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More Peace for Less Money:
Measurement and Accountability in the Swedish Armed Forces
Author(s) -
Catasús Bino,
Grönlund Anders
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
financial accountability and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.661
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1468-0408
pISSN - 0267-4424
DOI - 10.1111/j.0267-4424.2005.00229.x
Subject(s) - accountability , existentialism , politics , principal (computer security) , work (physics) , public sector , political science , public administration , field (mathematics) , public relations , law , engineering , computer security , computer science , mechanical engineering , mathematics , pure mathematics
Studies of measurement and accountability are leading public sector transformation. By examining military work, this paper addresses the relationship between measurements and accountability by highlighting the measurements. Evidence was gathered from documents, political statements and field research. Several layers of accountability systems were found in the organisation. The principal can be the weak link in an accountability relationship if the measurement agenda is in the hands of the agent. The problems seem to go beyond performance and output, and a more fundamental question is challenging the public sector: `Are we doing the right things?' Or an even more dramatic existential question arises: `Why do we exist?'