The impact of workplace satisfaction with recreational activities on employees' job satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, and job performance: A study in the civil aviation sector

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of workplace recreation activities on employees' job satisfaction, psychological well-being, and job performance within the civil aviation sector. This research aims to determine whether job satisfaction positively and significantly influences both psychological well-being and job performance, as well as to assess the impact of psychological well-being on job performance. Furthermore, the study examines the mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance, and it evaluates whether the frequency of employees' participation in workplace recreational activities moderates this mediation. The research data was collected through a survey conducted online from employees of a prominent civil aviation company in Turkey. A random (purposeful) sample of approximately 3,500 employees was used, and surveys were administered to 402 participants. The study initially conducted validity and reliability analyses of the scales. T-tests and ANOVA analyses were conducted to assess the differences in perceptions of the variables based on the participants' demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the research examined the moderating effect of recreational activities on the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance through the mediating variable of psychological well-being, employing SPSS-based Hayes Model 59. The research findings indicated a positive and significant relationship between job satisfaction and both psychological well-being and job performance. Job satisfaction demonstrated significant and positive effects on psychological well-being and job performance, while psychological well-being also played a critical role in enhancing employees' job performance. Furthermore, it was observed that employees with lower levels of recreational activity participation exhibited a higher conditional indirect effect compared to those with higher levels of recreational activity participation. In this context, employees with lower levels of recreational activity participation were found to have higher job performance levels than their counterparts with higher levels of recreational activity participation.