Integration Of Leader’s Other-Focused Humor Styles: Cultivation of Subordinates’ Extra-Role Behavior

Abstract

This study explored the effective use of both humor styles (negative and positive) to interact by measuring the extra-role behavior of followers. First and foremost, this study focus to improve the understanding of humor as a multifaceted entity with both positive and negative features. Drawing on the theory of leader-member exchange (LMX), this study integrates the leader’s humor styles, which focus on others (affiliative and aggressive), and examines the impact on employees' extra-role behavior through the mediation of LMX. Analysis of data from 384 employees of the hotel industry came out with the result that integration of humor styles that focus on others (affiliative and aggressive) had a significant and indirect influence on employees' change-oriented OCB through LMX. PLS-SEM was used for analysis by using Smart PLS Version 3.3.3. This study, therefore, recommends that change-oriented OCB of subordinates is likely to be achieved when there is an effective use of humor by leadership through quality relationships using power distance orientation. The findings are novel to highlight the role of humor in leadership in the hotel industry of Pakistan.