Are Positive and Negative Leader Humor Two Different Coins? A Meta-Analysis

Authors

Xiaohong Xu, University of Texas at San AntonioFollow
Richard Hayes, Old Dominion University
Lixin Jiang, University of Auckland
William P. Jimenez, Old Dominion UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-3-2025

DOI

10.1007/s10869-025-10007-w

Publication Title

Journal of Business and Psychology

Abstract

Scholars disagree on the distinction between positive and negative leader humor, which may hinder the integration and advancement of the leader humor literature. Thus, we meta-analyzed the correlation between positive and negative leader humor, as well as their shared nomological networks (k = 161; follower N = 45,759; leader N = 7,820). Our meta-analysis indicates that (1) there is a very small but significant correlation between positive and negative leader humor (ρ = -.07); (2) positive and negative leader humor have differential relationships with most antecedents (e.g., positive affectivity) and outcomes (e.g., innovation and citizenship behavior); (3) positive affect and leader-member exchange intervene independently and in series the relationships between leader humor and follower outcomes, whereas negative affect mediates the effects of positive leader humor but not negative leader humor. These findings improve our understanding of the uniqueness of positive and negative leader humor, and provide important theoretical and practical implications for the leader humor literature.

Rights

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10869-025-10007-w

Data Availability

The data and coding of the primary studies included in the current meta-analysis are available on the Open Science Framework (OSF) at https://osf.io/9pfkh/.

Comments

Xiaohong Xu and Richard Hayes contributed equally to this work. Richard Hayes is now at Culture Amp.

Original Publication Citation

Xu, X. (V.), Hayes, R., Jiang, L., & Jimenez, W. P. (2025). Are positive and negative leader humor two different coins? A meta-analysis. Journal of Business and Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-025-10007-w

ORCID

0000-0003-1141-4631

Repository Citation

Xu, Xiaohong; Hayes, Richard; Jiang, Lixin; and Jimenez, William P., "Are Positive and Negative Leader Humor Two Different Coins? A Meta-Analysis" (2025). Psychology Faculty Publications. 214.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/psychology_fac_pubs/214