The relationship between nursing education administrators' use of humor and their leadership effectiveness as perceived by faculty

The study described faculty perceptions of nursing education administrators' use of humor, leadership effectiveness, and the relationship between them. The purpose of the study was to enhance knowledge of leadership effectiveness through examining how leaders' use of humor affected follower perceptions of the leader. The study addressed three questions: (I) Do faculty members' perceptions of the nursing education administrators' (deans') use of humor affect their ratings of the deans' leadership effectiveness? (II) Do selected respondent characteristics affect faculty members' perceptions of deans' leadership effectiveness? (III) Are there distinct types of humor used by deans perceived by faculty as being most effective leaders versus those perceived as being least effective leaders?; A questionnaire measuring nursing deans' use of humor and their leadership effectiveness was completed by 567 nursing faculty from 149 National League for Nursing accredited baccalaureate nursing programs. The questionnaire was composed from sections of the Profile Of A College Or University and from the Ellis Humor Instrument. Correlations and regressions were used to examine the relationship between respondent characteristics and leadership effectiveness as well as each of three humor variables (amount, use and climate) and leadership.; Faculty reported that their deans used humor infrequently, that the results of humor use were largely beneficial, and that their leaders were generally effective.; A significant but modest positive correlation existed between the amount of humor used by deans and their perceived leadership effectiveness. Multiple regressions indicated that the amount of humor the dean used had most effect on faculty members' perceptions of the deans' leadership effectiveness. Other measures of humor use and all respondent characteristics except job satisfaction and contact with the dean showed no significant relationship to leadership effectiveness.; Deans perceived as being more effective were reported using word play humor more often than five other types. Those perceived as less effective were seen as using hostile, ethnic, and sexual humor more often than more effective deans.; The study suggested that deans' leadership effectiveness might be improved by judicious use of positive types of humor. It also suggested that such use of humor might be included in leadership effectiveness programs for prospective as well as practicing deans.