Soft skills, hard results: the productivity impact of employer-supported soft skills training, with focus on women

Purpose This study aims to conduct a randomized control trial to examine the effects of soft skills training on worker productivity in the textile industry, with a focus on gendered outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Data have been collected from administrative sources and from own-designed and administered survey. Findings The EPeDeP intervention, which targeted emotional intelligence, communication and self-management, resulted in a 1.13% increase in productivity during the training period and a sustained 0.4% increase post-intervention. The program had particularly strong effects among women, especially those with secondary education, and older workers. However, increased tardiness among women with children highlighted the challenges of work–life balance in traditional gender–role contexts. Psychological well-being also improved, particularly among women, suggesting that changes in mindset and emotional resilience were important channeling mechanisms of the intervention. A slight decline in self-organization, however, suggests the need to balance training content with autonomy reinforcement. Originality/value This study contributes original experimental evidence on how targeted, gender-sensitive soft skills training can simultaneously enhance productivity and psychological well-being in a labor-intensive industry, offering rare insights into both the economic and behavioral mechanisms of workplace interventions in low-skill, gender-segmented contexts.