Brazil s today scenario is full of corruption scandals, money laundering, racketeering, among other crimes involving large corporations and public power. Bearing this in mind, the internal control routines, as well as the procedures that involve an Internal Control system, appear as fundamental tools to deal with this scenario. Using Pinho and Sacramento s concept of accountability (2008) and under the watch of organizational routines and peculiarities of internal control, the present study was aimed to investigate how professionals understand accountability in internal control routines. From a phenomenological approach 20 professionals were interviewed, all of them working in Internal Control department of an insurance company located in Rio de Janeiro City, from 09/08/2017 to 09/10/2017. The analyzes returned three concepts: the first is related to the respect with the artifacts, the second involves qualifying routines, and the third concerns to the organization protection. In addition, the explanatory dimensions of the concepts were identified according to the following categories: deference to transparency; intensity of interaction aspects; the sense of responsibility and respect for control. The findings suggest that there is a construction of concepts that evolves from instrumental to perception of value. In addition, the evidence indicates that professionals have a significant perception of responsibility in the routines of internal controls. And finally, brings to light the relationship between process improvement and the interaction intensity between the ostensible and performative aspects of organizational routines.