Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

12-2003

Abstract

As perhaps the highest profile group of management speakers in the world, so-called management gurus use their appearances on the international management lecture circuit todisseminate their ideas and to build their personal reputations with audiences of managers. This article examines the use of humour by management gurus during these public performances. Focusing on video recordings of lectures conducted by four leading management gurus (Tom Peters, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Peter Senge and Gary Hamel), the article explicates the verbal and nonverbal practices that the gurus use when they evoke audience laughter. These practices allow the gurus to project clear message completion points, to signal their humourous intent, to ‘invite’ audience laughter, and to manipulate the relationship between their use of humour and their core ideas and visions. The article concludes by suggesting that the ability of management gurus to use these practices effectively is significant because audience laughter can play an important role with respect to the expression of group cohesion and solidarity during their lectures.

Keywords

Humour and laughter, Group cohesion, Management ideas, Management gurus, Public speaking

Discipline

Business and Corporate Communications | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Human Relations

Volume

56

Issue

12

First Page

1515

Last Page

1544

ISSN

0018-7267

Identifier

10.1177/00187267035612004

Publisher

SAGE Publications (UK and US) / Springer Verlag (Germany)

Copyright Owner and License

Publisher

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267035612004

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