Should bosses be funny?

Humour at work depends on the relationship that bosses have with employees, according to new research.

A study by the University of Missouri contradicts the conventional idea that funny bosses in the workplace improve team morale.

According to The Daily Mail, the research states that bad bosses should avoid humour such as sarcasm. It found that the success of a joke depends increasingly on the relationship that a boss has with employees.

Christopher Robert is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management at the university and is an author of the study. He said: “Generally, people think that positive humour, which is inclusive, affiliative and tasteful, is good in leadership, and negative humour, which is aggressive and offensive, is bad.