Kudosinsinöörin

Kudosinsinöörin is a term used in Finnish-language discussions of organizational design and speculative technology to describe an engineer whose primary remit is to design, implement, and assess systems that generate, channel, and measure social recognition or kudos within teams, products, or online communities. The word combines kudos, borrowed from English to denote praise or acclaim, with insinööri, the Finnish word for engineer.

The kudosinsinööri's responsibilities include creating recognition architectures—digital platforms, workflows, and governance practices—that encourage constructive praise while preserving fairness and privacy. They define and monitor metrics such as the rate and sentiment of kudos, the distribution of recognition across roles, and the impact on collaboration and retention. The role often intersects with user experience design, organizational psychology, data governance, and ethics, requiring skills in prototyping, data analysis, and stakeholder facilitation.

Techniques employed include human-centered design, feedback-loop engineering, and gamification, applied with opt-in consent and transparent rules to avoid manipulation. Prototyping can involve internal social features, peer-review prompts, or reputation dashboards that surface appreciation for concrete contributions rather than status signals alone.

Critics argue that kudos infrastructures can incentivize performative behavior or undermine intrinsic motivation if not carefully governed. Proponents contend they can enhance morale, knowledge sharing, and accountability when designed with privacy, inclusivity, and accountability in mind.

See also: gamification, organizational psychology, feedback loops.