Abstract
Negotiated accountability is defined as a bilateral agreement between two parties who explicitly define their responsibilities in interdependent role behaviors and who agree to regularly report to each other on the fulfillment of these responsibilities.
The concepts of "negotiation" and "accountability" are well known in the world of organizations and interpersonal behavior. Each concept alone, however, is less powerful than their com bination into "negotiated accountability." Negotiation is a pro cessual instrument for reaching agreements, whereas accounta bility implies commitment and action within the framework of role responsibility. Negotiation serves to soften and "democratize" accountability. Accountability, on the other hand, strengthens negotiation by commitment to action within specified role expec tations.
This paper presents summaries of a protocol from a "nego tiated accountability conference," a technique for demonstrating mutual accountability within the staff of a University Extension Division.
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