Factors Affecting Happy Work Life: Operational-Level Employees in Cold Storage, Songkhla Province

Abstract

          This study examined the factors influencing job happiness and the levels of happiness among operational-level employees at the cold storage industry in Songkhla province. A mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed. For the quantitative phase, data were collected from the operational-level employees at the cold storage industry in Songkhla province. A total of 428 valid responses were obtained, representing 96.61% of all distributed questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, namely percentage, mean, and standard deviation. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants, either involved in, or with the direct experience at the cold storage industry, and the data were analyzed using content analysis.

           The research findings revealed three key points:

1. The most significant influential factor affecting job happiness was interpersonal relationships within the workplace, followed by job characteristics, and compensation and benefits, respectively.
2. Operational-level employees in the cold storage business in Songkhla province reported a moderate overall level of job happiness, with a mean score of 3.29. The highest level of happiness was found in Dimension 5 (Happy Family) at a high level with a mean score of 3.67, while the lowest was in Dimension 1, (Happy Body) at a low level with a mean score of 2.48.
3. The in-depth interviews indicated that the supportive relationships among employees, clear and simple communication, and the advantage of being residents with relatively low living costs were key factors contributing to employees’ job happiness.