Humor Dynamics in Organizational Contexts
Summary
Humor in organisational settings functions as a multifaceted social and psychological resource, shaping relationships, motivation and performance. Different humour styles—from affiliative and self-enhancing to aggressive and self-deprecating—carry distinct interpersonal signals and consequences. When skilfully deployed, humour can foster psychological safety, strengthen leader-member exchange and unlock creativity by encouraging risk-taking and divergent thinking. Conversely, misjudged or hostile humour may undermine trust, trigger withdrawal or silence, and deteriorate workplace climate. Cultural norms, power asymmetries and individual differences moderate these dynamics, influencing both the reception and impact of humorous acts. The globalisation of work makes understanding these nuances essential for designing inclusive leadership practices and healthier organisational cultures.
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Humor Dynamics in Organizational Contexts publication trend
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Technical terms
Aggressive humour: A style of humour that targets others with sarcasm or ridicule, often damaging psychological security and relationships.
Creative self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their capability to generate novel and useful ideas in the workplace.
Psychological safety: A shared belief that the environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, enabling people to voice ideas without fear of negative consequences.
Boundary-spanning behaviour: Actions by employees to reach beyond their immediate work group to exchange information, resources or support with other teams or departments.
References
- Research on the mechanism of leader aggressive humor on employee silence: A conditional process model. Journal of Vocational Behavior (2022).
- Humor at work that works: A multi-level examination of when and why leader humor promotes employee creativity. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
- How leader humor stimulates subordinate boundary-spanning behavior: A social information processing theory perspective. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
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