The Role of Humor Styles in Leadership Communication and Team Cohesion
Keywords:
humor styles, leadership, team cohesion, affiliative humor, aggressive humor, communicationAbstract
This study examines the role of humor styles in leadership communication and team cohesion through a quantitative investigation of 100 team members rating their leaders on four humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, self-defeating) and reporting team cohesion. Grounded in Humor Styles Framework (Martin et al., 2003) + Leader-Member Exchange Theory (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995), the research investigates the psycholinguistic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Affiliative humor (inclusive, relationship-building) was the strongest positive predictor of team cohesion (Beta=0.38, p<0.001). Self-enhancing humor (coping-oriented) predicted leader resilience perception (r=0.44). Aggressive humor (targeting others) significantly predicted reduced psychological safety (r=-0.52) and team cohesion (r=-0.48). Self-defeating humor initially increased approachability (r=0.36) but decreased perceived competence over time (r=-0.38). Leaders using primarily affiliative humor led teams with 34% higher cohesion. Regression: affiliative humor (Beta=0.38), aggressive humor absence (Beta=-0.30), humor-situation appropriateness (Beta=0.24) explained 44% of variance in team cohesion. The findings provide theoretical and practical contributions to the intersection of psychology, linguistics, and organizational science.
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