Project accountability: An exploratory case study using actor-network theory

Enacting accountability in the management of a project is a dynamic process that involves social interaction. We conducted a case study of the enactment of accountability in the renovation project of a historical building at a public university. We used the concept of accountability and actor-network theory to guide data collection and analysis. Using a graphical mapping syntax of the actor-network relationships at three episodes in the life of the project, we find that artifacts are important actors in translating accountability through the disclosure of information. We also find that accountability in this project is distributed at the outset, goes through stages of enactment through 'translating' actors and is ultimately reconstructed through the fulfillment of the project objective. Furthermore, accountability is often being enacted spontaneously, not by design.