Negotiating accountability: Administrative and legislative conceptions, characterizations, and strategies

Abstract

This study examined senior academic administrators' and state legislators' conceptions of accountability, characterizations of one another, and negotiation strategies to understand more clearly the dynamics related to this dimension of higher education policymaking and practice. The design of this study was multiple case studies anchored in qualitative data gathering. I interviewed 14 individuals in a Midwestern state and 14 in a Western state. In each state, I interviewed seven state legislators and seven academic administrators from two public higher education institutions and the System Office. I analyzed the data by identifying first- and second-order themes, completing a categorical analysis, and using a conceptually ordered data matrix to conduct cross-case analysis. The study suggests that administrators and legislators: (1) have noticeably different conceptions of accountability, (2) somewhat accurately perceived how the other group conceives of accountability, and (3) report using problem-solving strategies and that members of the other group use contending strategies.