Date of Award

Summer 8-2012

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication Studies

School

Communication

Committee Chair

John Meyer

Committee Chair Department

Communication Studies

Committee Member 2

Richard Conville

Committee Member 2 Department

Communication Studies

Committee Member 3

Lawrence Hosman

Committee Member 3 Department

Communication Studies

Committee Member 4

Charles Tardy

Committee Member 4 Department

Communication Studies

Abstract

This study sought to understand how humor affects a person’s ability to cope and manage their emotions in a high stress organizational environment. 911 communication centers are work environments where stress is commonplace, and the work environment can instantly become erratic and chaotic.

This study explored the role humor has in assisting organizational members with emotion management in a high stress job and the types of humor used by members to handle their job and cope with the stress.

The results suggest that humor is pervasive in 911 communication centers, and dispatchers use humor for personal coping, co-worker bonding, and to change their work environment. Understanding how humor affects a person’s ability to cope and manage their emotions in a high stress job provides researchers with information to expand communication research pertaining to organizational communication, humor, humor orientation, and perceived coping effectiveness.

Download

Share

COinS