Dedication and distinction: How reputational and branding pressures influence teacher work effort

Abstract Educational reforms have driven a neoliberal turn and marketization in Norwegian upper secondary schools, increasing reputational concern and brand-congruent behaviour among teachers. While marketization is justified by promises of higher quality and efficiency, this study examines whether it also increases teachers’ work effort. Analyses of survey data (N = 823) indicate that reputational concern and brand-congruent behaviour directly stimulated work effort. Promotive voice, but not psychological safety, mediated these effects. Yet psychological safety mediated most links between marketization variables and voice, suggesting serial mediation: both reputational concern and brand-congruent behaviour boosted effort via psychological safety and promotive voice. In sum, reputation and branding pressures seem to raise work effort directly and indirectly through voice and, to some extent, psychological safety. Ensuring avenues for voice and psychological safety can help channel this effort into constructive school improvement.