Methodology for managing the work environment in dairy and confectionery companies

Abstract

Managing the work environment is a priority challenge for food production companies, given its impact on productivity, quality, and talent retention. The Dairy and Confectionery Company of Pinar del Río has exhibited critical shortcomings: weak leadership in middle management, one-way vertical communication, a lack of systematic feedback mechanisms, and insufficient institutional prioritization of the work environment. The objective of this study was to design a methodology for managing the work environment that would contribute to the effective achievement of organizational objectives. Theoretical and empirical methods as, document analysis, surveys, interviews, the Vester Matrix to identify critical problems, and the Iadov technique for user validation were employed. The proposed methodology comprises five interrelated phases (Awareness, Diagnosis, Analysis and Interpretation, Implementation, and Evaluation-Monitoring-Adjustment) with 21 methodological steps and six lines of intervention: Leadership, Communication, Organizational Structure, Human Talent Development, Recognition and Motivation, and Working Conditions. The validation yielded an overall satisfaction index of 0.679 (Satisfactory), with 100% logical consistency and a high willingness to implement. The research transforms the work environment from an intangible and reactive issue into a systematized, measurable, participatory, and strategically aligned organizational process. It constitutes a replicable tool for the Cuban state sector, institutionalizing the care of human capital as a sustainable competitive advantage.