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Leader humor across levels
Cecily D Cooper1, Nathan Hiller2
1Management Department, University of Miami, United States.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|September 14, 2023
Summary
Leader humor significantly impacts organizations, with executives facing amplified, distinct risks and benefits compared to front-line managers. Research gaps exist, particularly concerning executive humor strategies and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Leadership Studies
- Psychology
Background:
- Leader humor is a recognized phenomenon with tangible organizational effects.
- Existing scholarly work offers insights into leader humor's impact.
- A hierarchical lens is crucial for understanding nuances in leader humor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and interpret the literature on leader humor.
- To examine leader humor through the distinct hierarchical levels of front-line managers and senior executives.
- To identify research gaps and practical implications for leader humor.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and interpretation.
- Comparative analysis of leader humor based on hierarchical level.
- Synthesis of existing research on benefits and risks.
Main Results:
- More research exists on front-line manager humor than executive humor.
- The benefits of leader humor are more extensively studied than the risks.
- Executive humor involves amplified and qualitatively different risks and benefits due to broader leadership reach.
Conclusions:
- Executive humor presents unique challenges and a narrower success window due to diverse stakeholders.
- Further research is needed to understand the specific dynamics of executive humor.
- Practical implications for leaders at different hierarchical levels require tailored approaches to humor.
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