You Are Joking, Right? — Connecting Humour Types To Innovative Behaviour And Innovation Output

While humour is present in everyday business in practice, its strategic meaning and effectiveness are rarely investigated in relation to innovation processes or their management. In this study, we suggest that different types of humour can have both positive and negative effects on innovative work behaviour and the innovation output of individuals, and that the nature of the effects depends to an extent on whether these types of humour are present in interaction within or across organisational boundaries. Theoretical discussion and empirical evidence derived from a quantitative analysis illustrate the diversity of relationships. The results indicate that while humour is, in general, more relevant for innovation within organizations, it also bears importance with regard to external relationships, especially considering innovative work behaviour. Likewise, generally speaking, aggressive humour has negative connotations while, affiliative, coping, and reframing types of humour are associated with positive undertones. However, these connections are not self-evident. Acknowledging differences helps managers to monitor and encourage the use of humour in varying forms of interaction within and beyond their organisations for creating supportive conditions for innovation.