Magic muzzles? The silencing of teachers through HRM, performance appraisal and reputation concern
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 10 December 2021
Issue publication date: 23 February 2022
Abstract
Purpose
In the deregulated public sector upper secondary school field in Oslo, Norway, teachers’ voice is found to be restricted. The purpose of the present paper is to examine human resource management (HRM) approach, satisfaction with the performance appraisal (PA) system and concern for reputation as possible antecedents to voice restrictions.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study is based on a survey (N = 1,055) carried out among upper secondary school teachers in one urban, one suburban and one rural area of Norway. Data were analyzed with path analysis, including analyses of mediation, moderation and moderated mediation.
Findings
Analyses reveal that there is a positive relationship between voice restrictions and control-oriented HRM, PA dissatisfaction and reputation concern, respectively. Low-quality leader–member exchange (LMX) mediates the relationships between voice restrictions and control-oriented HRM, and voice restrictions and PA dissatisfaction, but not between voice restrictions and reputation concerns. No moderation or moderated mediation effects were found.
Originality/value
While there is a broad literature on deregulation and marketization of public sector schools, research on its consequences is limited, and scholarship on the consequences for teachers’ voice is in its infancy. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is among the first to explore these issues, and, in addition, makes a rare contribution by unveiling that both PA satisfaction and reputation concern is related to voice restrictions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Arild Wæraas, Sivert Skålvoll Urstad, Julianne Cheek, Jo Ese, Magnus Frostenson, Frode Haaland, Inger Marie Hagen, Jan Moren, Tommy Payne, Sol Skinnarland and participants at the NEON conference in Lillehammer, 2021. Thanks also to the journals's anonymous reviewers for insightful comments.
Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Citation
Dahle, D.Y. (2022), "Magic muzzles? The silencing of teachers through HRM, performance appraisal and reputation concern", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 172-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2021-0048
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited