My research traces how social movements and social change reshape work, careers, and organizations, and how these distributed responses aggregate into larger patterns. It runs along three lines:

(1) How social movements, and the political and moral stakes they raise, shape workplace behavior and the careers individuals pursue;

(2) How social and technological change influences labor market dynamics, from employment access to entrepreneurial entry, particularly for marginalized groups; and

(3) How pressure from activists, employees, and local communities shapes firms' nonmarket strategies.

Across these streams, I trace how everyday responses to social change accumulate into mobility and opportunity for workers, accountability for firms, and well-being for communities.

Manuscripts Under Review

  1. R&R at Administrative Science Quarterly

    Social Movement Tactics and Organizational Responses to Environmental Risk

    Ye Joon Lee · Brayden King · Laura Nelson

  2. R&R at Organization Science

    Remote Work, Disability, and Employment

    Kylie Hwang · Wyatt Lee · Ye Joon Lee*equal authorship

  3. Under Review at Administrative Science Quarterly

    Middle Managers, Formalization, and Diffuse Translation of Social Movement Goals

    Ye Joon Lee · Forrest Briscoe

    Nominated for the SMS Annual Conference Responsible Research Paper Prize

Selected Working Papers & Work in Progress

  1. Race, Diversity Roles, and Internal Mobility Across Movement and Backlash

    sole-authored

  2. Social Movements and Minority Entrepreneurship

    sole-authored

  3. Social Movements and Marginalized Workers within Organizations

    sole-authored, theory paper

  4. Civic Engagement and Entrepreneurship

    with Brayden King and Brandon Lee

  5. Local Protests, Labor Unions, and Return-to-Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic

    with Brayden King and Ed Carberry