Global comfort and indoor environment quality attributes for workers of a hypermarket in Southern Italy

The paper investigates the interactions between global satisfaction for workers in hypermarkets and the different attributes that contribute to it. Thermal, acoustical, visual, and air quality conditions were investigated through both subjective and objective measures carried out in a hypermarket in Southern Italy. Questionnaires were collected over a two-years time span. Simultaneously, measurements of the main objective descriptors of indoor quality were carried out. The study took advantage of different statistical techniques, including factor analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and nonlinear methods based on Kano's satisfaction model. Factor analysis pointed out the existence of two main groups of dissatisfied. The first one gave greater relevance to visual, and acoustic aspects while being neutral towards thermal aspects. Conversely, the second group was more influenced by lack of thermal comfort and presence of local discomfort, while showing indifference towards visual and acoustic aspects. Application of Kano's model showed that thermal local discomfort and IAQ were considered "basic" aspects (i.e. they have negative effect on global satisfaction when they underperform), while acoustic comfort was considered a "bonus" aspect, capable to improve overall rating when it performed well. Visual and thermal comfort, had a mostly linear influence on global satisfaction but also proved to have the highest impact.