Work Satisfaction in the Food Industry—A Premise for Economic Performance

Dan Bodescu, Alexandru-Dragoş Robu, Andy Felix Jităreanu, Ioan Puiu, Andrei Mihai Gafencu and Florin Daniel Lipşa
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Dan Bodescu: Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, University of Life Sciences, M. Sadoveanu Alley, No. 3, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Alexandru-Dragoş Robu: Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, University of Life Sciences, M. Sadoveanu Alley, No. 3, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Andy Felix Jităreanu: Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, University of Life Sciences, M. Sadoveanu Alley, No. 3, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Ioan Puiu: Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, University of Life Sciences, M. Sadoveanu Alley, No. 3, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Andrei Mihai Gafencu: Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, University of Life Sciences, M. Sadoveanu Alley, No. 3, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Florin Daniel Lipşa: Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, University of Life Sciences, M. Sadoveanu Alley, No. 3, 700490 Iasi, Romania

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The greatest challenge for Romania’s food industry is to achieve technical and economic parity with the rest of Europe. Therefore, businesses require productive employees, and labor productivity depends on employee satisfaction. This study’s primary objective was to investigate employee satisfaction in the bakery industry in order to enhance economic performance. This topic is rarely researched, but it is necessary to enhance the economic performance and work processes of this industry. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods were used, including an online questionnaire survey of 254 employees and a focus group meeting with 17 managers from 60 companies in the Northeast and Southeast regions of Romania. Total pay (5.3 points on a 1–7-point scale), amount of work (4.9 points), and number of working hours (4.8 points) were the top motivators. The average weighted value for job satisfaction on a scale of 100 points was 27.4 points. The relationship between labor costs and employee satisfaction was strong. Low levels of satisfaction are costlier for employers than high levels of satisfaction. The originality of this study lies in its determination of how strongly employees perceive each aspect of job satisfaction and its correlation to the economic performance of companies.

Keywords: food systems; job satisfaction; economic performance; meeting the needs of employees; employee subjectivity; employee motivations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:7:p:1015-:d:861986

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