To what extent can and should managers bear responsibility? This question is controversially discussed in public. It is often demanded that managers be held accountable only for what they can influence. Clemens Pelster examines the relevance of this demand, referred to as the Controllability Principle, for business practice. He develops a research model that expands the modeling of Principal-Agent Theory to include the elements of accountability, general influenceability, and perceived scope of action. The author demonstrates that the perception of what they can influence and the sense of responsibility among managers vary significantly, and presents recommendations on how this can be taken into account when designing incentive systems.