Winnie Jiang
INSEAD professor studying the dynamics of meaning-making at work.
What did Winnie Jiang study?
> Winnie Jiang and her co-authors investigated how receiving social support helps individuals take actions that benefit others, not only in the short term but also over longer periods.
> Their research focuses on how social support can strengthen people’s sense of felt security—that is, feeling safe, cared for, and valued—which leads to greater motivation for long-term prosocial behaviors.
Why is it interesting for a company?
> It can help to understand how mutual support among employees can cultivate helping behaviors and collaboration (even beyond immediate work contexts), which is essential for building organizational culture, employee engagement, and the organization’s reputation.
What did she identify and main findings?
>The research found that receiving social support is associated with increased prosocial actions—both within and outside the supportive environment, and across extended periods.
>The primary mechanism is the development of felt security—feeling safe, cared for, and loved—which creates durable motivation to behave pro socially.
>This was demonstrated using business school alumni, US adults, retrospective surveys, and lab experiments.
Managerial implications
> Creating environments where employees feel supported and secure can promote dedication and cooperation over the long term.
> Companies can invest in colleague support, mentoring, and inclusion programs to stimulate sustained prosocial behaviors within and beyond the organization.
Boundary conditions
> “Felt security” is different from group psychological safety: it is a personal, stable condition that persists even when circumstances change.
> The source of support (colleagues, leaders, company culture) may impact the intensity and duration of the prosocial effect.
> The effect was found across cultures and life stages, indicating the robustness of the phenomenon.
MEJÍA LUNA Zahid Enrique
INSEAD professor studying the dynamics of meaning-making at work.
What did Winnie Jiang study?
> Winnie Jiang and her co-authors investigated how receiving social support helps individuals take actions that benefit others, not only in the short term but also over longer periods.
> Their research focuses on how social support can strengthen people’s sense of felt security—that is, feeling safe, cared for, and valued—which leads to greater motivation for long-term prosocial behaviors.
Why is it interesting for a company?
> It can help to understand how mutual support among employees can cultivate helping behaviors and collaboration (even beyond immediate work contexts), which is essential for building organizational culture, employee engagement, and the organization’s reputation.
What did she identify and main findings?
>The research found that receiving social support is associated with increased prosocial actions—both within and outside the supportive environment, and across extended periods.
>The primary mechanism is the development of felt security—feeling safe, cared for, and loved—which creates durable motivation to behave pro socially.
>This was demonstrated using business school alumni, US adults, retrospective surveys, and lab experiments.
Managerial implications
> Creating environments where employees feel supported and secure can promote dedication and cooperation over the long term.
> Companies can invest in colleague support, mentoring, and inclusion programs to stimulate sustained prosocial behaviors within and beyond the organization.
Boundary conditions
> “Felt security” is different from group psychological safety: it is a personal, stable condition that persists even when circumstances change.
> The source of support (colleagues, leaders, company culture) may impact the intensity and duration of the prosocial effect.
> The effect was found across cultures and life stages, indicating the robustness of the phenomenon.
MEJÍA LUNA Zahid Enrique