School of International and Public Affairs

This project will conduct a randomized control trial on the determinants of adoption of an energy-efficient technology in the Bangladeshi manufacturing sector. The technology is a new motor for stitching machines, called a “servo” motor, which uses about 75% less electricity than traditional “clutch” motors. We will provide information about the servo motors in varying intensities to managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the leather goods and footwear industry.

The rate of unionization remains low in the United States, and as new forms of worker representation emerge, we need to better understand what workers want from labor organizations and how employee preferences differ across industries and occupations. This project will field a relatively large-scale survey, with embedded survey experiments, to examine what aspects of labor organization are preferred by workers and management.