Laughter and its functions in Japanese business communication

Abstract

Laughter and humour, as has been amply documented in workplace settings in New Zealand culture, are typically used as strategic devices, both to diffuse tension and to enhance relationships with colleagues. As Holmes and Marra (2004: 386-387) observed, “a good deal of the discourse in some workplaces is oriented to avoiding conflict, to minimizing the chances of a breakdown in workplace relationships, and to negotiating agreement”. Although the use of laughter in workplaces to serve such relational and tension diffusing purposes is not unusual, it is not commonly associated with Japanese culture and its business practices, and perhaps for this reason, it remains a poorly explored domain to date. This paper aims to address this gap and add to our existing understanding of Japanese business communication by exploring the nature and functions of the use of laughter in a Japanese context and to shed light on current business practices and how they relate to past research insights.