Leading public service organizations: how to obtain high employee self-efficacy and organizational performance. Issue 2 (7th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jacobsen, Christian Bøtcher; Bøgh Andersen, Lotte
• Is Part Of: Public management review. Volume 19:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 253
• Page End: 273
• Publication Date: 2017-02-07
• Subjects: Transactional leadership -- self-efficacy -- performance; Local government -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2016.1153705
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-9037

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Concerns are sometimes raised that transactional leadership harms public organizations' performance because demands thwart employees' self-efficacy. However, the opposite may be argued – conditional rewards strengthen feelings of competence because they provide positive feedback on performance. We study ninety-two high school principals' reported use of contingent rewards and sanctions and self-efficacy among their 1, 932 teachers. The results indicate that contingent rewards strengthen self-efficacy, and that sanctions are not negatively related with self-efficacy or performance. Furthermore, the teachers' self-efficacy can be linked positively to organizational performance. This suggests that rewards can be an important tool for managers in the public sector.