ArticleBMC psychology2025
A distinct look at a transcendental phenomenon: the grounded theory model of leader humour.
Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHumour is an essential quality and key factor in communication, particularly in leadership. This study explores leader humour within university departments to design a comprehensive model using grounded theory. The study also examines the effects and dynamics of humour in leadership and its influence on followers.
methodsThis qualitative study employed Glaser's 6 C family approach. Data were collected from 18 Iranian university professors, selected via purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using MAXQDA2020 software to facilitate the coding process.
resultsThe axial category was named 'leader humorous behaviour' and the main attributes of humour were 'benign violation' and 'moderation'. This study highlights the importance of moderation in humorous behaviour (frequency and repetition) as an important attribute of leader humour alongside benign violation, which can have negative and unwanted outcomes for both leader and followers despite positive and constructive content. The final model identifies a sense of humour as the central cause and organisational factors as correlated causes. It also identifies the mediators, moderators, context, and consequences of leader humorous behaviour. Sense of humour is found to be the most important factor in followers' perception and interpretation of leader humour.
conclusionsLeader humour can have positive ethical implications in organisations, thus enhancing relationships and communication when employed appropriately. The findings suggest that positive outcomes of leader humour over time foster greater expression and mitigate misunderstandings. This study offers a foundational understanding of leader humorous behaviour and its potential positive outcomes in organisational settings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.