L'accountability ou l'obligation de rendre des comptes ressenties par le praticien du marketing : variable médiatrice entre antécédents personnels et réponses comportementales

Marketing has been criticized for its lack of accountability, which is qualified by a misalignment with strategic objectives. Most of the researches propose that marketing accountability must be reinforced with more performance measures. In this doctoral thesis, we employ a different approach in treating the marketer as unit of analysis. We identify a marketers’ professional identity and make a distinction between two types of felt accountability: an accountability felt in a decision-Making situation (ASR) and an accountability felt within an organization (AOR). ASR is positively influenced by self-Determination that is a component of marketers’ professional identity, where self-Determination reduces conformity. In making marketers accountable, we show that that they seek to make the best decision according to marketing objectives even if they are conflicting with strategic objectives. In studying managers’ behavior, we show that role ambiguity, which is consistent with marketing practice, reduces AOR. Organizational cultures that promote accountability increase the likelihood of role conflicts detrimental to performance. However, the likelihood of role conflict is moderated by organizational cultures provided they encourage collaboration and initiatives. This type of culture is consistent with marketers’ professional identity therefore contributing to performance. Finally, we propose an accountability model tailored to marketing practice within the organization.