Co-creating an appreciative working climate: discussing reasons for appreciation, forms and roles from a communication perspective

Purpose In recent years, various socio-political developments have led to changes in the labor market that place high demands on both employees and organizations. Research has shown that strong employee–organization relationships depend partly on employees’ perceptions of appreciation at work for which different communicators are attributed with responsibility. This study draws conclusions for the role of internal communication professionals in co-creating an appreciative working climate by exploring employees’ expectations on what they want to be appreciated for, by identifying forms of appreciation and by stressing the contribution of communication professionals in meeting these expectations. Design/methodology/approach The results base on three focus groups conducted in January 2023 with employees without leadership responsibility working in large Austrian organizations. Findings The analysis yields to two areas – “personal characteristics and qualities” and “work-related behaviors” – where employees expect appreciation. In six categories we capture forms of appreciation that reflect employees’ expectations and perceptions. Most of the forms can and should be addressed by managers within an organization—internal communication professionals should follow a communicative professional logic and act as strategic partners and resource providers, enablers and role models. Research limitations/implications (1) What do employees expect to be appreciated for? (2) What forms of appreciation do employees expect? (3) What role do internal communication professionals seize in co-creating an appreciative working climate? Practical implications Based on social exchange theory, resource theory and the job-demands resource (JD-R) model, this study conceptualizes appreciation as a prototypical generic socioemotional resource at work that is communicative in nature, and key to both motivation and health. Limitations There is a need to capture the perspective of managers and internal communication professionals on employees’ expectations in order to deepen the debate about communication responsibilities, practice and critical aspects of appreciation. Furthermore, a comparison of different work cultures (e.g. Asia) and other institutionalized work forms (e.g. start-ups, small enterprises, public agencies) would advance the debate. Originality/value The study provides in-depth knowledge of reasons for and forms of appreciation from an employee’s perspective, which is considered relevant to discuss communication responsibilities in light of dependencies.