The role of leader humor and employee innovative behavior: Dancing with job stressors

Building on the transactional stress model, this study examined the moderating effect of leader humor and employee coping humor on the stressor–appraisal relationship, and the role of cognitive appraisal in predicting innovative behavior. We collected data from 353 members of 43 teams in Mainland China. The findings indicated that leader humor and employee coping humor predicted the stressor–appraisal relationship. Specifically, leader affiliative humor and employee coping humor strengthened the challenge stressors–challenge appraisal relationship. The hindrance stressor–hindrance appraisal relationship was strengthened by leader aggressive humor but weakened by leader affiliative humor and employee coping humor. Challenge appraisal mediated the positive relationship between challenge stressors and innovative behavior, while hindrance appraisal mediated the negative relationship between hindrance stressors and innovative behavior. We have extended the literature by investigating the mediating role of cognitive appraisal in the relationship between job stressors and employee innovation.