Leppälä & Lehtimäki (2024). Installation humor: a resistive social practice identified in the engineering workplace

Summary: We studied humor as a resistive practice in a workplace with highly educated employees. This study took place as an at-home ethnography, with the first author being a full member of the research site. We described acts of resistant behavior through a form of humor we identified as Installation Humor. This type of study helps management understand some of the socio-cultural complexities and reactions to oversight and control; this knowledge could be useful when assessing transformational change. The program LeadSus examines sustainability and leadership; this piece reminds us to also go beyond the leader message and pay attention to how the workers act and react to any change.

Usefulness of the results: This type of study tells about the socio-cultural complexities and reactions to oversight and control; this knowledge could be useful when assessing transformational change.

Authors: Kristina Leppälä, University of Eastern Finland; Hanna Lehtimäki, University of Eastern Finland

Publishing date: 28.5.2024

Format of the publication: Scientific Article

Publishing platform: International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior (https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-01-2023-0006)

More information: kristina.leppala@uef.fi