IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v188y2023i3d10.1007_s10551-022-05310-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Laughters Nurturing Tears for Leaders and Organizations: The Implications of Leader Humor for Leader Workplace Deviance

Author

Listed:
  • Ye Li

    (Nanjing University)

  • Yajun Zhang

    (Guizhou University of Finance and Economics)

  • Lu Lu

    (Guizhou University of Finance and Economics)

  • Junwei Zhang

    (Guangdong University of Technology)

  • Xiuli Sun

    (Capital University of Economics and Business)

Abstract

Extant research has identified various effects of leader humor on subordinates and work groups. In contrast, less research has explored the influence of leader humor on leaders themselves and leaders’ subsequent behaviors. To address these issues, we drew from ego depletion theory and investigated when and how leader humor impacted leader workplace deviance. We argued that leader humor along with high impression management motive would bring increased ego depletion to leaders themselves and ultimately result in more leader workplace deviance. We tested our theoretical model using a three-wave time-lagged field survey data collected from 103 leaders and 595 subordinates, as well as an experiment involving 487 leader participants, which provided overall support for our hypotheses. Our findings revealed the possible dark side of leader humor influencing both leaders themselves and organizations. Theoretical contributions and new avenues for future research are addressed.

Suggested Citation

  • Ye Li & Yajun Zhang & Lu Lu & Junwei Zhang & Xiuli Sun, 2023. "Laughters Nurturing Tears for Leaders and Organizations: The Implications of Leader Humor for Leader Workplace Deviance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(3), pages 603-621, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:188:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05310-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-022-05310-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-022-05310-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-022-05310-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mayowa T. Babalola & Jeroen Stouten & Jeroen Camps & Martin Euwema, 2019. "When Do Ethical Leaders Become Less Effective? The Moderating Role of Perceived Leader Ethical Conviction on Employee Discretionary Reactions to Ethical Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 85-102, January.
    2. Michael Palanski & Kristin Cullen & William Gentry & Chelsea Nichols, 2015. "Virtuous Leadership: Exploring the Effects of Leader Courage and Behavioral Integrity on Leader Performance and Image," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 297-310, December.
    3. Lorenzo Patelli & Matteo Pedrini, 2014. "Is the Optimism in CEO’s Letters to Shareholders Sincere? Impression Management Versus Communicative Action During the Economic Crisis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 19-34, September.
    4. Lee, Gilsoo & Cho, Sam Yul & Arthurs, Jonathan & Lee, Eun Kyung, 2020. "Celebrity CEO, identity threat, and impression management: Impact of celebrity status on corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 69-84.
    5. Guangxi Zhang & Jianan Zhong & Muammer Ozer, 2020. "Status Threat and Ethical Leadership: A Power-Dependence Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 665-685, January.
    6. Fabiola H. Gerpott & Niels Van Quaquebeke & Sofia Schlamp & Sven C. Voelpel, 2019. "An Identity Perspective on Ethical Leadership to Explain Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Interplay of Follower Moral Identity and Leader Group Prototypicality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 1063-1078, June.
    7. Stacey Sanders & Barbara Wisse & Nico W. Yperen & Diana Rus, 2018. "On Ethically Solvent Leaders: The Roles of Pride and Moral Identity in Predicting Leader Ethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 631-645, July.
    8. John Carlson & Dawn Carlson & Merideth Ferguson, 2011. "Deceptive Impression Management: Does Deception Pay in Established Workplace Relationships?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 100(3), pages 497-514, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lianying Zhang & Xiaocan Li & Ziqing Liu, 2022. "Fostering Constructive Deviance by Leader Moral Humility: The Mediating Role of Employee Moral Identity and Moderating Role of Normative Conflict," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 731-746, October.
    2. Mario Daniele Amore & Orsola Garofalo & Alice Guerra, 2023. "How Leaders Influence (un)Ethical Behaviors Within Organizations: A Laboratory Experiment on Reporting Choices," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(2), pages 495-510, March.
    3. Shuwen Li & Ruiqian Jia & Juergen H. Seufert & Jinlian Luo & Rui Sun, 2023. "You may not reap what you sow: How and when ethical leadership promotes subordinates’ online helping behavior," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1683-1702, December.
    4. Qian Wang & Duowen Wu & Lina Yan, 2021. "Effect of positive tone in MD&A disclosure on capital structure adjustment speed: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(4), pages 5809-5845, December.
    5. Liu, Pu & Nguyen, Hazel T., 2020. "CEO characteristics and tone at the top inconsistency," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    6. Jeong, Nara & Kim, Nari & Arthurs, Jonathan D., 2021. "The CEO’s tenure life cycle, corporate social responsibility and the moderating role of the CEO’s political orientation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 464-474.
    7. Muhammad Arshad & Ghulam Abid & Francoise Venezia Contreras Torres, 2021. "Impact of prosocial motivation on organizational citizenship behavior: the mediating role of ethical leadership and leader–member exchange," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 133-150, February.
    8. Xi Fu & Xiaoxi Wu & Zhifang Zhang, 2021. "The Information Role of Earnings Conference Call Tone: Evidence from Stock Price Crash Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 643-660, October.
    9. Nicholas Burton & Mai Chi Vu, 2021. "Moral Identity and the Quaker tradition: Moral Dissonance Negotiation in the WorkPlace," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 127-141, November.
    10. Sarel, Roee & Demirtas, Melanie, 2021. "Delegation in a multi-tier court system: Are remands in the U.S. federal courts driven by moral hazard?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    11. Kutaula, Smirti & Gillani, Alvina & Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Christodoulides, Paul, 2022. "Integrating fair trade with circular economy: Personality traits, consumer engagement, and ethically-minded behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1087-1102.
    12. Juliana Toro-Arias & Pablo Ruiz-Palomino & María Pilar Rodríguez-Córdoba, 2022. "Measuring Ethical Organizational Culture: Validation of the Spanish Version of the Shortened Corporate Ethical Virtues Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(3), pages 551-574, March.
    13. Klopotan Igor & Aleksić Ana & Vinković Nikolina, 2020. "Do Business Ethics and Ethical Decision Making Still Matter: Perspective of Different Generational Cohorts," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 31-43, March.
    14. Ivan Bozhikin & Nikolay Dentchev, 2018. "Discovering a Wilderness of Regulatory Mechanisms for Corporate Social Responsibility: Literature Review," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 2, pages 145-174, June.
    15. Zhou, Linzi & Long, Wenbin & Qu, Xin & Yao, Daifei, 2023. "Celebrity CEOs and corporate investment: A psychological contract perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    16. John J. Sosik & Jae Uk Chun & Ziya Ete & Fil J. Arenas & Joel A. Scherer, 2019. "Self-control Puts Character into Action: Examining How Leader Character Strengths and Ethical Leadership Relate to Leader Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 765-781, December.
    17. Michał Szostak, 2021. "Impact of gender differences in perception of creative identities of artist, creator, manager, entrepreneur and leader on sustainability," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 9(2), pages 10-36, December.
    18. Daewoung Choi & Hyunju Shin & Kyoungmi Kim, 2023. "CEO’s Childhood Experience of Natural Disaster and CSR Activities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(2), pages 281-306, November.
    19. Xianchun Zhang & Zhu Yao, 2019. "Impact of relational leadership on employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior: A survey based on tourism companies in four countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(12), pages 1-19, December.
    20. Naima Lassoued & Imen Khanchel, 2023. "Voluntary CSR disclosure and CEO narcissism: the moderating role of CEO duality and board gender diversity," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1075-1123, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:188:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05310-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.