Humor is Found to Be Good for the Workplace... Light Humor, that Is

An engaging new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) addresses the question of humor in the workplace and says that contrary to traditional attitudes light humor at work is not only acceptable, it is actually a company asset.

Chris Robert, lead researcher and assistant professor of management in MU's Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, specifies that he is discussing occasional humor among colleagues. Occasional humor stands in opposition to the concept of the company free-for-all where joking around and personal conversations rule employee behavior.

Benefits of humor to the company include increased creativity, which means greater problem solving capabilities and innovative approaches to tasks, problems and challenges; enhanced organizational cohesiveness, which adds to the spirit of esprit de corp, or team work; and a boost to general performance, which means greater productivity and more successful employees. Robert stresses that humor that jokingly addresses things associated with work is particularly conducive to these benefits.

Traditionally, humor in the workplace was viewed with the same disapprobation as personal conversations during work hours or in front of customers. Chris Robert argues that humor is not in the same categories as these types of indiscreet behaviors. He argues that humor has a significantly valuable impact in companies and other organizations.

Robert, who also teaches psychology for the College of Arts and Sciences at MU, argues that humor is important to workplace dynamics. He also said that humor is not incompatible with workplace goals or the organization's competitiveness in their market and industry.