Shelby McNeel
Blog Entry #9: Laughitism:
Today’s leaders all face a
multitude of challenges in order to meet goals of their organization. Through
the use of laughitisim, the social movements of humor become evident as a
strategy of non-violent resistance to oppression and dictatorship. Humor is
more than just funny concepts; it represents a multifunctional management tool
that can be used to achieve many objectives (Romero, 2006). This concept uses
humor to help overcome and take down any conflict during social movements.
While resistance or oppression may form in social environments, the use of
humor can help to resolve that unwanted tension. The use of humor to resolve
conflict is clearly seen in Disney’s new movie Zootopia. In a city inhabited by
dangerous animals, a little bunny realizes how tough it is to enforce law and
resolve crime cases. With the help of her difficult partner and determination,
the unique approach of humor rises and takes stand to alleviate that tension.
This concept offers powerful strategies and challenges oppression. The movie
reveals how absurdity may transcend rationality and help one gain knowledge in
areas that were unseen before. This movie also reveals the idea that with
humor, evil can change to goofiness; it creates the idea of being in the “in
group”, and a way for leaders to encourage followers. Humor is also an important part of the
organizational culture of successful companies such as Ben & Jerry’s (Cas-
telli 1990), Southwest Airlines (Barbour 1998), Sun Microsystems, and Kodak (Caudron).
Katherine Hudson, CEO of the Brady Corporation, suggests that humor can spark
innovation and increase the likelihood that un- pleasant tasks will be
accomplished and to relieve stress (Hudson 2001).
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