Faking it With the Boss’s Jokes: Leader Humor Expression, Follower Surface Acting, and Power Distance

Abstract

Leaders are often advised to use humor at work because it can promote positive work experiences for followers. However, research on leader humor has not fully considered the uneven power dynamics inherent in leader-follower interactions that could constrain and even aggravate follower reactions to leader humor. We theorize that leaders who attempt to express humor, regardless of its quality, put pressure on followers to fake positive emotional reactions and/or suppress negative emotions they may be feeling (i.e., surface acting). In turn, by increasing follower surface acting, we propose that leader humor expression can paradoxically harm followers’ emotional wellbeing in the form of increased emotional exhaustion and reduced job satisfaction. Importantly, we propose that these negative outcomes of leader humor expression are more likely to occur when followers hold high power distance values, such that they more willingly accept the power differentials and obediently comply with expectations to display positive emotions in response to leader humor. Results from three field studies—including one randomized field experiment—of working professionals across three distinct national samples (the USA, India, and China) provide consistent support for these hypotheses. We discuss the managerial and theoretical implications for research on leadership, emotional labor, and employee wellbeing.