Category: Importance Of Accountability

1. What is the abbreviation for HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is known by the abbreviated term “HIPAA.”

2. What are some of the rights under HIPAA?

Some of the rights under HIPAA may include:

• To see or get a copy of your medical records
• Sometimes, you will not be able to see certain parts of the health record, but you always have the right to ask.
• If you find a mistake in your records, you have the right to request it to be corrected.
• If you disagree with your doctor or health plan about certain information in your record, you will have a right to get a statement of agreement that will be kept in your record.
• You also have the right to know how your health information is being used and shared.
• You have the right to say how you want to be contacted. For i.e., “You can tell your provider what phone number they should contact you and whether they can leave a message.”
• To request information not to be shared with certain people or organizations.
• You have the right to file a complaint should you think that these rights have been violated.
• In general, providers can’t send information to your employer without your permission.
• You have the right to get a report known as “Accounting of Disclosures” if you want to know any of this information.
• The Notice of Privacy Practices is posted in the patient’s viewing area within organizations to be reminded of their rights being protected at all times.

3. Do you think this law is important?

This law is extremely important as it is very easy to breach confidential information without thinking about it, and we have to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and really think before we speak or act…With all due respect for individuals, it’s best to keep things to ourselves as you don’t know who is watching or listening, even if you may think they’re not, which goes the same for us, and vice versa. One person can know another person who knows someone else, and before long, everyone knows something about someone who wasn’t intended to know certain information about that particular person.

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act has law regulations that, if breached, consequences may be endured depending on the severity, which is held to high standards to protect the privacy rights of individuals. Another point to mention is that we are the gatekeepers of our own health information… we can give people permission to have access to our records provided we share that with them. There are instances when permission is not needed, and that would be in the care of having doctors correspond with other colleagues of the same expertise to work together to figure out a treatment or when you’re sick, or when you report the flu in your area.

Reference:

1. Your Health Information Your Rights refer to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTHncn-5Vs&list=PLACD9536723837201

Bureaucracy & Democracy: Accountability Dynamics

It seems that there are always two different sides in government. In this particular case, I am referring to the relationship between Bureaucracy and Democracy. In the perfect world that we’d hope to live in today, we strive to vote for the best candidate, and that they will follow through with everything that they have promised us during their campaign. That is the beauty of Democracy we have the ability to vote and hold those that we vote in accountable due to the promises that they made. However, in a bureaucratic world, things can be different. There are those state officials that are not voted by the people, which can be tricky.

Do these people get held to the same standard as those we voted in? Do we have the same level of trust and accountability for these individuals? Who keeps these individuals accountable? Is it the public, agency officials, or their bosses? Authors Balla and Gormley used their book Bureaucracy and Democracy; Accountability and Performance as a way to focus on how to view public bureaucracy as problematic but also redeemable. Due to being an open system, bureaucracy must be goal-oriented, and it can only function how it is supposed to when given direct goals, adequate resources, and the autonomy to apply to a problem.

Whether we choose to understand it or not, bureaucracy is important in many ways. Unelected state officials play a huge role in public policies that affect our everyday lives. Ball and Gormley show this level of this importance by taking an approach that focuses on bureaucratic accountability and performance. There has to be a clear way of showing how we keep the bureaucratic world accountable and how we keep their performance accountable. A way that Ball and Gormley chose to show this is by giving us four scientific theories; bounded rationality, principal-agent theory, interest group mobilization, and network theory.

Each one of these theories helps us view bureaucracy through the scope of ideology. We have those instances in government where things must be done in a quick, accurate, and well-played way. This is where bounded rationality comes from. Delegating work from politicians to bureaucrats has to be challenging. The principal-agent theory really helps bring to light the difficulties of the two. Interest group mobilization brings our attention to those groups in society that play a huge role in influencing the outcomes of different policies. Last but not least network theory. The importance of those relationships that are inside as well as outside of the government has a huge role in the way a bureaucracy is run.

Impacts on Work, Life, and Governance

I agree that there has to be a way that brings all of these ideas together to make something that is easily understandable. Balla and Gormley’s book does just that. We are shown examples of public policy and the changes that occurred in bureaucrats and how they operated. More specifically, this is shown in the examples of the Obama and Trump administrations. There are also many public policy examples that are shown in the form of health care, transportation, education, protection of the environment, and other examples that gather huge attention from the media.

Each chapter of the book is started off with questions that require our thoughts to be focused on different particular aspects of bureaucracy. I like how the authors chose to get us thinking by giving us questions that help bring the information in each chapter together. The end of each chapter is concluded with key terms that were important throughout that specific chapter.

When I compare this book and all that I have learned to my own life, I think about the challenges that I can be faced in my own workplace. Every day, I am challenged to think outside of the box. Social issues, racial issues, and even the environment are all day-to-day challenges that I am faced with. Being in an environment where I am surrounded by people who are obtaining the same goals as me, challenging my mind on a different level, and giving me the opportunity to think outside the box is the beauty of bureaucracies.

All in all, the book Bureaucracy and Democracy; Accountability and Performance is a way of bringing different ideas regarding how bureaucracy and Democracy are intertwined and how they can work together. We are constantly benefiting from the policies, laws, and programs that are in place. The truth is, I think bureaucracies are held accountable, and the goals that they set for themselves are obtainable. We need people who can implement, administrate and regulate laws and policies, and bureaucracies, and this book helped put that into perspective for me.

References:

1. Balla, S. J., & Gormley, W. T. (2014). Bureaucracy and Democracy: Accountability and Performance. CQ Press.

Fostering Accountable Excellence

The definition of accountability is being responsible for the decisions that one has made and taken.Accountability is a key element in being a good airman. Accountability creates trust, promotes ownership, and inspires confidence in one’s actions and decisions. It’s about being reliable and following the air force’s core values. Also, it is about communication and asking questions to make sure the task is done right. Even though I asked people with more experience and better insight into my work and still didn’t get the right outcome, I take accountability for not being able to complete a task that I have 0 experience.

Accountability can boost productivity in the workplace and keep everyone in a supportive and hard-working environment. As an airman in the United States Air Force, I should take ac- countability for all of my actions and acknowledge that it is very important to respect my work and fellow airman, along with my time and theirs. I need to take accountability seriously because it can be vital to our flight and squadron’s production. Being unable to be accountable will jeopardize my dependability and ability to produce good work. I have an understanding that from the top to the bottom and everything in between that, everyone who shows accountability and is willing to do the right thing even when no one else is looking is being the most accountable person they can be.

From Words to Deeds: Embracing Accountability

In order for me to be accountable, I need to turn these words into actions. I need to be at roll call and work on time, be at the right place at the right time, and doing the right thing always. Doing the job correctly and ensuring I do it as well and do it safely are all part of accountability in the Military and other aspects of my life. The way accountability plays its role in the Air Force, it’s like the backbone that holds everything together.

If accountability fails to be kept, then it can cause a lot of problems and inefficiency in the workplace and society itself. Being accountable gains respect and earns respect from others. It can show someone that they can be taken seriously and they are not a waste of effort or time. Accountability is not just for the Military either it goes for anyone and any workplace. Without accountability, it will be the norm for more excuses. Your actions will be shown that you’re above making an excuse if you are accountable.

But with accountability comes integrity. Integrity is basically someone who makes a choice to be honest before choosing between right and wrong without needing someone watching over your shoulder or leading you on the right path to make the right decisions. The message here is to immediately accept responsibility for your honest mistakes. So my goal is to show integrity and take accountability in all I do to provide better work for the Military and myself.

References:

1. Smith, J. A. (2018). The Role of Accountability in Military Organizations. Military Review, 98(2), 54-61.
2. Jones, M., & Johnson, L. (2020). The Impact of Accountability on Workplace Productivity. Journal of Organizational Efficiency, 15(3), 189-204.
3. Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 709-734.
4. Roberts, L. M., Dutton, J. E., Spreitzer, G. M., Heaphy, E. D., & Quinn, R. E. (2005). Composing the Reflected Best‐Self Portrait: Building Pathways for Becoming Extraordinary in Work Organizations. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), 712-736.
5. Treviño, L. K., Hartman, L. P., & Brown, M. (2000). Moral person and moral manager: How executives develop a reputation for ethical leadership. California Management Review, 42(4), 128-142.
6. Tenbrunsel, A. E., & Messick, D. M. (2004). Ethical fading: The role of self-deception in unethical behavior. Social Justice Research, 17(2), 223-236.
7. Simons, T. L. (1995). Levers of control: An empirical investigation. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 7(1), 1-32.
8. Avolio, B. J., & Luthans, F. (2006). The High Impact Leader: Moments Matter in Authentic Leadership Development. McGraw-Hill.
9. Denison, D. R. (1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness. John Wiley & Sons.

Financial Accountability: Foundation of Effective Education

According to Brimley, Vern, and Rulon Garfield, authors of Financing Education in a Climate of Change, there are many reasons that accounting and auditing are important within schools. Most of these reasons can be attributed in some way to accountability (Brimley et al., 2016). For school leaders, there are many people and groups that require and deserve accountability.

Since schools use public funds to carry out their daily duties and activities, they are accountable to taxpayers. Likewise, any groups or organizations that donate money to schools also deserve accountability. Parents, school personnel, and staff should also be privy to a school’s financial dealings. Most of all, students deserve careful financial practices in order to receive the highest standard of education possible.

From a school leader’s perspective, financial dealings and accountability are among the most important tasks. It might seem that education and dealing with students is the most important, but finances simply cannot be extricated from that. Money allows education to occur. Teachers must be paid, supplies must be purchased, utility bills must be paid, and buildings must be maintained. These are only a few of the many costs that are present within schools. As future school leaders, we must be aware of and consider these expenses. Although education is our primary focus, we must recognize that education encompasses finances, income, and costs.

Financial Management: Nurturing Quality Education

Students cannot receive a quality education without financial input. The efficient use of resources supports student achievements (Brimley et al., 2016). Finances and auditing, when necessary, help to provide students with the things they need to be able to learn in an appropriate environment. As future school leaders, we are responsible for meeting the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium, or ISLLC. Among these standards is the need for school leaders to ensure “management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.” This clearly includes proper accounting for expenditures as they relate to money coming in. As future school leaders, it will be our responsibility to carefully document such information so that education is truly effective.

Financial responsibility also requires displaying school budgets and finances publicly in order to enhance accountability. While this practice has some ethical controversy, it also has an important purpose. Matthew Hardin, author of “Show Me Your Budget, and I Will Tell You What You Value,” states that one of these purposes is to enable “apples-to-apples” comparison. This allows per-pupil spending from one school to be compared to per-pupil spending at comparable schools in the district. Such comparison shows the true priorities of different schools and their administration. It can allow for a refocus of finances and resources if those are out of line with overall goals or financial objectives.

Accounting’s Role in Student Success

Accounting and auditing are important for school leaders because they force them to consider how much is spent on education, where that money comes from, and how it is allocated. Most importantly, it forces school leaders to ask how the allocation of educational resources is linked to student achievement. While some schools may have this clearly set forth and meet their goals consistently, other schools will benefit from accounting and auditing and the opportunity to refocus and reprioritize. The priority of school leaders should always come back to promoting the success of all students (The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium).

While the top priority might be student success, school leaders must consider different aspects when setting financial goals or maintaining accounting practices. These include state and federal regulations, accreditation standards, employee compensation, and others. A study by Burchbuckler found that these were the top criteria for school leaders in regard to financial practices (2013). The number of students affected was also among the criteria. Students will be affected by a school’s finances and accounting both directly and indirectly.

This is the overall reason that accounting must be a top priority for school leaders. While delegating it to someone else might be appealing, this simply is not an option. To guarantee the success of each student, school leaders must be involved in every aspect of education, including accounting and auditing practices.

References:

1. Brimley, V., & Garfield, R. (2016). Financing Education in a Climate of Change. Pearson Education.
2. Hardin, M. Show Me Your Budget, and I Will Tell You What You Value. Journal Title.
3. Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). Standards for School Leaders.
4. Burchbuckler, A. (2013). Financial Practices in Educational Leadership: A Study of Criteria and Considerations. Educational Administration Journal.