The Influence of Leader Humor on Employees’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Mediated Moderating Model

Abstract

Abstract: Based on the social cognition theory, this study investigates the relationship between two important leader humor styles (affiliative humor and aggressive humor) and organizational citizenship behavior by focusing on the mediating role of psychological empowerment. Data are collected from 238 knowledge workers and 61 department leaders within several companies. Results show that: (1) Leader affiliative humor is positively related to employees’ psychological empowerment and organizational citizenship behavior, leader aggressive humor is negatively related to employees’ psychological empowerment and organizational citizenship behavior; (2) Employees’ psychological empowerment partially mediates the relationship between leader affiliative humor / leader aggressive humor and organizational citizenship behavior; (3) The sense of coping humor of employees moderates the mediating effect of leader humor on organizational citizenship behavior through employee psychological empowerment. The above research results have potential guiding significance and application value for leader management and enterprise human resource management practice.

Key words: affiliative humor, aggressive humor, psychological empowerment, organization citizenship behavior, sense of coping humor

Hu Lili, Ye Long, Guo Ming, Liu Yunshuo. The Influence of Leader Humor on Employees’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Mediated Moderating Model[J]. Management Review, 2022, 34(8): 205-216.

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