Decoupling Under Scrutiny: Consistency of Managerial Talk and Action in the Age of Nonprofit Accountability

Decoupling theory suggests inconsistencies in what nonprofits do and what they claim to do. Accountability is a potential antidote to such inconsistencies in the nonprofit sector. To test whether different features of accountability prevent decoupling, I examine the divergence in statements about managerialism among nonprofit organizations in a major U.S. metropolitan area. The analysis compares a survey of organizations to public discourse based on five-million-word website text. Professionalism and evaluation indeed prevent organizations from embellishing their discourse. However, inconsistencies between managerial practices and managerial discourse remain frequent: Organizations continue to present symbolic displays of managerialism to the general public, particularly when their missions are tangible. Furthermore, ratings generate inconsistencies by leading organizations to downplay managerial practices. This study develops an institutional understanding of managerial talk and action, shows that the problem of decoupling in the “age of accountability” is multifaceted, and has implications for the estimation of nonprofit practices using automated text analysis.

When Logics Collide: Implementing Technology-Enabled Personalization in the Age of Accountability

In this article, we situate the relatively new wave of technology-enabled personalized learning platforms within the broader policy context of institutional accountability. Although many education technology innovations were developed in response to heightened accountability pressures, technology-enabled personalization introduces new institutional rules, cultures, and norms that may be at odds with the goals of accountability. Using the adoption of a personalized, blended learning mathematics program at five U.S. schools as a case study, we describe how teachers, school leaders, and program staff navigated institutional pressures to improve state grade-level standardized test scores while implementing tasks and technologies designed to personalize student learning.

The Moral Legacy of the ICTY

The chapter sets the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) legacy into context from a broader UN perspective. It shows that ideas of morality and responsibility are fundamental to the establishment of the ICTY and a cornerstone of the ‘age of accountability’. The chapter argues that the ICTY had a pioneering role in shaping discourse on international justice and serious international crimes and institutional developments, ranging from the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) to the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM). It discusses four challenges that are fundamental to the development of an international accountability system: the financing of international criminal court and tribunals; the length of proceedings; the development of governance mechanisms; and the centrality of the role of victims. The chapter concludes that, in an ideal world, institutions such as the ICTY would not be needed. However, until such a time arrives, the legacy of the ICTY can provide important insights on building domestic capacity and guiding other international tribunals.