Breaking the burnout spiral: the resource-building role of leader humor in the workplace

This study examines whether leader humor can mitigate employee job burnout and investigates the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT), we propose a moderated mediation model. Psychological capital mediates the link between leader humor and job burnout, while positive reciprocity belief moderates the direct effect of leader humor on burnout. Data were collected from 239 employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in Mainland China using a two-wave survey design. Our findings reveal that leader humor is negatively associated with job burnout and positively associated with psychological capital, which in turn reduces burnout. Moreover, the negative relationship between leader humor and job burnout is amplified when employees hold stronger beliefs in positive reciprocity. However, the moderated mediation effect was not statistically supported. Theoretical contributions and practical implications for leadership development and employee well-being are discussed.