04/24/2018

The Downside to Joking Around at Work

Even inoffensive jokes can be problematic

There’s a reason almost every presentation or keynote address begins with a joke. Humor breaks up tedium, eases tension, and helps foster team spirit—and studies indicate funny leaders create trust and improve performance among their employees.

New research, however, suggests that humor can also have a corrosive quality in the workplace, and that when managers tell jokes, even ones that seem inoffensive, it can serve to undermine the organization.

When leaders tell jokes that poke fun of the status quo or violate expected behavior, even mildly, they are sending signals that it’s OK to cross boundaries. That can lead to a greater acceptance of rule-breaking among their employees, according to a recent paper published in the Academy of Management Journal.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Quartz.