Abstract
The purpose of this naturalistic investigation was to examine elementary principals’ use of humor in their daily interactions with teachers. Five male elementary principals were interviewed, shadowed and observed for five school days. After a second structured interview with each of the five principals, the teachers in each school were asked to complete a written survey on their perceptions of interpersonal communications between their principal and teachers and of their principal's use of humor within those communications. Analysis of the findings revealed that humor was used primarily in human messages by elementary principals in their interpersonal communications with teachers and that appropriate humor enhanced each principal's primary intended message(s) in those exchanges. Further analysis suggested four major purposes of humor usage by principals: to create and improve school climate, to relate to teachers the principal's understanding of the complexities and demands in the professional worklife of teachers; to break down the rigidity of bureaucratic structures by humanizing and personalizing interpersonal communications; and, when appropriate, to deliver sanctions and other necessary unpleasantries to teachers. Interpersonal communications networks which were open and supportive as well as appropriately seasoned with expressions of humor helped to create climates of connectedness between teachers and principals.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.