Accountability from above or within?

Looking for leadership which holds water by responding to the UK and Welsh Governments’ 2024 review of the water sector

Project Summary

This project responds to the UK and Welsh Governments’ 2024 review of the water sector by investigating how to foster accountable leadership from within water and wastewater firms. Amid scandals over sewage spills and executive misconduct, current reforms focus on punitive measures. This research takes a different approach, exploring how ethical leadership can emerge internally when executives are supported to navigate complex social, legal, and organisational pressures. Through 70 in-depth interviews and surveys with water sector leaders, insurers, auditors, and international institutions, the study will identify barriers to internal accountability and propose a new framework grounded in strategic and critical management theory. The findings will inform policy recommendations on governance, executive education, and institutional reform. With relevance for UK regulators, global development agencies, and countries following the UK’s privatisation model, this research aims to shift the narrative from externally imposed compliance to leadership-driven transformation in the water sector.