The Dark Side of Humor in the Workplace: Aggressive Humor, Exhaustion and Intention to Leave the Organization

Abstract

Humor is inherent to social interaction and research has mainly focused on the potential benefits of using humor at work. However, different types of humor exist and this study builds on the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R) to argue that aggressive humor in the workplace is a demand rather than a resource. Specifically, the study explores the association of aggressive humor and the intention to leave the organization manifested by the employees and the role of exhaustion as a potential explanatory mechanism. Moreover, the study explored the potential buffering role of the quality of leader-employee exchange (LMX) for the negative effects of aggressive humor. The study employed a cross-sectional design in order to test a moderated mediation model. Data were collected from 101 call-center operators and team leaders working in a multinational company. Our findings show indeed that aggressive humor in the workplace is predictive for exhaustion, which, in turn, predicts the employees’ intentions to leave the organization. Contrary to our expectation, the moderating role of LMX did not receive empirical support. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.