Surprising Ways Different Cultures Want to Be Appreciated

In today's globalized, multicultural workforce, a motivated workforce is essential for driving organizational success. One of the keys is showing genuine appreciation for employees' contributions to the organisation. Multiple studies have shown that feeling valued and being recognized is a key driver of employee engagement, staff retention, job satisfaction, and overall business performance. Yet, for many companies showing appreciation to their diverse employees remains a challenge because what constitutes "feeling valued" can vary widely based on an individual's cultural background.

Psychologist Paul White’s widely accepted "five languages of appreciation at work" framework outlines the primary ways people prefer to receive recognition:

1. Words of Affirmation: Expressing praise, and gratitude through verbal or written means such as a written thank-you note or a public acknowledgment of an employee's accomplishments.
2. Quality Time: Dedicating focused, undivided attention to someone to make them feel valued, such as taking an employee out to lunch to check in on their work
3. Acts of Service: Providing practical help to make someone's workload or life easier, demonstrating care and support
4. Gift Giving: Providing a thoughtful, personalized tangible item to show appreciation, beyond basic workplace rewards
5. Physical Touch: Using appropriate gestures like high-fives or handshakes to celebrate achievements, though this language should be used cautiously due to cultural norms

However, recent research suggests that the relative importance of these appreciation languages can vary significantly across cultures. As workplaces become increasingly diverse, getting employee appreciation right is more important than ever.

A new study by White, published yesterday in the Strategic HR Review, dove deeper into the cultural nuances and differences in how employees want to be shown appreciation. His study examined the appreciation preferences of over 2,200 employees across seven different language and cultural groups. The findings reveal fascinating insights into how cultural context shapes how people want to be recognized.

Primary Appreciation Language

Paul White

Words of Affirmation Is More Important in Collectivistic Cultures

The study found that verbal praise and recognition emerged as the top appreciation language for the Chinese (55.3 percent) and Brazilian Portuguese (61.2 percent) groups. Chinese and Portuguese cultures tend to emphasize indirect, contextual communication where every word they say carries a lot of weight. Receiving verbal affirmation from colleagues or supervisors is likely to be seen as a meaningful gesture that aligns well with their collectivistic cultural preferences. Further, these groups’ preference for words of affirmation may also be linked to the higher power distance and hierarchical nature of employment relationships within these cultures. Thus, receiving direct praise from superiors may also carry more weight and meaning than those in more individualistic, egalitarian cultures like the French Canadian or Danish Groups.

The Thai and Turkish Prefer Acts of Service

The study also revealed that for the Thai (44.7 percent) and Turkish groups (38.2 percent), employees favoured genuine acts of service, over verbal praise as their primary appreciation language. This aligns with other cross-cultural research that indicates that this preference may be rooted in the value they place on creating and maintaining harmonious social relationships that are inherent in their cultural value system. Cultures with higher uncertainty avoidance like the Thai are more comfortable with receiving tangible, concrete expressions of appreciation (like acts of service) rather than getting ambiguous verbal praise as this provides a sense of stability and clarity.

Does Quality Time Matter?

The study also uncovered some surprising findings about "quality time." While dedicating one-on-one attention or group activities is highly prized in many Western contexts, this was significantly less true for the Chinese (8.3 percent), Brazilian Portuguese (13.7 percent), and Thai (14.9 percent) employees. In these more collectivist, high-power distance cultures, the emphasis appears to be on harmony and deference to authority figures, rather than personalized interactions. In these cultures, one-on-one, personalized attention may not be viewed as the most meaningful form of appreciation, as the focus is more on collective well-being and fulfilling one's roles and obligations within the group. This suggests that activities like team-building events or periodic one-on-ones with managers—commonplace in many Western workplaces—may fall flat or even be perceived as uncomfortable in other cultural contexts.

The Surprising Unpopularity of Gifts

Another consistent finding across all language groups: Tangible gifts ranked dead last as a preferred form of appreciation. While previous research showed that 7 percent of American workers typically choose gifts as their top appreciation language, the international employees surveyed valued gifts even less; with only 1 to 6 percent selecting this as their primary preference. Perhaps, within these cultures, gifts are seen as impersonal or transactional, rather than a genuine expression of appreciation. This suggests that material rewards, while potentially effective for recognition programs, may fall short when it comes to genuinely making employees feel valued as individuals. This is in line with motivational theories, where it's well established that money and gifts don’t motivate, however, the lack of it does.

Implications for Leaders and Organisations

What do these findings mean for organizations striving to create a culture of appreciation that resonates with all employees? A one-size-fits-all approach to employee appreciation is unlikely to resonate equally across a diverse workforce. Instead, companies must be willing to adapt their recognition strategies to align with the unique preferences of their employee populations.

This may mean greater emphasis on verbal praise and team-based collaborations for some cultural groups while focusing more on practical assistance and group harmony for others. Soliciting employee feedback and empowering them to voice their appreciation needs can also help ensure that recognition efforts have the desired effect.

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By taking the time to understand and accommodate these cultural differences, organizations can unlock the full potential of their multicultural workforce. Tailoring employee appreciation to align with diverse preferences can foster a stronger sense of belonging, boost morale and engagement, and ultimately drive improved business outcomes.