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Beyond formal exchange: An informal perspective on the role of leader humor on employee OCB

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  • Yang, Fu
  • Zhang, Ying

Abstract

Although leader humor research has investigated its benefits in a formal relationship, how leader humor, as an informal tactic, influences employee work outcomes has been neglected. Drawing on a relational perspective, we cast leader-member guanxi as a novel mechanism to explain the relationship between leader humor and employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). We also theorize team structure determines the extent to which leader-member guanxi is built by leader humor. Using data from 308 employees and their leaders in 76 teams at three time points, results of multilevel path analysis indicated that after controlling for leader-member exchange, the positive effect of leader humor on leader-member guanxi was enhanced when the team operated in an organic structure as opposed to a mechanistic structure, which in turn, facilitated employee OCB. These findings provide a novel insight into understanding the informal role of leader humor and offering important practices for relationship management.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Fu & Zhang, Ying, 2022. "Beyond formal exchange: An informal perspective on the role of leader humor on employee OCB," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 118-125.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:151:y:2022:i:c:p:118-125
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.06.054
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jar-Der Luo & Meng-Yu Cheng & Tian Zhang, 2016. "Guanxi circle and organizational citizenship behavior: Context of a Chinese workplace," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 649-671, September.
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    6. Aryee, Samuel & Sun, Li-Yun & Chen, Zhen Xiong George & Debrah, Yaw A., 2008. "Abusive Supervision and Contextual Performance: The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion and the Moderating Role of Work Unit Structure," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 4(3), pages 393-411, November.
    7. Weipeng Lin & Jingjing Ma & Qi Zhang & Jenny Chen Li & Feng Jiang, 2018. "How is Benevolent Leadership Linked to Employee Creativity? The Mediating Role of Leader–Member Exchange and the Moderating Role of Power Distance Orientation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(4), pages 1099-1115, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yueru Ma & Yefan Teng & Bowen Yan, 2024. "Bring more than green? The impact of green human resource management on hospitality employees' organizational citizenship behaviors," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 2537-2556, May.

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