Ways of defining

intensional/coactive

necessary and sufficient conditions (bachelor: an unmarried man)

extensional/denotative

enumerate every object in a set (primary colors: red, green, blue)

ostensive

listing examples (red: apples, stop sign, roses)

genus-differentia

difference within a class (rectangle: quadrilateral with four right angles)

operational

constitutive process (PB&J sandwich: add PB&J between two slices of bread)

consequential

likely outcome (humor: laughter)

ex. Define (organizational) humor

Humor

Humor

the tendency of comic, absurd, or incongruous experiences to prompt amusement, often expressed via auditory (e.g., laughing) and non-auditory (e.g., smiling) behavior.

Organizational humor

humor which is about, takes place in, or affects organizational relations.

Styles

• Affiliative
• Self-enhancing
• Aggressive
• Mild aggressive
• Self-defeating (effacing)

egs of humor styles?

Affiliative

used to enhance one’s referent power and foster positive relationships with others; characterized by jests particular to the group (e.g., inside jokes) and good-natured pranks

Self-enhancing

used to bolster a positive attitude in light of stressors; characterized by the ability to laugh at oneself and the idiosyncrasies of life

Aggressive

used to diminish others; characterized by the use of sarcasm, teasing, criticism, and ridicule

Mild aggressive

used to soften negative or critical communications by way of milder forms of aggressive tactics

Self-deprecating (-defeating)

used to amuse, seek acceptance from, or lessen the distance with others; characterized by comical or embarrassing stories about one’s self

Which is this?

Style vs tasks

Google Doc

Connections??

• “new member initiation”
• power distance
• gender

Race and gender

• Gender differences?
• No go zones?

Sensemaking

• Weick (1979) noted that ambiguity, uncertainty, and disruption are common to organizational life and change rather than stability is the rule (HeissCarmack 2011, p. 108)
• organizations are socially created and performed

Sensemaking is about the enlargement of small cues. It is a search for contexts within which small details fit together and make sense. It is about people interacting to flesh out hunches. It is continuous alternation between particulars and explanations, with each cycle giving added form and substance to the other. (Weick 1988, p. 133)

Assimilation phases

Organizational assimilation

individuals are integrated into a culture of an organization

1. anticipatory socialization: prior to entering via vocational interests, skills, and pre-existing knowledge
2. entrance: initial experiences that shaping newcomers understanding
3. metamorphosis: “a member begins to individualize his or her role and gains an understanding of organizationally ‘appropriate’ attitudes and behaviors”
4. exit

Defining

intensional/coactive

necessary and sufficient conditions (bachelor: an unmarried man) extensional/denotative

enumerate every object in a set (primary colors: red, green, blue) ostensive

listing examples (red: apples, stop sign, roses) genus-differentia

difference within a class (rectangle: quadrilateral with four right angles) operational

constitutive process (PB&J sandwich: add PB&J between two slices of bread) consequential

likely outcome (humor: laughter)

an interactive, discursive practice that shapes and is shaped by everyday organizational life… humor is more than communicative events that happen to be amusing. Humorous discourse is also a “communicative process that constructs new shared meaning out of ambiguity”. With humor “organizational members can frame and enact their situation, select a preferred interpretation, and then affirm and retain the reorganization through memorable laughter”. From this standpoint humor is understood as discursive moments that serve to identify and make sense of the ambiguities and paradoxes associated with organizational life.

1. Shared meaning out of ambiguity

• Emergency responders use humor to develop positive interpretations of incongruent or emotionally laden situations
• However jokes can also lead to potentially more confusion because their multiple meanings

Which humor style is this reminiscent of?

• Self enhancing

2. Power and control

1. used to assert control while teaching a lesson, maintaining norms, and resisting change;
2. used to negotiate power structures and affiliation, including resistance (e.g., cruise ship employees using humor to share their dislike for emotional labor; women ignore efforts at humor that are sexist)

Which style is this reminiscent of?

• Mild aggressive

3. Affiliation and unity

Communicating job expectations

1. lack of job description
   • attributed to respect for newcomers anticipatory socialization and training
2. veteran teasing (mild aggressive)
3. newcomers elicit info and negotiate roles
4. emotional work

Communicating organizational culture

1. kind correction (e.g., dress code; tardiness to meetings)
2. emotion work (e.g,. laugh instead of cry)

Communicating organizational affiliation

1. hesitant welcome
   1. vetting for funny
   2. displeasure (e.g., at salary)
2. the funny guy with Zingers
3. acceptance (e.g., high on meds)

George’s zingers?

Connections?

• office layout
• enculturation vs socialization (Schein); tacit knowledge (Nonaka)
• emotional labor