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The Effect of Outcome vs. Process Accountability-Focus on Performance: A Meta-Analysis
Ira Sharon1, Anat Drach-Zahavy1, Einav Srulovici1
1Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 16, 2022
Summary
Accountability focus impacts task performance, but task complexity is key. Outcome accountability aids complex tasks, while process accountability benefits simpler ones, showing neither is universally superior.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Psychology
- Nursing Practice
Background:
- Accountability is crucial for safe healthcare practices, especially during pandemics like COVID-19.
- The effectiveness of outcome- versus process-focused accountability on performance remains unclear.
- Nursing typically prioritizes outcome accountability, but empirical evidence is limited.
Approach:
- Conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on accountability and task performance.
- Searched multiple databases (PsycINFO, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL) up to November 2020.
- Analyzed data from seven studies with 1,080 participants using statistical methods and meta-analysis.
Key Points:
- Overall, no significant difference was found between outcome and process accountability on task performance.
- Task complexity significantly moderated the effect of accountability focus.
- Outcome accountability improved performance on complex tasks, while process accountability improved performance on simpler tasks.
Conclusions:
- Accountability focus alone does not guarantee improved performance; task complexity is a critical moderator.
- The choice between outcome and process accountability should be tailored to the complexity of the task.
- Findings challenge the assumption that outcome accountability is always superior in nursing contexts.
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