Written by: Christian Bøtcher Jacobsen and Lotte Bøgh Andersen

The literature in the field of public sector management frequently discusses the value of transactional leadership, which makes use of rewards and sanctions. Some experts are concerned that this form of leadership will damage the self-perception employees have of their own competence; but there are also those who argue that the opposite is the case – that feelings of competence are strengthened through conditional rewards, because these give feedback on performance. This study investigates how the use of sanctions and rewards by 91 high school heads in Denmark affects the self-perception that 1,921 teachers have of their own professional competence.