The Effect of Accountability Elements on Public Trust: An Empirical Study on the Palestinian Authorities in Gaza strip

Abstract

The research aimed to study the impact of Accountability Elements on Public Trust in Palestinian Authorities in Gaza Strip, from the authority’s employees’ perspectives. And this research is one of the fewest to discuss the elements of accountability which affect public trust. In order to achieve this objective, a structured questionnaire was designed. It was distributed to a sample of (110) out of the population (130). all of them were collected which represent (84%) of the population. The researcher depended on using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyse the data collected by a questionnaire which is considered the primary source. The results of the research were: The public trust in the Palestinian Authorities was affected by accountability elements (Responsiveness, Responsibility, and Equity). In addition to that, there was a significant relationship between accountability elements and public trust in the Palestinian Authorities. In addition, the effect of accountability elements on public trust was nearly 73% which indicated that Palestinian Authorities should be aware about the importance of accountability elements because it influences directly the public trust. Also, the research concluded that there were no statistically significant differences due to the personal characteristics of the respondents. The main recommendations of the research were: Promote awareness among employees in the surveyed authorities about the concept of accountability and its importance, objectives and advatages, in order to eliminate the fear of accountability and to confirm that it is not a way to punish employees, but it a means to continuously improve and increase trust in the provided service. Moreover, spread the concepts of (responsiveness, responsibility, and equity) as they have a positive role in providing basic conditions and requirements for improving the level of accountability. In addition to that, the need to provide a set of standards and performance indicators to use in the accountability process. Furthermore, ensure clarity of rules and regulations, in additions the smoothly access to all employees. Finally, to treat employees equally without discrimination among them for any reason.