Variable Effects of Humor Styles on Organizational Outcomes

Abstract

The relationship between individual humor styles and several organizational variables was investigated: stress, satisfaction with coworkers, team cooperation, and organizational commitment. Four humor styles from the Humor Styles Questionnaire were measured. Survey results of 349 participants indicated different humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating) can have either a positive or negative effect on organizational outcomes. Results suggested that both researchers and practitioners can benefit from having a better understanding of how different humor styles affect people and outcomes in organizations.

Examining Relationships between School Administrators’ Humor Behaviors and Teachers’ Mobbing Experiences According to Teacher Perceptions

“…In literature, it is generally accepted that appreciative humor is positive and sarcastic humor is negative. The findings of researches conducted by Kent (1993), Koonce (1997), Mertz (2000), Özdemir and Recepoğlu (2010), Özdemir, Sezgin, Kaya, andRecepoğlu, (2011), Phillips (2000), Puderbaugh (2006), Recepoğlu (2011), Recepoğlu, Kılınç, and Çepni, (2011), Romero and Arendt, (2011, Spurgeon (1998), Williams (1994), support the findings of this study. In almost all these researches, the most perceived humor style was appreciator humor style.…”

“…Various researches indicated that humor, when used in a positive manner, enhanced positive sentiments (Samson and Gross, 2012), enabled people to establish good relations (Banas, Dunbar, Rodriguez, and Liu, 20112;Özdemir, Sezgin, Kaya, and Recepoğlu, 2011), boosted employee motivation (Recepoğlu, Kılınç, and Çepni, 2011), lessened organizational tension, alleviated the employee's problems (Malone, 19800), and increased productivity (Avolio, Howell, and Sosik, 1999). If humor is used in a negative fashion, positive sentiments dwindle (Samson and Gross, 2012) while organizational loyalty among employees also fall (Romero and Arendt, 2011). It is also believed that humor also has a significant effect on negative behavior observed in educational organizations.…”

Taking Levels of Analysis in Humor more Seriously: Comment on Romero and Arendt

“…Given the above definition, humor may be conceptualized and tested in Romero and Arendt's (2011) study at the dyadic or group levels of analysis. These views would be manifest in between dyad or group differences and within dyad or group agreement in responses of initiators and targets of humor, in addition to the individual level.…”

“…As Romero and Arendt (2011) pointed out, effects of humor can be perceived differently by individuals, and therefore the levels of analysis views of wholes or parts should be considered when conceptualizing humor and other entities in its nomological network. Thus, the results reported in Romero and Arendt's study may reflect the level of measurement or data analysis instead of the level of theory.…”

“…as klein, et al (1994) pointed out, theory should determine the appropriate level of measurement and data analysis. Romero and Arendt's (2011) operational definition of humor may give rise to further issues regarding the measurement of constructs and the alignment of data and theory. Items should reflect the construct of a theory and be at the same level of analysis as that theorized to achieve what colleagues (1984, 2006) called data-theory alignment.…”