Abstract
Humor at work could provide many potential benefits, but the empirical literature does not support many clear conclusions about its role. Two issues have limited the clarity of the findings. First, many studies do not consider the potential negative, as well as positive, associations with humor. Second, no available measure allows researchers to quantify the broad presence of humor in the workplace. The current research describes the development and initial validation of a brief measure, the Humor Climate Questionnaire (HCQ), which assesses positive and negative styles of humor in the workplace climate. The HCQ has a clear four factor structure, good internal reliability for each dimension, and it explains variance in multiple indicators of job satisfaction and commitment beyond that explained by individual differences in humor uses. The HCQ provides a research tool that could be used to assess a variety of predictions about the roles that humor could play in the workplace.
About the authors
Arnie Cann , a social psychologist, is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Health Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. His two research interests involve understanding the role of humor as a social and individual difference variable, and examining posttraumatic growth processes – how some people find benefits and experience personal growth in the aftermath of highly stressful life events. Address: 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, 28223. Email: acann@uncc.edu
Amanda Watson is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology, with an emphasis on Developmental Science, at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on childhood executive function, specifically examining the antecedents and consequences of early inhibitory control.
Elisabeth A. Bridgewater, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, is a program coordinator in the Co-Occurring Disorders Program at Recovery Centers of King County in Seattle WA. Her clinical interests include working with individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder and providing services to those suffering with a substance use disorder.
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