The Role of Archives in Realising Accountability in Office Administrative Services

Abstract

Office administrative services are increasingly required to operate in an accountable manner in response to growing demands for transparency and service quality within organizations. Accountability in office administration is closely associated with the ability to provide service evidence, ensure process traceability, and justify administrative decisions and actions. In this context, archives, understood as organizational archives, play a crucial role not only as the outputs of administrative activities but also as integral components that support accountability mechanisms. However, archives are often narrowly perceived as stored documents, which limits their strategic use in strengthening administrative accountability. This article aims to examine the role of archives in realizing accountability in office administrative services through a conceptual literature review approach. Relevant literature on office administration, archival management, and service accountability is analyzed using a descriptive–analytical perspective to identify and synthesize key concepts and relationships. The analysis demonstrates that archives function as supports for administrative processes, sources of administrative evidence, and foundations for organizational accountability. Systematic and integrated archival management enables the availability of traceable and verifiable information, thereby reinforcing accountable office administrative services. This article underscores the need to reposition archives as strategic instruments within office administration practices to strengthen accountability in administrative services.