Exploring the Impact of Leaders’ Failed Humor and Employee Attitude on Leader-Member Exchange

While extensive research has been conducted on the general impact of humor on social relationships, the literature is notably sparse regarding the specific role of failed humor in organizational contexts, especially concerning leader-member exchange (LMX). This study aims to fill that gap by examining the effects of a leader’s failed humor on LMX and investigating whether employees’ attitudes toward humor can buffer this relationship. Employing a cross-sectional explanatory approach, the researchers distributed the Failed Humor in Leadership Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale, and the Leader-Member Exchange Scale through an online survey targeting Filipino employees across various industries. A total of 302 participants—comprising 40.7% males and 59.3% females—voluntarily responded to the online survey. Path analysis using the partial least squares regression method via SMART-PLS software was employed to analyze the data. The findings indicate that a leader’s failed humor negatively impacts LMX, and this effect is not alleviated by the employee’s attitude toward humor. Interestingly, the study also found that employees who value humor and are themselves humorous reported stronger LMX. Based on these insights, the researchers offer recommendations for improving LMX in instances where leaders’ attempts at humor do not succeed. Additionally, future research directions to further investigate this phenomenon were also offered.