My generation is fond of talking about any later generation’s lack of accountability, basically it is our way of saying “how can we make younger workers more accountable for their own work product?”  My parents said the same thing to me several years decades ago.

Paul Epps wrote about this and cited Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

In it, Mark Twain writes about King Xerxes ( and you were wondering where Xerxes Avenue gets its name from?), who in the 5th century BC ordered a bridge of boats to be built across the Hellespont:

A moderate gale destroyed the flimsy structure, and the King, thinking that to publically rebuke the contractors might have a good effect on the next set, called them out in front of the army and had them beheaded.  In the next ten minutes, he let a new contract for the bridge.  It has been observed by ancient writers that the second bridge was a very good bridge.

Res ipsa loquitor.

You can’t get good accountability examples any more.