The accountability paradox: How holding marketers accountable hinders alignment with short-term marketing goals

摘要

Marketers constantly face conflicting goals, as when long-term branding goals are inconsistent with short-term revenue goals. As accountability offers a potential instrument for resolving such goal conflicts, this research investigates the differential effects of external accountability versus internal accountability through two experimental studies. In Study 1, we find evidence that holding marketers externally accountable not only triggers self-categorization processes that strengthen the marketers' marketing identity but also induces them to prioritize branding goals over short-term revenue goals. This prioritization creates a paradoxical situation: A firm interested in pursuing short-term revenue goals will find that holding marketing accountable leads to an increased focus on long-term branding goals. In Study 2, we find evidence that internal accountability has a reverse effect, causing marketers to prioritize short-term revenues goals over long-term branding goals.