This article is adapted from a piece originally published by INSEAD Knowledge, authored by Chiara Trombini (Luiss Business School), Winnie Jiang (INSEAD), and Zoe Kinias (Ivey Business School).
The need for workplaces that are truly inclusive, caring, and equitable has arguably never been greater. Yet for many leaders, the path forward remains unclear. Competing priorities and polarized viewpoints can leave even the best-intentioned efforts stalled by uncertainty.
So, what does it actually take to build a culture where employees feel empowered to lift one another up, support diversity initiatives, and give back to their communities? In other words, how do you create a prosocial culture that thrives on kindness, connection, and a shared commitment to doing good?
New research from Zoe Kinias, Ivey Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Sustainability, suggests the solution lies in something surprisingly simple: making employees feel genuinely supported. This sense of “felt security,” as the study calls it, may be the key to unlocking prosocial behaviour at work – and not just for a moment, but for the long term.
Support that sticks
When people feel supported — safe, cared for, and backed up — are they more likely to become the kind of person who supports others too, especially over the long term?
That was the question Kinias set out to answer, alongside co-authors Chiara Trombini of Luiss Business School and Winnie Jiang of INSEAD. Together, they conducted four studies across distinct groups to explore whether receiving support inspires long-term prosocial behavior.
The answer, resoundingly, was yes.
“We all know how good it feels to get the support we need when we most need it,” said Kinias. “But what our research shows is that those moments of social support can do more than just boost someone’s mood – they can create a lasting sense of safety, care, and belonging.”
This sense of “felt security,” as the researchers define it, becomes a foundation for deeper engagement. When people feel secure, they’re more likely to step up and champion diversity, support underrepresented colleagues, and contribute to a culture of inclusion within their companies. That sense of security also extends beyond the workplace, making people more likely to engage in external prosocial activities like volunteering, social impact initiatives, and nonprofit board involvement.
“Felt security helps people form healthy, functional relationships at work,” Kinias added. “That, in turn, drives greater resilience, stronger collaboration, and more meaningful engagement – both individually and across teams.”
Is felt security just psychological safety?
While felt security plays a powerful role in shaping prosocial behavior, researchers caution against confusing it with a related, but distinct, concept: psychological safety. Often credited with boosting innovation and productivity, psychological safety refers to the group-level belief that it’s safe to speak up, take reasonable risks, or flag concerns without fear of rejection or punishment.
But unlike felt security, psychological safety isn’t as stable for people.
“Psychological safety functions at a team level, so for team members it changes depending on the cultures of their teams. However, their felt security is more stable and operates at an individual level, based on their connections with other people across time and contexts,” said Kinias.
That stability comes from deeper roots, as felt security begins early in life. It’s shaped by the attachment bond formed with a primary caregiver in infancy.
“Consequently, those who started out with secure attachments are more likely to carry that inner sense of security into adulthood,” explained Kinias.
Still, the story doesn’t end there. Later relationships, such as with romantic partners or close friends, can also influence felt security. Kinias and the team’s research further extends that understanding to the workplace, showing that colleagues and organizational cultures can help sustain or strengthen an employee’s sense of felt security.
Creating a “secure base”
So, how can leaders turn this research into real change? The answer lies in creating a workplace where employees view their organization and peers as a “secure base” – a reliable source of emotional, informational, and practical support in the face of challenges.
To help organizations build this kind of environment, the researchers offer three tangible steps:
1. Enhance informational support: Help employees gain knowledge
Rather than relying on formal mentorship programs, which the research suggests has limited impact on work satisfaction, organizations should prioritize informal mentoring opportunities, such as connections between junior and senior employees. These organic relationships build a sense of security, especially for women, and contribute significantly to well-being and leadership advancement.
Leaders should aim to encourage mentoring and sponsorship in ways that feel natural, not forced. To do this, they can:
- Make feedback reciprocal: Encourage two-way feedback, where both positive and constructive insights are shared, to create a two-way learning dynamic.
- Spot and connect talent: Introduce junior and underrepresented employees to influential colleagues who can support their growth.
- Create unstructured networking spaces: Host casual, recurring meetups to encourage relationship-building across departments and levels.
- Gather people around stories: Invite employees to share pivotal career experiences in informal sessions like “lunch and learns.”
2. Build emotional support: Help employees feel cared for
Research has shown that identity-based groups, such as women-in-leadership networks or cultural affinity groups, play a vital role in providing emotional support. But, to ensure inclusivity, organizations must also create spaces where employees across identities feel seen and supported.
To promote unity and a shared sense of belonging, leaders can:
- Facilitate cross-group collaboration: Host joint events, panels, or team projects that bring different groups together to build empathy and shared understanding.
- Build communities that cut across identity groups: Establish networks around shared interests, professional development, or purpose-driven themes like sustainability or social impact.
- Offer anonymous well-being support: Provide confidential platforms for emotional support, reducing stigma and pressure.
3. Provide instrumental support: Help employees in practical ways
Felt security is also reinforced through tangible actions, such as leaders advocating for, elevating, and protecting their teams. Training managers to sponsor employees and normalize supportive practices boosts inclusion, engagement, motivation, and felt security.
Leaders can take the following steps to help their teams:
- Actively sponsor talent: Go beyond offering advice and use your influence to open doors and create visibility, especially for underrepresented employees.
- Model and normalize flexibility: Many leaders support flexible work in theory but don’t use it themselves. When leaders actively take advantage of flexible work options, it signals that employees can do the same without penalty.
- Encourage a well-being culture: Share your own experiences with stress or mental health (when appropriate) to make well-being resources feel more approachable and authentic.
No one builds a culture alone
While leaders play a critical role in fostering a workplace where employees feel valued, connected, and supported, the responsibility doesn’t fall on their shoulders alone.
“Because felt security comes from human connection, this can be developed at any level in the organization,” said Kinias.
The research underscores that support from peers, supervisors, and informal mentors all plays a meaningful role in contributing to others’ well-being. That’s why cultivating a culture of care and mutual motivation should be a collective responsibility and not a task assigned to a few.
“It’s important to share the opportunities to provide social support,” Kinias added. “No single employee or leader should carry the burden of supporting everyone.”
In the end, when support is shared, it doesn’t just strengthen individuals – it transforms a culture.
Want to explore how felt security can transform your workplace culture? Read the full research, Receiving Social Support Motivates Long-Term Prosocial Behavior by Kinias, Trombini, and Jiang, published in the Journal of Business Ethics.
