RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AS AN INVESTMENT: IMPACT ON STRESS, JOB SATISFACTION AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF A COMPANY

Abstract

In the modern business environment, job satisfaction is a fundamental variable that encourages employees to increase their efficiency, engagement, and focus on achieving organizational goals. Workplace stress is one of the key challenges of modern organizations, negatively affecting productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall well-being. Numerous studies confirm that regular physical activity, especially recreational sports, can be an effective tool for managing stress and improving the psychological and physical resilience of employees. Additionally, an organizational culture that encourages sports contributes to a sense of belonging, which in the long term reduces employee turnover and increases organizational loyalty. The aim of this paper is to investigate employee perceptions of the role of recreational and sports activities in the workplace, with a special emphasis on their impact on reducing stress, increasing job satisfaction, and work efficiency. The paper also analyses the degree of employee support for strategic investment in such activities, which contributes to reducing costs associated with sick leave and absenteeism. For the purposes of this paper, a survey was conducted via an online questionnaire from February to March 2025, in which 94 respondents (N=94) participated. The research methodology is based on the use of a survey questionnaire, and the collected data were processed using the JASP software tool, using descriptive statistics, contingency tables, chi-square test and Bayesian analysis. The results obtained can be applied for promoting sports activities within the company, improving greater job satisfaction and then the work performance of employees and can be a support in including sports activities in strategic investments of the company.