Communicating appreciation to employees is a simple yet powerful practice. When appreciation is expressed consistently by multiple organizational members, it can foster an organizational appreciation climate that benefits both individuals and organizations. An instrument measuring the organizational appreciation climate enables communication professionals to assess the extent to which appreciation is embedded in their organization and to implement related communication practices accordingly. To assess the organizational appreciation climate, we developed and validated the Organizational Appreciation Climate Scale (OACS). The unidimensional six-item scale demonstrated validity and reliability across five studies in its German, English and Danish versions (total N = 1,350). This paper demonstrates that an appreciation-oriented organizational climate is a measurable and distinct construct, shaped by communication among supervisors and colleagues. The multiple language versions of the OACS enables cross-cultural comparisons. Communication professionals can use the OACS to continuously assess and refine organizational communication, thereby fostering a supportive environment in organizations.
Wahl et al. (Tue,) studied this question.