The Laughter Advantage: Cultivating High-quality Connections and Workplace Outcomes Through Humor

Humor can be a powerful form of communication in organizations, leading to positive emotions and cognitions, high-quality interactions, and enhanced managerial and business unit performance. Humor is a valuable character strength that allows individuals to transcend mundane work, stressful situations, hardships, and the imperfections of human beings. By using humor, individuals can optimize transient encounters, as well as enhance the quality of ongoing relationships. In this chapter, we discuss how workplace humor facilitates cooperation, relationship building, creativity, and the negotiation of positive workplace identities. We conclude with practical suggestions for managers who wish to harness the potential of humor and recommendations for scholars interested in pursuing research in this fruitful area.