ABSTRACT:
Previous studies on mechanised oil palm plantations have primarily focused on labour productivity, technology adoption and operational performance, with limited attention given to understanding the factors shaping job satisfaction among local machine operators who are central to mechanised field operations. Addressing this gap, this study examined the influence of plantation mechanisation, intrinsic factors, and extrinsic factors on job satisfaction among local machine operators in Malaysia’s mechanised oil palm estates. Data were collected from 418 local machine operators and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that plantation mechanisation and extrinsic factors exert significant positive effects on job satisfaction, whereas intrinsic factors do not demonstrate a significant influence. Extrinsic factors emerged as the strongest predictor of job satisfaction, followed by plantation mechanisation. The structural model explained 37.2% of the variance in job satisfaction. The findings support the relevance of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory in explaining job satisfaction within mechanised plantation environments. The study highlights the importance of favourable employment conditions and positive technological experiences in shaping workforce evaluations and provides practical insights to strengthen workforce satisfaction in mechanised plantation operations. The findings further suggest that technological experiences constitute an important dimension of employees’ overall work evaluations within machine-dependent plantation environments.