How Organizational Culture Influences the Use of Humor in the Workplace

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how organizational values influence humor styles within the workplace. Researchers have shown values to be the core of organizational culture, influencing various aspects of the social and physical organizational characteristics. Humor researchers have shown how humor can be a strategic advantage in and organization, as well as a tool to accomplish organizational means. To understand how values influence humor styles in an organization, employees from a liberal organization and from a conservative organization were surveyed to see if the former would prefer more self-transcendent values and positive forms of humor, and if the latter would prefer more self-enhancement values and negative forms of humor. Significant differences were found between the two organizations in terms of values, humor preferences, and affective organizational commitment.