Title: Accountability in the workplace: analysing the employees' perception in different cultural contexts

Authors: Alena Fedorova; Maria Menshikova; Olga Koropets

Addresses: Department of Social Work and Human Resources Management, Ural Federal University, Lenin Ave, 51, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 620075, Russia ' Department of Economics, Statistics and Business, Universitas Mercatorum, Piazza Mattei, Rome, 00186, Italy ' Department of General and Social Psychology, Ural Federal University, Lenin Ave, 51, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 620075, Russia

Abstract: Accountability involves employees taking responsibility for their actions, decisions, and outcomes, aligning individual efforts with organisational goals. It fosters ethical decision-making, proactive problem-solving, and workplace democracy while enhancing motivation and performance. Organisationally, it ensures resource efficiency, goal achievement, and a strong reputation. Given cultural variations in accountability perceptions, this study examines how cultural differences in China, Russia, and Italy shape employees' views. Using quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey, the study provides insights for managers fostering accountability in diverse settings.

Keywords: workplace accountability; employee perception; responsible behaviour; cultural differences; comparative analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTGM.2026.155758

International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, 2026 Vol.22 No.3/4, pp.280 - 288

Received: 31 Oct 2024
Accepted: 01 Aug 2025

Published online: 13 Aug 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article