Humor at Work Scale (HAW-20)

Description

The Humor at Work Scale (HAW-20) is a specialized psychometric instrument developed to assess the use of humor in workplace environments and its influence on interpersonal communication, teamwork, leadership, employee well-being, and organizational performance. The scale is based on the premise that humor is an important component of organizational behavior that can positively or negatively affect workplace relationships, depending on how it is expressed and perceived.

The HAW-20 evaluates multiple dimensions of workplace humor, including constructive, affiliative, self-enhancing, and potentially detrimental forms of humor that may influence organizational climate. It examines how humor contributes to stress reduction, conflict management, creativity, collaboration, communication, and employee engagement while also identifying inappropriate or aggressive humor that may undermine professional relationships and psychological safety.

As organizations increasingly recognize the importance of psychosocial work environments, workplace humor has emerged as a valuable organizational resource associated with employee resilience, job satisfaction, leadership effectiveness, and team cohesion.

The HAW-20 is widely used in organizational psychology, industrial psychology, human resource management, business administration, leadership research, occupational health, and organizational behavior, providing valuable insights into how humor shapes workplace culture and employee outcomes.

Data Analysis and Applications

Data obtained from the HAW-20 are analyzed using established psychometric and statistical procedures to evaluate the reliability and validity of the instrument. Internal consistency is typically assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, while the instrument’s dimensional structure may be examined through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

HAW-20 scores can be examined in relation to numerous organizational and psychological variables, including:

  • job satisfaction;
  • organizational commitment;
  • employee engagement;
  • occupational stress;
  • burnout;
  • teamwork effectiveness;
  • leadership effectiveness;
  • organizational climate;
  • psychological safety;
  • creativity and innovation;
  • employee well-being.

The scale is commonly used to:

  • assess the frequency and quality of humor in workplace interactions;
  • investigate the relationship between humor and organizational outcomes;
  • evaluate leadership communication styles;
  • support organizational development and employee well-being initiatives;
  • assess interventions designed to improve teamwork, communication, and workplace culture;
  • facilitate research on organizational behavior and occupational psychology.

Because humor influences both interpersonal relationships and organizational functioning, the HAW-20 provides valuable information for researchers, organizational consultants, managers, and human resource professionals.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Humor at Work Scale (HAW-20) is to provide a reliable and valid assessment of how humor is expressed and experienced within workplace settings.

More specifically, the instrument aims to:

  • evaluate constructive and maladaptive forms of workplace humor;
  • examine the influence of humor on communication and interpersonal relationships;
  • assess the contribution of humor to stress management and psychological well-being;
  • investigate the relationship between humor and employee satisfaction, motivation, and organizational commitment;
  • support leadership development and organizational improvement initiatives;
  • facilitate research on workplace behavior, organizational culture, and employee mental health.

By identifying both beneficial and dysfunctional humor styles, the HAW-20 contributes to the development of healthier, more collaborative, and psychologically supportive work environments.

Scoring

The HAW-20 consists of 20 items, typically rated using either a five-point or seven-point Likert scale, depending on the validated version of the instrument.

Response options generally range from:

  • 1 = Strongly Disagree
  • 2 = Disagree
  • 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree
  • 4 = Agree
  • 5 = Strongly Agree

(Some versions extend the scale to seven response categories to increase measurement sensitivity.)

Total and subscale scores are calculated according to the scoring procedures established by the developers of the instrument. Higher scores indicate a greater presence of the corresponding humor dimension within the workplace. Where negatively worded items are included, reverse scoring should be applied before computing total scores.

Psychometric evaluation of the HAW-20 typically includes assessments of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and test–retest reliability, ensuring that the instrument accurately measures workplace humor across different occupational settings and populations.

References

Cann, A., & Matson, C. (2014). Sense of Humor and Organizational Outcomes: A Review of Workplace Humor Research.

Martin, R. A. (2007). The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach. Elsevier Academic Press.

Cooper, C. D. (2008). Elucidating the Bonds of Workplace Humor: A Relational Process Model. Human Relations, 61(8), 1087–1115.

Robert, C., Dunne, T. C., & Iun, J. (2016). The Impact of Leader Humor on Employee Outcomes. Academy of Management Perspectives.