Satisfaction represents an employee’s positive emotional state resulting from their evaluation of their work experience (Huang et al, 2012). Starting from the premise that employees operate by a system of values, beliefs, and behavioural norms, authors such as Mitonga-Monga et al (2018) consider satisfaction as a measure of the extent to which employees, through their personal work experience, believe that their value system is fulfilled. In other words, job satisfaction refers to how employees perceive the organization’s ability to meet their needs. This approach emphasizes the subjective component, as it focuses on employees’ internal needs, expectations, and perceptions. In the context of the relationship between HRM and performance, satisfaction is seen as employees’ response to HRM activities. These activities are believed to stimulate employee behaviours that enhance performance (Den Hartog et al, 2013; Knies and Leisink, 2014; Paauwe et al, 2013). HRM activities are conducted to influence employees, and ultimately to positively impact organizational performance. This perspective assumes that HRM activities can lead to positive employee reactions, which in turn have a positive impact on organizational performance. Numerous empirical studies support the existence of a positive relationship between HRM and organizational performance, highlighting the significant role of satisfaction in this relationship (Alshammari, 2020; Islami, 2021; Katou et al, 2021; Nishii and Wright, 2008; Son et al, 2020; Tensay and Singh, 2020; Van De Voorde et al, 2010). These researches are based on the Cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences. According to the Cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences, satisfaction is an additive combination of the expectation level and the resulting disconfirmation and conduces to certain behaviour (Oliver, 1997).

Researchers distinguish between transaction-specific and overall satisfaction, with the former influencing the latter (Gidaković and Čater, 2021; Jones and Suh, 2000; Olsen and Johnson, 2003). Consequently, employee care satisfaction represents an employee’s cognitive assessment and emotional response to aspects of working conditions related to occupational health and safety. It reflects the employee’s emotional reaction to their workplace conditions and their perception of the extent to which these conditions fulfil their needs, aligning with their values and behavioural norms. Satisfaction with employee care is, therefore, determined by the extent to which the company succeeds in meeting employees’ requirements and addressing their needs concerning safety and health at work, which hold importance for the employees. In the context of the cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences, satisfaction with employee care, as a response to the degree of fulfillment of employees’ expectations regarding safety concerns at the workplace, leads to certain employee behaviors that result in improved performance at the workplace. Accepting this perspective, the basic hypothesis upon which this research is based is that:

H1: Satisfaction with employee care has a positive impact on employee performance at the workplace.

SET suggests that a rational individual enters relationships with organizations to maximize benefits, based on the principle of reciprocity (Blau, 1964). When one party provides something to another, the first party expects reciprocation in a currency they value. If one party fails to reciprocate, an imbalance is created, leading to the breakdown of the relationship. Perceived breaches signal an imbalance in the relationship (Agarwal and Bhargava, 2014) and serve as a “shock that causes employees to reassess their attitudes and feelings towards the organization” (Lee and Mitchell, 1994), resulting in negative consequences. Conversely, when employees perceive that the organization has fulfilled its obligations adequately, they will experience satisfaction, ultimately leading to positive behavior in the workplace.

Therefore, according to SET theory, individuals establish relationships and exchanges to achieve and protect their interests, based on expectations regarding each party’s contributions and what can be expected in return, all rooted in perceived reciprocity. Taking into consideration the idea that HR and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) practices signal employer goodwill (Wang et al, 2020), which should evoke positive employee reactions, it is rational to expect that employees will respond to HR and OHS practices by expressing a satisfaction, which should ultimately result in improved workplace outcomes.

However, satisfaction is a very complex phenomenon, since employees have attitudes not only towards overall employee care but also toward specific aspects of care provided by the company. The literature in the field of employee care satisfaction highlights the importance of managerial commitment to OHS as a determinant of satisfaction with employee care (Bayram, 2018; Glowacz and Schmits, 2020; Godinic et al, 2020; Griffin and Grote, 2020; Li and Griffin, 2022; Smith et al, 2020; Ye et al, 2020). It also emphasizes the significance of the quality and availability of protective equipment (Li and Griffin, 2022; Zhang et al, 2020), as well as the degree to which the risk of injury and disease is compensated by rewards (medical allowance) (Danzer, 2019; Kularathna and Perera, 2016). These studies and similar ones (Rosenman et al, 2000; Vukonjanski et al, 2012b) indicate that employees attach more importance to these aspects in more challenging economic conditions. Furthermore, the probability of an employee filing a compensation claim increases inversely with their income (Rosenman et al, 2000).

In the context of SET, this would mean that each of these segments of OHS represents a foundation for establishing a relationship of exchange and reciprocity between the employee and the organization. The degree to which their expectations regarding each of these aspects of satisfaction are met will determine their level of satisfaction, which ultimately, in the context of the aforementioned model, will have a positive impact on performance in any given setting. Hence, it is possible to define three sub-hypotheses:

H1.1: Employees’ satisfaction with management’s commitment to supporting employees regarding safety and health at work has a positive impact on employees’ performance.

H1.2: Employees’ satisfaction with the quality and availability of protective equipment has a positive impact on employees’ performance.

H1.3: Employees’ satisfaction of medical allowance has a positive impact on employees’ performance.

The findings that satisfaction with employee care holds varying meanings for different individuals and is linked to motivation, personal achievements, and personality traits highlight the importance of acknowledging and respecting these factors. Namely, research conducted in the food industry in Serbia and other post-socialist countries has revealed that factors such as gender, personality type (Čábelková et al, 2015; Milijić et al, 2014), job position within the company (Milijić et al, 2014), educational level (Kavalic et al, 2022), and citizenship status (Danzer, 2019) significantly influence employee care satisfaction. Therefore, when researching this issue, it is imperative to consider these factors. This is grounded in the dispositional approach, which posits that certain inherent and acquired characteristics, knowledge, and experiences influence individuals’ attitudes, perceptions, emotions and behaviours (Gori and Topino, 2020). For example, employees who have high levels of self-confidence and self-control may tend to perceive OHS conditions as acceptable and feel more satisfied with those conditions. On the other hand, employees who have low levels of optimism or high levels of neuroticism may tend to exaggerate the negative aspects of OHS conditions and feel less satisfaction. Also, previous experiences, education and socialization can influence the personal characteristics of employees related to OHS. For example, employees with previous negative experiences or education in occupational safety and health may be more aware and critical of OHS conditions, which may affect their perceptions and satisfaction levels. Thus, a dispositional approach provides insight into how employees’ personal characteristics may influence their levels of satisfaction with OHS conditions. These characteristics may further shape their reactions and behavior in the work environment, which may have implications for their workplace performance. In the context of SET, this implies that employees’ dispositions influence how they value and react to stimuli from the organization, with OHS considered as a stimulus from the environment. Therefore, satisfaction with OHS, as a direct consequence of employees’ experiences, is shaped under the influence of their personality characteristics. Within SET, this further suggests that employees’ personalities affect their ability to engage in social exchange. Understanding this argumentation facilitates the definition of optimal OHS policies and practices, which employees will respond to best, according to the principle of reciprocity.

Consequently, we propose hypothesis H2, which reads:

H2: Personal characteristics and employees’ experiences with OHS impact their care satisfaction.

To operationalize H2, we have defined two sub-hypotheses:

H2.1: Personality type influences employee care satisfaction.

H2.2: Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) experience, as indicated by workplace injuries, sick leave utilization, and compensation receipt for injuries, affect employee care satisfaction.

These sub-hypotheses consider the findings of studies conducted by Clements-Croome (2017) and Voordt and Jensen (2023), which suggest that employee psychological well-being influences employee satisfaction. Moreover, psychological well-being is linked to personality type (Colenberg et al, 2021; Kokko et al, 2013; Spence, 2022; Steel et al, 2008). These studies also suggest that personality type can influence whether employees prioritize material or non-material working conditions (Franke and Nadler, 2020).

A cross-sectional design was chosen to meet the study’s purposes. To capture the issue of bias in selecting when estimating the impact of satisfaction with employee care on employee performance at work we used the two-step Heckit model. The two-step Heckitmodel is a statistical model used for addressing issues related to selection bias. It falls under the category of instrumental variable models and is used in econometrics to account for sample selection bias and endogeneity in regression analyses. The basic idea behind the two-step Heckit model is to handle situations where the selection process of the sample affects the outcome variable being studied. The application of this model makes it possible to capture the differences in perceptions between employees at different organizational levels (HR and OHS managers and employees). At the same time, this allows respect for the Nishii-Wright approach to HRM, that it is necessary to collect data from employees from different organizational levels and units.

The two-step Heckit model used in the paper can be presented in the following way:

(1)$$\{\begin{array}{c}{s}_i^{*}=z_i^{\prime }\gamma +u_i,i=1,2..N\hfill \\ w_i=x_i^{\prime }\beta +{\epsilon }_{i}k=1,\mathrm{2..4}\hfill \end{array}$$

where are:

N - sample size, $s_i^{*}$ in the selection equation is the latent variable which is positive if the questionee is a worker, that is, $s_i=\{\begin{array}{c}\hfill 1\text{ if }{s}_i^{*}>0\hfill \\ \hfill 0,\text{otherwise}\hfill \end{array}$,

$1xK$ vector $z_i^{,}$ containing personality traits (type of personality) that affect the questionee’s attitudes;

$\gamma$ is a K-dimensional vector of unknown parameters,

$w_i$ dependent variable,

$x_i^{,}$, is a $1xK$ vector of exogenous variables–satisfaction with the quality and availability of protective equipment (PE), satisfaction with the adequacy of compensation for work injuries (medical allowance) (MA) and satisfaction with the management’s commitment to supporting employees in regarding safety and health at work (MSC), $\beta$ is M-dimensional vector of unknown parameters.

$z_i^{,}$ - list of exogenous variables and artificial variables $u_i$ and ${ϵ}_i$ are errors of the model that applies:

(2)$$\left[\begin{array}{c}{u}_i\hfill \\ {\epsilon }_i\hfill \end{array}\right]\sim i.i.d.(\left[\begin{array}{c}0\hfill \\ 0\hfill \end{array}\right],\left[\begin{array}{c}{\sigma }_u^2{\sigma }_{u,\epsilon }\hfill \\ {\sigma }_{u,\epsilon }{\sigma }_{\epsilon }^2\hfill \end{array}\right])$$

According to the disposition approach, four types of personality were chosen melancholic, introverted, phlegmatic and extroverted, wherein these variables are coded as dummy variables: melancholic, introverted, phlegmatic and extroverted, respectively.

As dummy variables in the selection function were used injury which represents whether an employee has ever had an injury or not; compensation which is related to whether an employee has been paid compensation for the injury or not and sick leave which refers to whether the employee used sick leave or not. An important factor in forming the attitude of an employee toward OHS and their satisfaction with employee care is whether they’ve had personal experience with measures and activities related to safety and health at work that a company undertakes and enforces or does not. In other words, whether they had been injured or not. For this reason, injury has been used as a dummy variable. Also, the intensity of the injury affects their attitude towards measures and activities related to safety and health at work, that is, the satisfaction with employee care. For this reason, sick leave has been used as a dummy variable. Since it is customary that compensation is paid only in case of serious injuries, compensation was used as a dummy variable for the reason there is a high probability that, if an employee had such an experience, it would affect his attitude towards measures and activities related to safety and health at work which the company undertakes, that is, his satisfaction with employee care. This variable may also be treated as a good indicator of the seriousness of an injury. All this should be interpreted in the context of what has been said that the socialist heritage and self-government model influence workers to have a specific attitude regarding their treatment when they are prevented from working. permanent or temporary.

To estimate the model parameters, a two-step procedure was employed, which can be succinctly summarized as follows. In the first step, the probit model $\mathrm{Pr}\left(s_i=1\right)=\mathrm{\Phi }=(z_i^{,}\gamma )$ was estimated. This follows from the fact that $\varphi (\cdot )$ and $\mathrm{\Phi }(\cdot )$ are the density and cumulative density functions of the standardized Gaussian distribution, respectively. This equation generates the hazard function (${\lambda }_i=\varphi (z_i^{,}\gamma )/\mathrm{\Phi }(z_i^{,}\gamma ))$ that is used as an additional regressor throughout the second step to correctthe potential bias of the sample selection. The inclusion of ${\lambda }_i$ in the $x_i$ vector, ${\beta }_{\lambda }={\sigma }_{u\epsilon }{\sigma }_{\epsilon }^2$ and the second equation in the system equation (1) both can be estimated using the OLS method. The assumption of normality of the probit residuals $u_i$ is required to have consistency and plays a key role because it represents the sufficient condition to define ${\lambda }_i$ as in the equation given above. According to the assumption, the test of the conditional moment based on Outer Product Gradients Regression was made:

(3)$$\iota =\widehat{\gamma }Z+\widehat{b}G+\text{residual}$$

Where $\iota$ vector is a unit, Z is the matrix whose lines $z_i^{,}$ and $\widehat{\gamma },\widehat{b}$ are ML estimates of probit operation $\mathrm{Pr}\left(s_i=1\right)=\mathrm{\Phi }(z_i^{,}\gamma +G_i^{,}b)$, with the tension in order to take into consideration the asymmetry and the kurtosis for the i-th matrix G order is:

(4)$$G_i^{\prime }=\left[\left[{\left(z_i^{\prime }\widehat{\gamma }+2\right)}^2\right]{\widehat{u}}_i{z}_i\widehat{\gamma }\left[{\left(z_i\widehat{\gamma }+3\right)}^2\right]{\widehat{u}}_i\right]$$

where _u^i are generalized residuals of the model. For each observation $G_i^{,}$ contains samples corresponding to parameters of orthogonality terms of conditional moments. The basic idea is that, if $G_i^{,}$ is not statistically important, the probit model is correctly specified. Therefore, the zero hypothesis for CM test H₀: b = 0, with the test statistics given for N times and R² regression (3) and following ${\chi }_2^2$ distribution.

To collect data related to employee performance and satisfaction with employee care, a questionnaire was created, which was compiled based on relevant statements proposed in the scientific literature. The items for employee performance were chosen according to the Human Resource Management Manual promoted by the Ministry of Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia (Vukonjanski, 2012a) and Wagner et al (2013): according to these sources the performance of employees should be expressed in the category of orientation to results, independence in work at the workplace and entrepreneurship at the workplace. The scale contains four items for orientation to results (Q1—Achieving results; Q2—Employee orientation; Q3—Achieving personal work goals and tasks; Q4—Adherence to principles and values), three items for independence in work (Q5—Application of professional knowledge and technology; Q6—Creation and innovation; Q7—Behaviour in accordance with instructions and procedures) and four items for entrepreneurship at the workplace (Q8—Adapting and responding to change; Q9—Coping with pressures and setbacks; Q10—An ethnic and commercial way of thinking; Q11—Formulation of strategies and concepts).

Bearing in mind the results of the analysis of research that are devoted to the determinants of satisfaction with employee care, satisfaction with employee care is expressed through the satisfaction of the quality and availability of protective equipment, the satisfaction of the adequacy of compensation for work injuries (medical allowance) and the satisfaction of employees about the management’s commitment to supporting employees in regarding safety and health at work. The items for assessing the satisfaction of the quality and availability of protective equipment were chosen according to Stefanović et al (2019). The satisfaction of quality and availability of protective equipment was measured with four items: (Q12—The protective equipment provided by the company is suitable for the tasks and hazards present in your job; Q13—The protective equipment is in good condition and well-maintained; Q14—The protective equipment is provided in sufficient quantities for all employees to use as needed; Q15—The protective equipment is easily accessible and conveniently located for employees to use as needed). The items for assessing the satisfaction of the adequacy of the compensation system (medical allowance) were chosen according to Taşpınar and Turkmen (2019), Rajkovic et al (2018) and Danzer (2019). The satisfaction of the compensation system (medical allowance) was measured with four items (Q16—Speed of payment; Q17—Biasness; Q18—The amount of compensation about suffered pain and physical damage; Q19—Complexity of conditions and procedures for fulfilling the conditions for acquiring the right to compensation). The items for assessing satisfaction with management’s commitment to supporting employees about safety and health at work were chosen according to Vuković et al (2020). The satisfaction of management’s commitment to supporting employees regarding safety and health at work was measured with five items (Q20—Management places a strong emphasis on workplace health and safety; Q21—Management provides strong support to employees in OHS; Q22—Management considers safety to be of the same importance as the production; Q23—Management takes care of safety problems at my workplace; Q24—Risk judgment and management reaction).

The validity of the questionnaire was tested through factor analysis using the varimax rotation method. More specifically, construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while the reliability of the questionnaire, specifically the internal consistency of the data, was evaluated using the omega coefficient. This is because a high Cronbach’s alpha value does not necessarily indicate high reliability, as it may simply result from a large number of items included in the analysis (Čavić et al, 2024). The omega coefficient values separately for each section (sub-scales) are shown in Appendix Table 5. The EFA was conducted to identify potential factors and uncover hidden structures in the data, as no such research model had been presented by anyone before us. A sample of 600 respondents participated in a test of the questionnaire’s validity. They did not take part in the data collection for the study on the impact of satisfaction with employee care on employee performance to avoid biased answers. The adequacy of the sample was tested using the Kaiser-Меyer-Okin sample adequacy test (test value = 0.753). The Bartlett’s sphericity test was also conducted ($\chi$²(253) = 8116.2). It demonstrates inter-item correlations sufficient for conducting factor analysis. The estimation of attitudes used the five-step Likert scale, with the option of replying from fully (1) to fully agree (5). The items were grouped as expected (four groups (sub-scale, EP, MSC, MA, PE), eigenvalues $>$1). Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed because it allows for a more detailed examination of the specific representations and relationships for each factor. Result of CFA also, are shown in Appendix Table 5, to note that eliminated items that had a factor loading significantly less than 0.4 (Q15 and Q16) and that no items were cross-loading above 0.4, which indicates satisfactory validity (convergent and discriminant) (Robida, 2013; Straub et al, 2004). The convergent and divergent validity of the questionnaire was additionally tested in such a way that the correlation matrix between the sub-scales was calculated, whereby the sample was divided into five sub-samples according to companies. The coefficients on the diagonal of the matrix are relatively high and statistically significant, which indicates convergent validity, while the opposite is true with the coefficients below the diagonal, which indicates divergent validity. The correlation matrix is shown in Appendix Table 6 in the appendix.

The research was conducted in the food industry in the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Serbia and its food sector were selected for this study based on several compelling reasons. First and foremost, the chosen topic holds significant importance for the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Serbia currently grapples with a paradoxical situation, characterized by a dual challenge. On one hand, the Republic of Serbia with high unemployment rate (approximately 14.8%, a youth unemployment rate of roughly 25%) (Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 2022). On the other hand, there exists a substantial demand for labour with secondary vocational education, leading to labour imports from third-world countries. This is accompanied by a disproportionate ratio in the cost of labour between highly skilled labour and medium-skilled labour in favour of the latter. Considering the relatively well-aligned labour market needs and the secondary vocational education system, particularly following the implementation of dual education funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), coupled with substantial labour emigration to EU countries, it becomes evident that working conditions play a crucial role in this complex scenario. Therefore, the study of all aspects related to working conditions, employee satisfaction, and the pivotal role of health and safety at work as a determinant of job satisfaction holds paramount importance for Serbia. Moreover, the food industry in Serbia assumes a pivotal role in the country’s economy, contributing approximately 5% to the gross value added, employing around 4.7% of the total workforce, and accounting for about 12.4% of total exports. It also attracts approximately 13% of foreign direct investment (Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 2022). However, this industry is characterized by challenging working conditions and a high employee turnover rate, making it a suitable and representative sample for investigating this topic. The topic is particularly interesting in the context of the current reform of social and disability insurance, health and mandatory employee insurance, the current labour law (provides mandatory conditions for occupational safety and employee insurance) and the negotiations of the Branch Union of Employees in Agriculture, Food, Tobacco Industry and Water Management in connection conclusion of a special collective agreement, where one of the focuses is on difficult working conditions and improvement of protection and health at work.

The research was conducted on the example of the 5 largest food companies in Serbia, during 2021. The size limitation was introduced because small-scale companies generally do not implement a wide range of formal HRM practices (Miner and Crane, 1995), which aligns with similar findings in other HR studies (Guest et al, 2003). Data were collected from employees at various organizational levels and units. The justification of this approach is supported by the findings of research conducted by Milijić et al (2014), which showed that in the food industry in Serbia, an employee’s position within an organization can impact their attitude and emotions towards the quality of OHS and managerial safety commitment. 1123 employees were included in the research.

The structure of the respondents according to gender, level of education and position is shown in Table 1.

The sample size was determined by considering the population size, the acceptable level of confidence and the permitted error of sampling. The structure of the respondents adequately represents the structure of employees in food companies in Serbia and considers the results of the survey that gender (Čábelková et al, 2015; Milijić et al, 2014), position and status in the company (Danzer, 2019; Milijić et al, 2014) and level of education (Kavalic et al, 2022) significantly influence satisfaction with employee care.

To examine the validity of the application of collected data from 5 companies in the cross-section analysis, before starting the analysis, Levene’s test of homogeneity of variance and ANOVA was conducted. The analysis was conducted to determine if there were differences in responses among employees based on company affiliation. The results of these analyses are presented in the appendix (Appendix Tables 7,8). The findings are justified using cross-sectional analysis.

Accepting hypothesis H1 as valid, in conditions where it is known that certain aspects of OHS are not an expression of goodwill the result of the mentioned legal solutions implies in favor of the adaptability and applicability of SET in contemporary business conditions.

The finding that ${\lambda }_i$ is statistically significant supports that there are differences in satisfaction between managers and employees with different aspects of HRM, which is to the findings of Mount (1983). Consequently, the significant ${\lambda }_i$implies such disparities must be considered in this type of research. This also warrants caution when interpreting research results in this field that are based on the premise that including only management is sufficient.

The finding that the constant in the selection function is statistically significant testifies to the appreciation of the dispositional approach, which is by the view of Pak and Chang (2023). Although this finding has more significant implications from the aspect of management than from a theoretical point of view, it is still important to point out that this finding provides an initial insight into how extroverted personality type can affect organizational dynamics, and hence can serve as a basis for further research and reflection on HRM strategies in organization. This further creates room for organizations to consider the need to adapt their HRM practices to better suit the different personality traits of their employees. The dispositional approach emphasizes that personality traits are relatively stable and constant characteristics of an individual, this means that the findings suggest that employees with extroverted traits tend to develop certain attitudes towards satisfaction with employee care and HRM activities that concern occupational health and safety, but also to behave in a certain way in the workplace compared to employees who have other personality traits. As extroverted employees are more inclined to actively participate in team activities and have a greater influence on colleagues, these employees can be used to create the desired attitudes and shape the desired behaviour of other employees, which is in the spirit of Monet’s findings (Grant et al, 2011). In this context, it is necessary to investigate the possible influence on team dynamics and identify the situation in which their influence is most effective.

The results of the research presented in Table 4 reveal several significant managerial implications. First, the discovery of disparities in satisfaction between managers and employees can be attributed to their differing perspectives: managers perceive HR practices from the standpoint of what is planned and intended, while employees view them from the perspective of actual implementation (see Piening et al, 2014). This underscores the importance of enhancing communication and transparency within companies, because according to the findings of Den Hartog et al (2013) communication moderates the relationship between manager and employee. Managers should proactively focus on improving communication and fostering transparent information exchange to bridge this gap. Regular and open communication with employees about HRM activities, policies, and practices can promote a better understanding and trust, which, in turn, can positively affect employee attitudes, motivation, and performance. Furthermore, it is crucial to pinpoint specific areas or determinants of employee satisfaction where these perceptual differences are evident. By identifying the exact areas of disparity, organizations can effectively channel their energy and resources, addressing critical areas without expending effort where it is not needed. Additionally, this finding emphasizes the necessity of adapting HRM policies, practices, and activities to be in alignment with employees’ actual needs. Organizations should consider adjusting their HRM policies and practices to better meet employee expectations. This may involve revising existing policies, introducing new programs, or focusing on managerial training to enhance the understanding and implementation of HRM practices. Moreover, such adaptation requires increased managerial engagement in the HRM process. Since managers play a pivotal role in the implementation of HRM activities, it is essential to provide them with adequate education and training to ensure the effective execution of HRM practices. Recognizing the existence of such differences also underscores the importance of establishing more effective systems for monitoring and obtaining feedback from employees regarding their experiences with HRM activities. Such systems can facilitate the timely identification of issues.

The implications of the finding that extraverted personality type impacts employees’ perceptions of satisfaction with employee care are as follows: (1) Organizations must consider adapting their HRM practices to better align with the diverse personality traits of their employees. The higher satisfaction levels of extroverted employees with employee care suggest a need for adjustments in communication, teamwork, and engagement practices to cater to their specific needs. Leveraging the enthusiasm of extroverted employees for team activities to shape effective team dynamics. This can be achieved by involving them in communicating and promoting HRM activities and practices. Their natural inclination toward communication can be harnessed to enhance the dissemination of HRM-related information; (2) Organizations should contemplate modifications to their employee selection and development practices. This may involve how personality traits are assessed during the hiring process and tailoring training and development programs accordingly; (3) Consider the possibility of a personalized approach to employee management based on their individual personality traits. HRM activities and practices should be customized to meet the unique needs of each employee, considering how best to motivate and support them.

From the point of view of the management of food companies in the Republic of Serbia, a particularly important finding is that MA is statistically significant. This finding means that the employees are satisfied with MA. This finding is in line with the fact that the low standard of living and low average wages in this sector affect that every kind of income is important for employees. The finding further suggests that employees in these companies perceive the compensation system as fair. A further implication of this is that employees will demonstrate a stronger psychological bond with the organization, which will be manifested by a stronger organizational commitment. The result of this will be that employees will be more motivated, and they will achieve better performance. In other words, they will be more productive in the workplace. It has already been emphasized the importance of increasing labour productivity in this sector for the Serbian economy. This will lead to an increase in the attractiveness and competitiveness of the food industry. Therefore, maintaining the existing system of compensation will affect the reduction of labour force outflow, which positively affects the reduction of the costs of employment and training of new workers. At the same time, the pressure on labour markets and the import of low-skilled labour from underdeveloped countries is decreasing. This will help promote the food industry in Serbia as a sector that cares about the health and safety of its workers, which can attract talent from other sectors and increase the competitive advantages of food companies. This is especially significant when you know that the biggest challenge for the Serbian food industry is to reach the same level of technical and economic development as the rest of Europe. According to Bodescu et al (2022), one way for Eastern European food companies to achieve this is by having productive workers.

The finding that protective equipment does not significantly determine employee satisfaction in the food industry in the Republic of Serbia carries two significant implications for company management. Firstly, organizations should explore cost rationalization in this area. This could involve considering more cost-effective options for protective equipment or revising procurement policies. Secondly, organizations need to redirect their focus toward other factors that exert a more substantial influence on employee satisfaction. This may entail enhancing working conditions, promoting development opportunities, improving communication, or revisiting compensation structures. While the quality of equipment may not directly impact employee satisfaction, it’s essential to emphasize the maintenance and proper functioning of such equipment. Subpar equipment can lead to workplace injuries or decreased productivity. Consequently, organizations should continue to provide well-maintained and safe equipment.

The finding that management’s commitment to supporting employees concerning safety and health at work does not significantly impact employee satisfaction suggests that organizations need to reassess their priorities regarding employee well-being and workplace safety. Organizations must identify and prioritize other factors that exert more substantial influences and concentrate their resources and efforts accordingly. If management commitment does not emerge as a critical determinant of employee satisfaction, organizations should shift their focus toward cultivating a comprehensive organizational culture of safety. This entails promoting safe work practices, imparting knowledge to employees about the significance of safety, and fostering a culture of responsibility and proactive response to safety and health issues. In such a culture, employees should feel encouraged to report incidents and propose safety enhancements, and the organization should be swift in addressing these concerns. Reevaluating and possibly recalibrating the organization’s approach to safety and employee well-being can lead to enhanced workplace conditions, improved employee satisfaction, and ultimately, increased organizational performance.

One limitation of this study lies in the treatment of satisfaction as an intermediary variable within the intricate relationship between HRM, OHS activities, and employee performance. Within the HRM-performance nexus, HRM and OHS activities are typically regarded as mechanisms that stimulate employee behaviours conducive to improved performance. In essence, these initiatives are implemented to influence employees, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting organizational performance. Within this framework, it is assumed that employees’ attitudinal and behavioural responses to these activities constitute one of the pathways through which organizational performance is influenced. This perspective hinges on the premise that HRM and OHS activities will yield positive reactions from employees, subsequently enhancing organizational performance, a concept congruent with the Social Exchange Theory. However, certain research studies have demonstrated that positive employee outcomes do not invariably translate into positive organizational outcomes (Taris et al, 2008). Moreover, this approach is inherently limited in several ways. Firstly, employee satisfaction represents just one facet amidst a multitude of impacts that HRM and OHS activities may have on employee and organizational performance. Secondly, the influence of employee satisfaction may be transient rather than enduring, susceptible to fluctuations driven by various factors. Changes in any of these facets can significantly affect employee satisfaction, as well as their performance and behaviour.

The limitation of the study is that it relies on subjective ratings, meaning that participants provide their assessments. This approach can introduce bias because participants may respond in a way that aligns with their expectations or desires, leading to potential overestimation or underestimation of their actual assessments. As a result, their perception of their performance may not accurately reflect the objective reality. Spanos and Lioukas (2001) suggest that this bias can occur as participants may rationalize their firms’ behavior based on commonly accepted beliefs about what constitutes effective management practices. Other researchers, such as Theriou and Chatzoglou (2009), have also highlighted that participants’ perceptions of HRM performance and effects may not perfectly align with objective reality. Nonetheless, this data collection approach aligns with HRM research that focuses on outcomes centered around employees (Guest, 2011; Paauwe et al, 2013).

Finally, while this study attempts to highlight certain factors that play a unique role as intermediaries between HRM practices and performance, it is important to acknowledge that it cannot provide a comprehensive or holistic view. This research does not adopt a GESTALT approach but rather focuses on an OHS as a specific component of HRM. Therefore, future researchers are encouraged to incorporate other critical enabling factors to obtain a broader understanding. Future researchers are also encouraged to examine how long employees will perceive legal obligations as an expression of employers’ goodwill and continue to exert their best efforts even when they are aware of the significant risk that promises may not be fulfilled.