Leaders in social movements: evidence from unions in Myanmar

Boudreau, Laura, Macchiavello, Rocco ORCID: 0009-0007-5465-3153, Minni, Virginia and Tanaka, Mari (2025) Leaders in social movements: evidence from unions in Myanmar. American Economic Review, 115 (6). 1975 - 2000. ISSN 0002-8282

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 American Economic Association. All rights reserved.
Divisions:	Management International Growth Centre STICERD
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D9 - Intertemporal Choice and Growth > D91 - Intertemporal Consumer Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs > J38 - Public Policy J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J5 - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining > J51 - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O15 - Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2024 16:21
Last Modified:	17 Dec 2025 08:38
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/126113

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