Whitney Zhang ’21 believes in the importance of assessing workers, regardless of where they fit into the organization’s chart.
Chan is a doctoral student at MIT’s Faculty of Economics, studying labor economics. She explores how businesses impact workers across wage ranges.
“I have been interested in economics, economic impacts and related social issues for a long time,” says Zhang, an undergraduate major in mathematical economics. “We wanted to apply mathematics skills to see how we could improve our policy and its effectiveness.”
Chan is interested in ways to improve the situation for workers. She focuses on evidence-driven approaches to policy, and while always remembering that policy can have an impact, she believes it is important to build relationships with policymakers. “We need to remember people who are affected by business operations and the law,” she says.
She also recognizes the complex mixture of politics, social status and financial obligations and the need for its employees to navigate.
“I’m studying workers, and it’s important to consider the entire complex ecosystem when solving these types of challenges, such as corporate incentives and global economic situations,” she says.
The intersection of technology and labor policy
Zhang began investigating employee productivity, artificial intelligence, and related economic and labor market phenomena, and frequently collaborated with fellow undergraduate doctoral students early on as a doctoral student.
Collaboration with doctoral students in economics shacked Noy, resulting in a 2023 study examining ChatGPT as a tool to increase productivity. Their study found that workers who first performed the worst on a task had a significant increase in productivity during task writing.
“This was one of the earliest evidence of the productivity effects of generated AI, and helped to provide specific data on how much these types of tools have an impact in the workplace and labor market,” says Zhang.
Other ongoing research shows that “determinants of irregular worker schedules”-Zhang uses pay provider data to examine scheduling of unpredictability.
The scheduling project carried out by student Nathan Lazarus at MIT Economics PhD is motivated in part by existing sociological evidence that unpredictable schedules for low-wage workers are associated with worsening sleep and happiness. “We saw a relationship between higher turnover and inconsistent and inadequate schedules, suggesting that workers condemn these types of schedules,” Zhang said.
At the academic roundtable, Zhang presented the results to Starbucks employees involved in scheduling and staffing. Participants wanted to learn more about how different scheduling practices affected workers and how they influenced productivity. “These are the types of questions that could reveal useful information for small businesses, large businesses, and more,” she says.
By conducting this study, Zhang wants to better understand whether scheduling regulations can improve the quality of life of affected employees. “Why are these schedules set?” she asks. “Do businesses with these types of schedules need increased regulations?”
Another project, carried out by MIT Economics doctoral student Arjun Ramani, examines the connections between offshoring, remote work and related outcomes. “Does the technical and managerial practices that have enabled remote work further promote offshoring?” she asks. “Does the organization have a significant improvement in efficiency? What is the impact on us and offshore workers?”
Her work is funded through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Center for Equality Growth in Washington.
Put people in the center
Zhang observes the different types of people that economics and higher education can bring together. She tracked her high school dual enrollment tracks and completed college-level courses with students of various demographic identities. “I enjoyed focusing people on my work,” she says. “Taking diverse student groups and classes, including veterans and mothers returning to school to complete their research, made me more interested in socioeconomic issues and the policies associated with them.”
She later enrolled at MIT, where she participated in the undergraduate research opportunity program (UROP). She also completed an internship at the World Bank, worked as a summer analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and worked as an assistant to a diverse cohort of faculty members, including MIT economists David Auto, John Gruber and Nina Rusil. Autor is her primary advisor on doctoral research and a mentor with whom she cites her important influence.
“(Autor’s) course, 14.03 (microeconomics and public policy), solidified the connection between theory and practice,” she says. “I thought the class was revelation in showing the types of questions economics could answer.”
PhD research revealed an interesting pathway for Zhang’s research, as well as his relationships with his students’ peers and other faculty members. For example, she uses faculty connections to provide access to hourly pay data to help with scheduling and impact on employees. “In general, economists had management data on revenue, but not opening hours,” she points out.
The focus on improving others’ lives extends to her work outside of the classroom. She is a mentor of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center College Access Program and is a member of the MIT Alumni Christian Fellowship Group. When she’s not enjoying spicy soup or paddling Charles, she takes advantage of the opportunity to thaw art at the W20 Art Studio.
“I wanted to make time for myself outside of research and classroom,” she says.
Zhang cites the benefits of MIT focusing on cross-collaboration and encouraging students to explore other fields. As an undergraduate, Zhang taught her coding skills, which are essential for her data work, except for computer science. The engineering exposure made her more interested in questions about how technology and workers interact.
By working with other academics in the department, Zhang improved how enquiries were made. “I have become a well-balanced student and expert who can identify and quantify incredibly valuable impacts for future projects,” she says. Zhang argues that exposure to various academic and research fields can help increase access to ideas and information.
