Zach Tan is a doctoral candidate in Economic Sociology at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. His research examines work and expertise in organizations, with a particular focus on how algorithmic systems reshape professional judgment and organizational decision-making. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.Sc. from the University of Oxford.
Research Description: Energy organizations are under mounting pressure to act on climate change, yet the decisions that shape how seriously they respond are determined by the people, routines, and technologies inside those organizations. This research goes inside power plant control rooms to examine how engineers and operators interact with smart management technologies, and how those routine encounters inform what organizations come to see as possible, practical, and worth pursuing on decarbonization. Understanding these dynamics is essential to making meaningful climate action more achievable at scale.