What you need to know about the difference between accountability and responsibility - ZipMinis: Science of Blogging and Writing

What you need to know about the difference between accountability and responsibility - ZipMinis: Science of Blogging and Writing

Mines the striking difference between accountability and responsibility,  preferring the latter in management.

Notes that accountability connotes  that a person is insufficient in some way and must live up to or rise above her lower capacities. It rings of authoritarianism and a negative view of the employee.

Responsibility has a more positive implication, that the worker is capable of living up to the tasks assigned, using tools and resources. The employer assumes that the employee will be honorable in fulfilling the requirements rather than assuming that at some point he or she will have to be accountable for inadequacies.