More Thank a Thank You: Examining Recognition Programs and Experienced Gratitude in United States Manufacturing

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.)

Department

Organization Development

First Advisor

Michael Zickar (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Truit Gray (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Michelle Brodke (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Christopher Kluse (Other)

Abstract

Gratitude has emerged as an important construct within organizational psychology, with growing evidence linking it to employee well-being, engagement, and prosocial behavior. Despite this expanding body of research, little empirical attention has been given to how gratitude is cultivated in blue-collar and manufacturing environments, where work is often characterized by physical demands, standardized processes, and limited opportunities for relational exchange. Employee recognition programs are increasingly promoted as strategic tools for enhancing employee engagement, retention, and well-being, yet their effectiveness in eliciting genuine workplace gratitude remains understudied in manufacturing settings. This study examined whether participation in organizational recognition programs is associated with employee-experienced workplace gratitude in U.S. manufacturing settings. Drawing on organizational support theory and positive organizational scholarship, the study investigated perceived organizational support (POS) as a mediating mechanism through which recognition influences gratitude. In addition, this study examined recognition credibility, operationalized through perceptions of leader behavioral integrity, as a moderating condition that may strengthen or weaken the recognition–POS relationship. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, this study collected data from hourly and salaried manufacturing employees in the United States. This research measured workplace gratitude, perceived organizational support, behavior integrity, and trait gratitude using established, validated scales, along with context-specific measures of recognition participation. iv Regression-based mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro. By focusing on an underrepresented occupational population, this study contributed to the literature on workplace gratitude and employee recognition by clarifying when and how recognition practices function as credible expressions of appreciation. The findings from this study inform both organizational theory and leadership practice by offering evidence-based guidance for designing recognition systems that authentically foster gratitude, trust, and engagement in manufacturing contexts.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS