Study on employees’ satisfaction in the Total Quality Management context. Evidence from Romanian metal industry

The present paper aims to present a model for evaluating and analysing the employees’ satisfaction, seen as internal customers, from the Romanian metallic confections industry. This study is part of a more complex research whose objective was to develop a diagnostic model for implementation and development of total quality management system. In this sense, this paper focuses on the employees’ satisfaction analysis as a measure of leadership effectiveness, as an important component of total quality management system. Regarding the research methodology, the study was based on an exploratory and explanatory research type, being conducted on a representative sample of 14 companies from the Romanian metallic confections industry, therefore, the research sample consisted of 388 employees within those companies. Regarding the research tools, as methods of data collection was used a survey based on questionnaire and a semi-structured interview with the firms sampled employees. The questionnaire was composed of 112 items divided into a number of 7 variables, which evaluate and analyse the employees’ satisfaction, in this respect, a number of 500 questionnaires was distributed which were collected and validated 388 which means a response rate of 77.6% which is considered good. Also, within the qualitative research was used a semi-structured interview with the managers of firms sampled. The results of the study are intended to ensure and strengthen the competitive advantage of analysed firms and industry.