accountability on technology adoption decisions.
Main Methods:
- Ethnographic study of 'good management practice'.
- Analysis of materials related to technology deployment in universities.
- Examination of decision-making processes for new database technology.
Main Results:
- Accountability, particularly 'value for money', significantly informs practical decision-making.
- Audit practices are sustained by specific interpretations and applications of accountability.
- Observed tensions between audit demands and research conduct.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the practical enactment of accountability is crucial for addressing concerns about university audits.
- Management practices and technology choices are shaped by accountability considerations.
- Further research is needed on the long-term impact of audit culture on academic institutions.
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