Inland Steel Industries is a $3.5 billion corporation with two main businesses. The Inland Materials Distribution Group (IMDG) is essentially a combination of a metals “hardware…
Abstract
Inland Steel Industries is a $3.5 billion corporation with two main businesses. The Inland Materials Distribution Group (IMDG) is essentially a combination of a metals “hardware store” for small machine shops and small users of steel, and a vehicle to provide customers with materials management services—just‐in‐time inventory and initial processing, for example. The IMDG contributes about $1.5 billion in sales annually. The other business is the Inland Steel Co., which focuses on manufacturing.
Back in 2005 lawyers for the Milwaukee school board decided to exclude Viagra and similar erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs from health coverage for the teachers’ union because…
Abstract
Back in 2005 lawyers for the Milwaukee school board decided to exclude Viagra and similar erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs from health coverage for the teachers’ union because, well, they were simply too expensive.1 And besides, so the school board explained, such drugs are used primarily for recreational sex and are not a medical necessity.
In the 1967 film, The Graduate, Mr. Robinson gave Dust in Hoffman's character, Benjamin, the scene‐stealing career suggestion, “plastics!” Although Benjamin appeared indifferent…
Abstract
In the 1967 film, The Graduate, Mr. Robinson gave Dust in Hoffman's character, Benjamin, the scene‐stealing career suggestion, “plastics!” Although Benjamin appeared indifferent to the oracle‐like advice, thousands of other graduates have since helped to make plastics, or polymers, a popular career choice. Today, the U.S. polymer‐based industries (plastics, rubber, fibers, paints, films, membranes, coatings, and adhesives) employ more than a million workers and need 10,000 new graduates yearly to support their growth. Yet, despite the emphasis industry and government place on formal training in polymer science and engineering (hereafter called PSE), academia has given the rapidly developing field a cool reception. Science writer Joseph Alper notes:
Christopher Robert and Wan Yan
The study of humor has a long tradition in philosophy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and communications. Evidence from these fields suggests that humor can have effects on…
Abstract
The study of humor has a long tradition in philosophy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and communications. Evidence from these fields suggests that humor can have effects on creativity, cohesiveness, and performance, but organizational scholars have paid it relatively little attention. We hope to “jump-start” such a research program. To do this, we first outline the theoretical rationale underlying the production and appreciation of humor, namely, its motivational, cognitive, and emotional mechanisms. Next, we review the literature linking humor to creativity, cohesiveness, and other performance-relevant outcomes. In particular, we note how this literature is theoretically well-grounded, but that the empirical findings are largely correlational and/or based on qualitative research designs. Finally, we go beyond the current humor literature by developing specific predictions about how culture might interact with humor in organizational contexts. Throughout the paper, we discuss possible research directions and methodological issues relevant to the study of humor in organizations.