Comparing employee appreciation in Germany and the US

Abstract

Purpose This study explores differences between Germany and the US in terms of employee appreciation. Depending on cultural and labor law differences, employees may differ in how they rate the importance and receipt of appreciation, as well as in the degree to which they feel appreciated for various work-related behaviors and traits. Furthermore, superiors and colleagues might signal different levels of appreciation across countries. Design/methodology/approach Employees in Germany (N = 467) and the US (N = 456) completed an online survey assessing (a) the importance and receipt of appreciation for various work-related behaviors and traits, (b) appreciation from superiors and colleagues and (c) job satisfaction and organizational identification. Findings Overall, employees felt largely underappreciated, with the US sample reporting more underappreciation than the German sample. For German employees, appreciation holds greater importance then for US employees, except for individual performances, for which the effect was reversed. Furthermore, German employees reported receiving more appreciation than their US counterparts, including by their superiors and colleagues. While appreciation generally enhances job satisfaction and organizational identification, no differences in the strength of these relations emerged between countries. Originality/value This study explores appreciation from three novel perspectives: first, by considering its importance, receipt and the balance of the two representing the degree of felt appreciation, second, by examining cultural differences in appreciation between Germany and the US and third, by examining its relationship with organizational identification, an underexplored concept in this area.