Humor in Workplace Leadership: A Systematic Search Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Applied Psychology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Humor studies in leadership have expanded over 40 years, but definitions and measurements vary.
• This has led to challenges in clarifying research methodologies and synthesizing findings.
• A comprehensive review is needed to consolidate existing knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of literature on humor in workplace leadership.
• To identify key research areas, methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and gaps over the past 40 years.
• To provide a synthesized overview of the field.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative review of existing literature.
• Analysis of research themes, methodologies, and theoretical underpinnings.
• Identification of research gaps and future directions.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: humor styles and outcomes, humor as communication, variables influencing the humor-leadership relationship, and cultural context.
• Significant research progress has been made in understanding humor in workplace leadership.
• Specific research progress and gaps were identified and discussed.

Conclusions:

• The review highlights substantial advancements in humor and leadership research.
• Persistent gaps in the literature were identified, necessitating further investigation.
• Future research directions are outlined to guide the field's progression.