Brilliant HEC Professor Leaves Strong Academic Legacy – and Memories

It is with shock and profound sadness that the HEC community returns from the 2024 summer recess after the recent loss of Wooseok Jung, one of its most dearly appreciated academics. In his eight years as Assistant Professor in the Management & Human Resources department, Jung proved to be an excellent pedagogue, a groundbreaking researcher and a sharp yet respectful commentator of his colleagues’ works. In a remarkably short time, he contributed meaningfully to the field of management and organizations, as his publications in major journals prove.

“It is an indescribable loss of a wonderful human being.”

“While he was a great professor, he was a better human.”

“He mattered and I will miss him.”

The homages to Wooseok Jung from his fellow-academics after the news reflected the personal impact the South Korean researcher had in his eight years at HEC Paris. But it is the professional contribution to his discipline which also made him one of the most sought-out professors both for his students and for fellow-researchers. “His comments in research seminars were always so sharp, while also demonstrating a desire to really help the presenter make their work better,” noted one. Whilst another insisted on his sharpness: “I remember being so impressed by his ability to cut right through complexity with remarkable questions and observations, but in a way that was helpful rather than threatening or egotistical.”

These qualities were evident to the students as well. One colleague described his approach to teaching as such: "Wooseok gained great popularity among the students, to whom he brilliantly explained complex concepts using humor and popular culture. I will always remember his perfect demonstration of the notion of power through the example of Olaf in Frozen."

Memories and testimonials since Jung's passing thus paint a portrait of a scholar, teacher, and colleague who was thoughtful, sharp and humble. “An exceptionally smart man,” summed up one colleague. Indeed, those he worked with consistently noted his empathy, wit and the quality of his suggestions. “I will miss learning from his gentle and softspoken demeanor in the classroom, chatting about sociological theory, and possibly most importantly, I will miss his wonderful sense of humor," testified Audrey Holm, Assistant Professor in the same HEC department as Jung.

Exploring the Boundaries for Both Firms and Individuals

Wooseok Jung’s research focused on the political interactions between corporations and their stakeholders. This included a deep interest in reputation and status. In his July 2024 work, co-authored by University of Notre Dame professor Amanda Sharkey, Jung studied the boundary of firms rankings and exposed how companies that are only marginally included in these rankings took significant steps to improve their CSR-related structures. “We argue that this reaction is likely driven by a desire to secure their position, deflect potential criticism, and alleviate the anxiety that comes with their newfound visibility,” Jung wrote in summarizing the paper. “Consistent with the mechanism of status anxiety, we found that this effect is even stronger for firms that have experienced highly fluctuating rank positions and thereby have frequently crossed the boundary. Interestingly, despite such cosmetic efforts from the marginally included, there is no notable increase in actual CSR commitments from them.”

In parallel, Jung explored status as a key mechanism in individual career development and in the production of distinctive management talent. This research concerned law professionals and their employees, opening the door for a three-month stay as a visiting scholar at Chicago’s American Bar Foundation in 2019.

Jung’s research reflects his interdisciplinary career which included a degree in psychology, sociology and economics from Yonsei University, one of South Korea’s best faculties in these disciplines. He enriched his work with numerous collaborations since arriving at HEC Paris in 2016. “Wooseok was an admirable person, with a keen mind, respectful of others’ ideas, and an insatiable curiosity,” wrote Professor Rodolphe Durand in a letter to his life partner Minjeong. “I cherished sharing those moments of research with him, as well as our discussions about life. A friendship developed beyond our work on our project which we were still working on very recently.  Our lives are woven with gentle and profound encounters. A wonderful thread connected us, it has now been severed. Wooseok made the fabric of our lives more beautiful. He leaves this fabric unfinished and imprinted with the sadness of his passing.”

On August 10, 2023, Wooseok Jung wrote shortly after a Chicago symposium he was invited to: “Even the heavy rain couldn't dampen the joy of ranking scholars! Thanks to everyone who participated in the ranking symposium this year, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!“. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends and colleagues the world over.