...David Gogichaishvili Graduate Student, School of Telecommunications, Ohio University Independent Study with WILL HOYT on “Humor in Management” Spring 2002 Introduction This literature review on humor in management explores the issues of effectiveness of humor in the workplace. The primary focus is in management processes. Humorous managers are more effective, so to say. But there are some techniques and tips for turning your humor into managerial success. Not every type of humor can be appropriate. The “What” section of this study deals with a general background about humor. Questions like why we should use humor, whether we should use it at all, etc. will be answered in the “Why” section of this paper. And finally, the “How” section will explore some basic rules on how to use humor in the workplace appropriately. There will be some suggestions even for managers who lack a sense of humor. So, enjoy and remember the most important aspect of humor in the workplace: Your employees should laugh with you, not at you! WHAT Humor is a quintessentially social phenomenon, since every joke requires both a teller and an audience. A sense of humor is a different and positive perspective on events and things. It can be utilized as an instrument to develop an atmosphere that is conductive to motivation. Laughter itself has physical, emotional, and moral benefits. Humorous people tend to be more adaptive, more capable of handling stress, more intelligent and more analytical...
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...their daily meal. Therefore relegating the women to the role of caretaker and this aspect has kept its hold over the society. In the 21st century, sexism has been a covert and subtle process that tries to establish an environment that is less friendly and less accessible to women. It’s clear that sexism is evident in the Silicon Valley and beyond. We also identify that the technology aspect has always been associated with male perspective. Therefore, it has become common to hear a conversation about women who have suffered sexism and sexual harassment in their digital related jobs. Women have also been identified to facilitate this occurrence by been timid when it comes to technology in the workplaces. Therefore, the actions that sideline women from important decisions at the workplace can be seen as sexism in play. Rudman .A.L, Glick. P The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations Texts in Social Psychology, Guilford Press, 2012 It’s clear that various gender...
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...anxious feelings, sweaty palms, wondering how you will get everything done on time, wondering when you will see your family in between the long work hours, dealing with a micro-managing supervisor or unproductive co-workers that push their work on to you, or even the peer that says they enjoy deadlines! These are all depictions of what we call “stress”. While a certain amount of stress is needed to motivate individuals into action, called eustress, when an individual experiences anxiety and physical tension as demands are placed on them which exceed their abilities to cope, distress occurs (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008). Stress in the workplace is becoming a major concern for employees, employers, managers and government agencies. Workplace stress can be defined as the change in one’s physical or mental state in response to workplaces that pose an appraised challenge or threat to that employee (Colligan & Higgins, 2005). Stress research pioneer, Hans Selye, determined that people have a fairly consistent physiological response to stressful situations, called the general adaptation syndrome, providing an automatic defense system to help us cope with environmental demands (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008). More specifically, the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome: alarm (alerts the person to the situation and prepares for the resistance stage), resistance (shut down of the body’s immune system to focus on the source of stress), and exhaustion (when the source of...
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...communication across the board, it can increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction and help recognize an outstanding leader in an organization. Nonverbal, verbal, written, and any means by which getting one’s point across to another can be categorized as communication. Communicating can be taken for granted since we all do this every day, however, it is important we have the skills to know how to properly communicate with one another. Everyone communicates differently due to their education background, where they were raised, age and gender. The one, which I am going to focus on is gender and what impact that, has on communication. There are clear gender differences in how we communicate and this can even have an affect in the workplace, such as situations can arise where there are misunderstandings between men and women. The way in which men and women communicate stem from the differences in the brain. One major structural difference is that “males generally have more activity in the mechanical centers of the brain, while women have more activity in centers of the brain dedicated to verbal communication and emotion” (Wikninews). In female brains the corpus callosum, the part of the brain that regulates communication within the brain is larger than the male’s. Another difference is “the male brain is characterized by systemizing tendencies and mechanistic thinking. Systemizing is the drive to analyze, explore, and construct a system” (Kanazawa). On the other hand...
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...Gender Differences Michael Grindstaff 11/2/13 Michael Grindstaff Gender Differences 11/2/13 Gender Differences Gender stereotypes are strong in our culture and even put preconceived notions in our minds of what profession we will be when we grow up. The differences in men and women’s brain do show men are better at mathematical jobs than women, however, it should not deter women from wanting to be engineers. Stereotypically, girls are soft spoken, gentle, caregivers, on the other hand, boys are outspoken, direct, and confident. These stereotypes are embedded in our minds from when we are little, even impacting our thoughts of which gender should occupy which profession. We look at specific jobs and correlate them with a certain gender. When children are growing up they often want to be a specific profession such as, girls may want to grow up to be a teacher or nurse, and boys want to be a firefighter or a police officer. Girls are taught that they must relate to others in order to survive, while boys are taught that they must compete with others to survive. Not only is it our brains that are different, but our upbringings and stereotypes of gender roles play an important role in how we communicate with each other. The more in-depth you look at the topic gender differences in working and communicating with others, the more it gets you thinking not only of how co-workers communicate with each other but how the public communicates with a professional due to their...
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...Though humor can often be a welcome addition to many situations, using humor at work can often lead to unwanted outcomes. With the introduction of different genders in the workforce we have to take into consideration that different types of people appreciate different types of humor. With that in mind men and women respond differently to humor. Using the wrong style with the wrong people can have less than productive results. While men seem to appreciate a self-enhancing style of humor and women finding an affiliative style more to their liking. Humor with sexual undertones can lead to conflict and division of groups. These types of humor can be offensive and should be avoided in the workplace. While the use of humor can be a good thing it often can be a double edged sword mainly for the way others perceive it causing a misinterpretation. Using the wrong type of humor can have adverse effects, with people having different views resulting in less than proactive results. Misunderstanding of humor can materialize feelings of discontent, alienation, inferiority, and anger. Most times it is better to avoid the use of aggressive humor as it can make others feel intimidated and cause competition between employees. To effectively use humor in the work place is possible but efforts must be taken to provide a comfortable platform. Using the correct types of humor and reading the situation and audience to select the proper humor style to use can be the largest challenge. The OHM model...
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...health in the workplace and to identify ways to reduce stress in the workplace. If you use additional sources, include citations consistent with APA guidelines. What is the relationship between stress and health in the workplace? Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are examples of stress-related problems. These early signs of job stress are usually easy to recognize. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders. Identify a situation in which you experienced stress in the workplace or provide a fictional example. A week before Christmas, I was working 8 hour days. Not only did I have to preform like 5 different jobs that day, I also had to deal with many customers that was mad at the world for some reason. After about two hours, I started to get a headache and feel sick to my stomach. The worst thing is, that I really felt like I was going to “snap” on someone soon. Thankfully, I asked my manager if I could go outside for a few minutes and get some fresh air. When I got outside I put positive thoughts in my head and happily finished out my shift. List ways to reduce stress in the workplace from the situation...
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...Effective Leadership in the Workplace First name Last name My University Effective Leadership in the Workplace What is leadership? Leadership or being a leader can be described in many different ways, but overall it means having to capacity to lead. In every business or organization they become effective and remain effective because of their leaders and their ability to inspire and lead. “Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or one’s position in the hierarchy of a company. Too many talk about a company’s leadership referring to the senior most executives in the organization. They are just that, senior executives. Leadership doesn’t automatically happen when you reach a certain pay grade. Hopefully you find it there, but there are no guarantees.”, (Forbes.com, 2013). Overall, being an effective leader and successful manager in the workplace involves many skills such as having a strong commitment to the job, top-notch communication skills and what is not considered by most, a personality. You can start with what is commitment? According to Webster’s dictionary it means: the attitude of someone who works very hard to do or support something. Dedication and commitment goes a long way in the workplace. In a mid-term counseling with my Commanding Officer, CDR Jimmy Neutron, he stated, “that the main reason I stand out and I am a successful leader is because I am committed to getting the job done, I am one of the first ones to show up and usually one of the last ones to...
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...New Zealand. This does not mean that Australia and New Zealand do not aim for long-lasting relationships to help in their business practices; they just do not put as much stress on that as other Asian cultures. Strong relationships are vital to the cultural success of other Asian civilizations. The keys to Australian businesses being successful in Asia are perseverance, patience and building relationships. For successful engagement in business in the region, don’t just focus on understanding the culture of ‘the other’ but take the time to reflect on what it is about Australian culture which may be challenging. Another difference in the two societies deals with the humor that is used in Australia and New Zealand. Humor in business relations can be frowned upon in many different cultures. Classic Australian humor is laconic, self-deprecating, and full of banter and “put-downs”. We often use this...
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...Hodge-Cronin & Associates conducted survey of 737 CEO’s. The survey revealed that 98% of this group “preferred job candidates with a sense of humor to those without” (Rau-Foster, 2000). Can fun really make that much of a difference? Can fun make a company rank #1 for best company to work for? Dr. David Abramis has been researching and studying the topic for years now. “He’s discovered that people who have fun on the job are more creative, more productive, better decision-makers and get along better with co-workers. They also have fewer absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren’t having fun” (Rau-Foster, 2000). Explanation CNN Money has ranked Google as #1 for the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 2013. Why is this? In 2006, Genentech a company that makes medicine that fights cancer, was ranked #1. Employee’s working for Genentech stated, “What’s better than being a valued member of a cancer-fighting team? Having a great time while you’re at work” (CNN Money, 2006). This company had a 5 percent turnover rate and 20 percent job growth. Now remember the year 2006! Google was on the bottom of this list in 2007. This leaves many people wondering how Google climbed its way up to the top. What research has found is that Google is a Silicone Valley Company that is now setting the standards on having fun in the workplace. They offer free meals, swimming, spas and free doctors onsite. They have three wellness centers and a group of other activities. Google has been...
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...the techniques they touch on in their article: * Get help * Compromise * Avoid * Talk it out * Negotiate * Chance * Ignore * Take turns * Apologize * Share * Postpone * Humor * Better results These 13 techniques are the most important things to consider when trying to resolve conflict in the workplace, but you must make sure to choose the correct technique since they all have very different outcomes. For instance, when choosing to avoid the conflict you have to make sure that the issue is an unimportant one before avoiding it because it could lead to worse problems than the original issue. When considering negotiation as a conflict technique, you have to take it one step at a time. One of the best times to use this tactic is when negotiating one’s salary and benefits. Another technique that is extremely useful is apologizing. You have to know when to own up to a mistake, take ownership of it, and ask for forgiveness. Once you can be open enough with your co-workers to say I made a mistake and for that I’m sorry, you can then have a more open work relationship with them and make it a better working environment for all concerned. Another technique that should always have a place in the work environment is humor, after all, it is a powerful tool. “It breaks up...
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...Write Experience - Conflict The subject of this report is the conflict that could be created in teams. No matter which team or which employee, the conflict could appear everywhere. "The difficulties should lead to action, not discourage. The spirit of man will be strengthened by the conflict. " (William Ellery Channing). I will start my writing by giving you the outline of it. First of all, I will remind you quickly some definitions about the conflict and then, I will explain how you can increase functional conflict instead of increase dysfunctional conflict. To support these explanations, I will give you different examples and supports. First of all, I will give you some definitions to have a clear idea about what we are talking about: C-type conflict, or cognitive conflict is a disagreement that focuses on problem-related differences of opinion. A-type conflict, or affective conflict refers to the emotional reactions that can occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional. With cognitive conflict, team members disagree because their different experiences and expertise lead them to different views of the problem and solutions. Indeed, managers who participated on teams that emphasized cognitive conflict described their teammates as "smart", "team players", and "best in the business". By contrast, affective conflict often results in hostility, anger, resentment, distrust, cynicism and apathy. Managers who...
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...Self –Evaluation：Characteristics of Effective Leadership The questions below relate to characteristics of effective leaders. Use the questions to evaluate whether you possess these characteristics . Use the results to see where you might focus to strengthen your leadership skills. |Characteristics of Effective Leaders |Yes |No | |Caring | | | |1 Do you empathize with other people’s needs , concerns , and goals? |√ | | |2 Would staff members confirm that you show such empathy? | |√ | |Comfort with ambiguity | | | |3 Are you willing ti take calculated riske? |√ | | |4 Are you comfortable with a certain level of disruption and conflicts? | |√ | |Persistent ; tenacious | | | |5 When pursuing a goal , do you maintain a positive , focused attitude , despite obstacles? | |√ | |Excellent communicators ...
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...that a manager should have but I have chosen the ten that I feel are the most important but in no random order. Good Humor (Value centered) Organizational Skills (Value Centered) Honesty (Value centered) Trust (Value Centered) Management Skills (Knowledge) Knowledge of the Workplace (Knowledge) Communication Skills (Value Centered) Negotiation Skills (Knowledge) Problem Solving Skills (Knowledge) Non Judgmental (Value Centered) I believe that good humor adds value to the organization because it makes it easier to get along with the manager. Everyone does not have to feel so uptight and can kind of relax a little while being at work. Organizational skills add value because if the manager is not organized then there are many things that can go wrong. Honesty is another good characteristic and it adds value to the organization because honesty is the best policy and if your manager can not be honest with you when you do something wrong then you may continue to do the same thing over and over. Trust adds value to the organization because if you trust your manager then you will be able to talk to them about things in or outside of the office. Management skills are another excellent skill that a manager should have. If they don’t have management skills then they would not make a good manager and it would affect the whole facility. Knowledge of the Workplace is also another good characteristic to have. If a manager knows his or her way around the facility then it makes it easier...
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...when to ask for assistance. The Leader should also acknowledge the team or members when goals or projects are accomplished, because without the team, the leader could not have achieved in their position. Trustworthiness: The leader should portray trustworthiness both inside and outside of the office. The leader should be known for their character of integrity and always make decisions that right for the team, not just for political gain in the workplace. If the leader builds and acts of this type of behavior, then the rest of the team will follow suit creating a cohesive team that wants their actions to benefit the whole and not just to get themselves ahead. Sense of humor: A sense of humor can increase your approachability and likability from team-members if done correctly. Humor should not be used to belittle anyone, including the leader. When used in the correct manner, humor can defuse conflict and decrease hostility within a group. Humor must remain “self-effacing,” meaning there is humility within the leader’s approach to humor. An example given by Andrew Dubrain is when the leader knows who the “techy guy” is in the group. Instead of the leader calling out the member as...
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