Abstract
Purpose. Managers moving into the 21st century are faced with instability, change, demands for accountability, demands for quality, changing demographics in the work force, and declining resources. Managers that will succeed will have the ability to create joyful work environments for teamwork and expand the resource of organizational/personal energy. Humor is a tool for managers to use to expand organizational/personal energy and create joyful work environments. The purpose of this study: (1) to examine the association between university chief housing officers' (CHOs') humor styles and their managerial effectiveness level; (2) to examine the association between university chief student affairs officers' (CSAOs') humor styles and their managerial effectiveness level; (3) to examine the difference between CHOs' and CSAOs' humor style and managerial effectiveness; and (4) to examine the association between male and female humor styles and managerial effectiveness. Methodology. The population for this study was the California university CHOs that were members of the California Association of College and University Housing Officers and the CSAOs from these universities. A total of 58 (71%) of CHOs and 47 (62%) of CSAOs responded. The CHOs and CSAOs completed the Manager Humor Style Survey, a self-report managers' humor style instrument. The managers selected their subordinate staff to receive the Management Effectiveness Scale. A total of 416 (91.5%) subordinates completed the Management Effectiveness Scale rating their manager's effectiveness. Descriptive and ex post facto research were used. Frequency distribution, chi-square, one-way Analysis of Variance and two-way Analysis of Variance were used to address the research questions. Findings: (1) Males are more active in their humor style than females. Males indicated their humor styles as: 47% producer, 22% reproducer, 31% appreciator. Females indicated their humor styles as: 46% appreciator, 33% producer, 18% reproducer, and 3% non-humorous. (2) Item analysis on the Management Effectiveness Scale indicated that 75% of all items rated a score of four or five. Ratings of four and five at 75% indicate a strong level of management effectiveness for all managers. (3) Ninety six percent of all manager's scores ranged between average and excellent, with 61% between good and excellent. (4) All statistical analysis indicated no significant difference between the four humor styles, gender, CHOs and CSAOs, and managerial effectiveness.