Strategic Factors of Gen Z's Leadership in Technology-Mediated Student Protests: Empirical Insights from the July Movement in Bangladesh

This study investigates how Generation Z (Gen Z) exercised leadership during technology mediated student protests in Bangladesh (July–August 2024), focusing on the communication strategies that enabled collective action for Justice and Institutional Strength. Drawing on survey data from 2,120 participants across schools, colleges, and universities, ten leadership dimensions were assessed using a five-point Likert scale. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to examine the relationships between leadership traits and digital mobilization tactics. Findings indicate that Adaptive and Resilient Leadership (ARL) serves as the central mechanism driving effective protest leadership, with key contributors including Emotional and Value-Based Leadership (EAVBL), Crowdsourcing and Collective Intelligence (CCI), Global Connectivity and Networked Leadership (GCNL), Rapid Information Dissemination and Crisis Management (RIDCM), and Transparency via Digital Platforms (TATDP). Digital tools such as hashtags, viral campaigns, and narrative storytelling were found to mediate collective action through crowdsourced intelligence, highlighting how technology facilitates decentralized coordination, rapid mobilization, and emotionally resonant leadership. The study develops a conceptual framework integrating leadership strategies and technological engagement, offering empirical insights into how Gen Z leverages digital tools to orchestrate effective, socially transformative protest movements. These findings contribute to scholarship on digital-era leadership, youth activism, and technology-mediated collective action, providing actionable insights for policymakers, educators, and scholars interested in participatory, digitally driven social change.