Psychological empowerment of woman workers at unionized textile sector and related factors in Türkiye

The textile sector is one of the sectors where women work intensively and where the labour and human power cycle demonstrates the fastest and easiest circulation among the production sectors. Working conditions in the textile sector not only affect women physically and mentally but also has an impact on their private and social lives. Psychological empowerment is seen as an important area of research for both organizational researchers and practitioners. Spreitzer Psychological Empowerment Scale, SF 36 Quality of Life Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory were used in the study. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relation of some factors such as quality of life, depression, and gender with psychological empowerment. The Textile, Knitting, Clothing, and Leather Workers Union has the highest number of members in Türkiye. The Union has 9486 women workers in a total of 68 enterprises across Türkiye. It is a descriptive epidemiological study. A sample of 716 women were selected using standard formula for calculating the sample size for a known universe. A mixed data collection method was used. The quantitative data source is survey forms and the qualitative data source is focus group interviews. SPPS package program was used during the analysis of the data obtained from women workers. In the examination of quantitative data, t-test and one-way analysis of variance were performed. Content analysis was performed by analyzing the audio recordings in the focus group interviews. Psychological empowerment perceptions and psychological empowerment sub-dimensions are evaluated, competence has the highest average score, followed by meaning and self-determination, and impact respectively. It was seen that the total score obtained from the psychological empowerment scale of the participants have significant (p<0.01) level relations with sub-dimensions of the quality of life scale other than the social function sub dimension. It was determined that there was a significant negative relationship between depression and total score of psychological empowerment (p<0.01). It was determined that the number of trainings received by the participants at work was related to the psychological empowerment sub-dimensions. It has been determined that as the number of trainings received in the workplace increases, the dimensions of competence, meaning, and self-determination increase accordingly. The relationships between quality of life and depression were examined. It was found that depression have significant associations with all sub dimensions of quality of life. In the focus group interview, it was determined that young women workers were less involved in decision-making mechanisms in the workplace than experienced and older women workers. Despite having the same experience, it was determined that men workers were promoted to higher positions than women workers. It has been found that working long hours and coming to work early adversely affect women's private and social lives. Providing information to unions' authorities and employers on the importance of psychological empowerment is important to monitor the performance of women workers and might have a positive impact on their empowerment. Ensuring the representation of women in decision-making mechanisms as much as men workers; Providing trainings and seminars that will raise awareness of gender equality and violence and harassment in workplaces with the participation of not only workers but also unions and empoleyers can increase the psychological empowerment perceptions of women workers and reduce possible depression levels and increase their quality of life. Informing unions' authorities and employers regarding the results of this study might increase the awareness on problems of employees that they might encounter at workplace. Keywords:Psychological Empowerment,Textiles,Working Life, Quality Of Life, Depression, Gender