Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Finkelstein, Lisa M.

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

As with any behavior, humor has the ability to shape the way that others perceive us. When leaders use humor, we can perceive them as more likeable or as escalating conflict. Going further into the cognitive evaluation of humor may assist us in exploring the cause of divergent outcomes. The current research proposes that an influential element of our perceptions of humor is our perceptions of the humor user’s intention. Two studies were conducted to explore the impact that this element has on workplace outcomes, specifically affective commitment and emotional labor. Study 1 utilized a qualitative approach to identify common perceived intentions behind humor.Through open-ended responses from 115 psychology students, the study revealed a comprehensive list of perceived intentions of humor such as building relationships, easing tension, relieving stress, spreading positive emotions, increasing status, expressing hidden feelings, and creating social capital. The themes align with humor and social motive theories that have been utilized to explain humor and human behaviors. The list is supported by previous research while compensating for some of the limitations of other categorizations of humor. It was developed by surveying students on their intentions for humor use as well as describing how their leader uses humor. Study 2 tested the responses of 138 adults collected via online sampling from Cloud Research. These participants were presented with one of three vignettes, identical hypothetical workplace scenarios except for the manipulation of intention of humor as either mocking others, making others happy, or passing time. The findings demonstrated that humor perceived as making others happy positively influenced affective commitment and reduced emotional labor. Conversely, humor perceived as intended to mock others negatively impacted these outcomes. The research uniquely contributes to the literature by categorizing humor based on perceived intentions, demonstrating the impact of humor in leaders on employees’ emotional labor, and creating a comprehensive list of perceived intentions of humor. Practically, the findings suggest that leaders should be mindful of the intentions they convey through humor to foster a supportive and cohesive workplace environment. Training programs can be developed to enhance leaders’ awareness and strategic use of humor. Future research should continue to explore these relationships in more real-world and robust methodologies. By integrating these insights with existing literature, this dissertation aims to enhance the effective use of humor in leadership, ultimately contributing to improved employee well-being and organizational performance.

Extent

157 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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Psychology Commons

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