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Leaders in social movements: evidence from unions in Myanmar

Author

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  • Boudreau, Laura
  • Macchiavello, Rocco
  • Minni, Virginia
  • Tanaka, Mari

Abstract

Social movements are catalysts for crucial institutional changes. To succeed, they must coordinate members’ views (consensus building) and actions (mobilization). We study union leaders within Myanmar’s burgeoning labor movement. Union leaders are positively selected on both ability and personality traits that enable them to influence others, yet they earn lower wages. In group discussions about workers’ views on an upcoming national minimum wage negotiation, randomly embedded leaders build consensus around the union’s preferred policy. In an experiment that mimics individual decision-making in a collective action setup, leaders increase mobilization through coordination.

Suggested Citation

  • Boudreau, Laura & Macchiavello, Rocco & Minni, Virginia & Tanaka, Mari, 2025. "Leaders in social movements: evidence from unions in Myanmar," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126113, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:126113
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    File URL: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/126113/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Uwe Jirjahn, 2025. "Political Spillovers of Worker Representation: With or Without Workplace Democracy?," Research Papers in Economics 2025-02, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    2. Ellora Derenoncourt & François Gerard & Lorenzo Lagos & Claire Montialoux, 2025. "What Do (Thousands of) Unions Do? Union-Specific Pay Premia and Inequality," NBER Working Papers 34139, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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