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Article
Publication date: 11 January 2024

Andreea Gheorghe, Petru Lucian Curșeu and Oana C. Fodor

This study aims to explore the role of team personality and leader’s humor style on the use of humor in group communication and the extent to which group humor mediates the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the role of team personality and leader’s humor style on the use of humor in group communication and the extent to which group humor mediates the association between team personality on the one hand, psychological safety, collective emotional intelligence and group satisfaction on the other hand.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a survey to collect data from 304 employees nested in 83 groups working in organizations from various sectors in Romania.

Findings

The study results show that extraversion is positively associated with group affiliative humor, while neuroticism has a positive association with group aggressive humor. The leader’s affiliative humor style had a significant positive effect on group affiliative humor, while the effect of leader’s aggressive humor style on the use of aggressive humor in groups was not significant. Furthermore, the authors examined the mediation role of group humor in the relationship between team personality and team emergent states and satisfaction. The authors found that group aggressive humor mediates the association between neuroticism and group emotional intelligence, psychological safety and satisfaction, while affiliative humor mediates the association between extraversion and emotional intelligence and team satisfaction.

Originality/value

The study reports one of the first attempts to explore the multilevel interplay of team personality and humor in groups as they relate to emergent states.

Details

Team Performance Management: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-7592

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2016

Petru Lucian Curseu and Oana Catalina Fodor

Given the importance of humor in interpersonal communication in groups and the influence of the positive group atmosphere on group effectiveness, this paper aims to provide…

2981

Abstract

Purpose

Given the importance of humor in interpersonal communication in groups and the influence of the positive group atmosphere on group effectiveness, this paper aims to provide initial empirical evidence supporting the validity of a short measure for affiliative and aggressive humor.

Design/methodology/approach

Starting from existing individual-level measures of humor, this paper develops a short measure of affiliative and aggressive humor in groups. The reliability and validity of this scale in a combined Dutch and Romanian sample are tested.

Findings

The results support the reliability of the scale, its factorial structure and its predictive validity for positive group atmosphere. Moreover, this papers shows that the measure used in this study captures the affiliative and aggressive humor as group-level phenomena and it is shown that these two forms of humor are antecedents of collective emotional intelligence and group atmosphere.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a starting point for further research on the role of affiliative and aggressive humor in groups.

Originality/value

This paper develops a bi-dimensional measure capturing affiliative and aggressive humor in groups and opens new venues for research that extend the knowledge and understanding of the use of humor in interpersonal communication in groups.

Details

Team Performance Management, vol. 22 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-7592

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 December 2021

Timothy R. Moake and Christopher Robert

Humor can be a useful tool in the workplace, but it remains unclear whether humor used by men versus women is perceived similarly due to social role expectations. This paper…

Abstract

Purpose

Humor can be a useful tool in the workplace, but it remains unclear whether humor used by men versus women is perceived similarly due to social role expectations. This paper explored whether female humorists have less social latitude in their use of aggressive and affiliative humor in the workplace. This paper also examined how formal organizational status and the target's gender can impact audience perceptions.

Design/methodology/approach

Two scenario-based studies were conducted where participants rated the foolishness of the humorist. For Study 1, participants responded to a scenario with an aggressive, humorous comment. For Study 2, participants responded to a scenario with an affiliative, humorous comment.

Findings

Results suggested that high-status female humorists who used aggressive humor with low-status women were viewed as less foolish than low-status female humorists who used aggressive humor with low-status women. Conversely, status did not impact perceptions of male humorists who used aggressive humor with low-status women. Results also indicated that high-status women who used affiliative humor were viewed as less foolish when their humor was directed toward low-status men versus low-status women. Conversely, no differences existed for high-status men who used affiliative humor with low-status men and women.

Practical implications

Narrower social role expectations for women suggest that interpersonal humor can be a riskier strategy for women.

Originality/value

This study suggests that women have less social latitude in their use of humor at work, and that organizational status and target gender influence perceptions of female humorists.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2022

Petru Lucian Curșeu, Andreea Gheorghe, Mara Bria and Ioana Camelia Negrea

The authors present a fist attempt to test the mediating role of humor in the relation between unruly passenger behavior and occupational stress in cabin crews.

Abstract

Purpose

The authors present a fist attempt to test the mediating role of humor in the relation between unruly passenger behavior and occupational stress in cabin crews.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used an experience sampling design to investigate the relationship between a frequent job hassle in air service provision, namely unruly passenger behavior (UPB), and the stress experienced by flight attendants.

Findings

The results of multilevel analyses show that UPB is positively related to the use of aggressive humor and negatively related to the use of affiliative humor in cabin crews. Moreover, humor mediates the relationship between unruly passenger behavior and stress. In addition the results show that general self-efficacy as a personal resource buffers the association between passenger misconduct and the use of aggressive humor.

Originality/value

This study is among the first empirical attempts to explore the role of humor as a mediator between uncivil customer behavior and stress in air service employee.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2020

Hyunju Shin and Lindsay R.L. Larson

Displaying a sense of humour provides various interpersonal benefits including reducing tension and promoting conflict resolution, but should a firm use humour in response to…

2230

Abstract

Purpose

Displaying a sense of humour provides various interpersonal benefits including reducing tension and promoting conflict resolution, but should a firm use humour in response to publicly viewable online customer complaints after a service failure? The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that a firm’s use of humour in response to negative online consumer reviews has both positive and negative effects on perceptions of corporate image from a customer-as-onlooker perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies are conducted and analysis of variance is used to empirically test the hypotheses.

Findings

Although humorous responses have an unfavourable influence on perceived trustworthiness of the firm, they have a favourable influence on perceived excitingness of the firm. The former influence is tied to lower perceived firm sincerity, whereas the latter is tied to higher perceived firm innovativeness and coolness. Furthermore, humour within the customer complaint itself is shown to moderate the influence of humorous responses on perceptions of the firm. Finally, regardless of the type of humour used (i.e. affiliative or aggressive humour) in the humorous response, the positive effect of humorous response remains strong, although aggressive humour further aggravates the negative impact of humorous response on trustworthiness.

Research limitations/implications

The experimental set-up may limit external validity of the study, and the research is limited to the variables examined.

Practical implications

Humorous response is identified as a non-traditional approach to online customer complaints that poses a double-edged sword for managers of service organizations. Firms should avoid using humour in online service recovery if perceptions of trustworthiness are critical or if complaints are written in a neutral tone. However, such responses may be successfully used when a firm wants to position itself as exciting and if complaints are also humorous. Finally, firms are advised to avoid aggressive humour.

Originality/value

The present research represents one of the few studies in marketing to examine the potential of injecting humour into complaint management and service recovery. In addition, this study considers the consumer-as-onlooker perspective inherent in social media.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 54 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2020

Pedro Neves and Gökhan Karagonlar

The interest on leader humor styles is recent. By applying a trustworthiness framework, the authors examine (1) how leader humor styles contribute to performance and deviance via…

1684

Abstract

Purpose

The interest on leader humor styles is recent. By applying a trustworthiness framework, the authors examine (1) how leader humor styles contribute to performance and deviance via trust in the supervisor and (2) who benefits/suffers the most from different leader humor styles.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested their hypotheses in a sample of 428 employee–supervisor dyads from 19 organizations operating in the services sector.

Findings

Affiliative and self-enhancing leader humor styles are particularly beneficial for employees with low core-self-evaluations, helping them develop trust in the supervisor and consequently improving their performance. An aggressive leader humor style, via decreased trust in the supervisor, reduces performance, regardless of employees' core self-evaluations. Self-enhancing and self-defeating leader humor styles also present significant relationships with organizational deviance.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the cross-sectional design and the limited number of mechanisms examined.

Practical implications

Organizations need to train leaders in the use of humor and develop a culture where beneficial humor styles are endorsed, while detrimental humor styles are not tolerated.

Originality/value

These findings contribute to the literatures on trust and humor, by showing that the use of humor is not as trivial as one could initially think, particularly for those with low core self-evaluations, and by expanding our knowledge of the mechanisms by which different leader humor styles may influence performance and deviance.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 35 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2016

Christine Mathies, Tung Moi Chiew and Michael Kleinaltenkamp

While researchers in other disciplines seek to determine the impact that humour has in personal interactions, studies of humour in service delivery are lacking. The purpose of…

1740

Abstract

Purpose

While researchers in other disciplines seek to determine the impact that humour has in personal interactions, studies of humour in service delivery are lacking. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether it is beneficial to deliberately use humour in service encounters.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a comprehensive review of humour research in multiple disciplines to assess the applicability of their key findings to the service domain. By establishing the antecedents, types, and consequences of humour, the authors build a framework and propositions to help service researchers uncover the potential of injecting humour into service interactions.

Findings

The authors find that using humour in service encounters is an ingenious affiliative behaviour which strengthens rapport between service employees and their customers. Humour also permits frontline service employees to better cope with the emotional challenges of their work, thus promising to reduce emotional labour and increase well-being. The effectiveness of service recovery efforts may also grow if employees use humour successfully to soften unpleasant emotional reactions and accept responsibility.

Originality/value

The authors explore cross-disciplinary humour research to apply the findings to the use of humour in service encounters. The authors also attempt to identify situations in which humour usage is most promising or beneficial, as well as its main beneficiaries.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 October 2018

Jessica Mesmer-Magnus, Rebecca Guidice, Martha Andrews and Robert Oechslin

The purpose of this paper is to examine how employees’ perceptions of their supervisor’s use of four types of humour relate to employee job satisfaction, organisational pride…

1280

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how employees’ perceptions of their supervisor’s use of four types of humour relate to employee job satisfaction, organisational pride, organisational commitment and self-esteem. Supervisor favourability is also examined as a mediating variable in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey of 216 working individuals provided data on the effect of supervisor use of humour on employee attitudes.

Findings

Perceptions of positive forms of humour (affiliative and self-enhancing) positively related to employee various attitudes, while aggressive humour was negatively associated with those attitudes. Results also support the intervening role of supervisor favourability in the relationship between supervisors’ positive use of humour and employees’ job satisfaction, affective commitment and organisational pride.

Research limitations/implications

Studies of the effects of workplace humour can benefit from using more fine-grained operationalisation of positive and negative humour. Research can also benefit from considerations of intervening mechanisms to the humour–work outcome relationship.

Practical implications

The results underscore the benefits of affiliative and self-enhancing humour on employee attitudes in the workplace. While negative humour can have an undesirable effect, there may be circumstances under which self-defeating humour is not negatively received.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need to better understand supervisors’ use of different, more discriminating forms of humour on employee attitudes.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 37 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2012

Kevin W. Cruthirds, Valerie L. Wang, Yong J. Wang and Jie Wei

The purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis of humor styles used in US and Mexican television advertising.

2985

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis of humor styles used in US and Mexican television advertising.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 97 television commercials broadcasted by major US and Mexican national television networks were classified under the four humor styles described by Martin et al.

Findings

Humor styles used in television advertising significantly differ between the two countries. US commercials use more affiliative, aggressive, and self‐defeating humor than do Mexican advertisements, while self‐enhancing humor is the predominant humor style of Mexican commercials and is used more frequently in Mexico when compared to the USA.

Practical implications

The findings reveal the frequency and types of humorous television commercials used in the USA and Mexico.

Originality/value

The study suggests that cultural differences should be taken into consideration when humorous advertising is used across borders.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Chen Yang and Xiaojiao Yang

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of leader aggressive humor on employee extra-role behaviors of proactivity and creativity by probing feeling…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of leader aggressive humor on employee extra-role behaviors of proactivity and creativity by probing feeling ostracized as a mediator and team identification and professional identification as boundary conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey sample of 347 employees was collected from three technology companies in Sichuan and Guizhou, China. Hierarchical regression analysis and PROCESS macro in SPSS were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that leader aggressive humor is negatively related to employee extra-role behaviors. Feeling ostracized is an important mechanism linking leader aggressive humor and employee extra-role behaviors and team identification and professional identification moderate the relationship.

Practical implications

Organizations should make rules to prevent leaders from using aggressive humorous behaviors and encourage coworkers to show more affiliative funny behaviors during breaks to reduce employees' sense of ostracism.

Originality/value

Building on sociometer theory, this research demonstrates the opposite moderating effects of team identification and professional identification in the effects of leader aggressive humor on feeling ostracized and consequently employee extra-role behaviors.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 38 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

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