Designing Effective Worker Voice Institutions: A Randomized Evaluation of Workplace Dialogue Programs and Complementary Interventions in Global Supply Chains

Recent research highlights that improved worker-manager communication enhances productivity and job satisfaction in manufacturing, yet rigorous research on structured worker voice institutions like workplace cooperation committees (WCCs) remains scarce. Partnering with New Balance, we conduct a large-scale randomized evaluation of workplace dialogue (WD) programs across 180 factories from 50 top-tier Asian suppliers. Our three-tier experimental design implements: (1) a phased WD rollout (108 factories in 2025-26 vs. 72 controls); (2) cross-randomized soft skills training for workers; and (3) within treatment factories, an enhanced election monitoring and training protocol. Leveraging administrative data and worker surveys,
we assess: (i) WD’s impacts on productivity, retention, and job satisfaction; (ii) how soft skills training independently and jointly influence program effectiveness; and (iii) whether electoral interventions affect committee selection and effectiveness. The study provides the first causal evidence on how complementary institutional and human capital investments shape worker and firm outcomes in global supply chains, with direct implications for both corporate engagement strategies and labor policy design.