Recognition is a function of management. If a manager is truly engaged in the day-to-day activities of a team, that manager can (and will) naturally recognize work properly.

The problem however is that for whatever reason, management isn't as effective as it should be. A function of time, burn out, or simple inadequacies, if people are leaving a job because they aren't recognized, chances are good that they would also say their manager wasn't very good at his or her job.