Start With a Joke: Humor, Presenter’s Status, Gender, and Investment Level

• Published in: SAGE open Vol. 14; no. 4
• Main Authors: Reizer, Abira, Brender-Ilan, Yael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.10.2024; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Audiences; Females; Humor; Video Technology; presenter status; humor; gender; investment presentation
• ISSN: 2158-2440; 2158-2440
• DOI: 10.1177/21582440241299562

While previous work suggested that presenters may benefit from the use of humor, others argue that the use of humor can be risky. Therefore, there is a need to examine the potential moderators and mediators of this process. The study aims to experimentally explore the appropriate use of humor during a professional investment presentation. The sample included 400 participants. After being randomly assigned to 2 × 2 between-subjects conditions (man /woman presenter × with/without a humorous message), the participants watched a video of an investment presentation. Participants who were asked to invest virtual money in the firm after the video. Using a moderated mediation analysis, the results show that humor was related to higher investment amounts and that the presenters’ perceived organizational status mediated this indirect relationship. The novelty of the study lies in its experimental design, focusing on audience behavioral tendencies and its unexplored mixed-gender effect: women tended to invest less when a male presenter used humor, while men tended to invest more when a female presenter used humor. The perceived status of the presenter mediated these associations. Theoretically, the study expands the understanding of the Benign Violation Theory (BVT) regarding the need to address contextual factors while examining the appropriate use of humor. Moreover, to maximize the benefits of humor, one must consider the humor’s relevance to the audience and acknowledge that humor needs to be appropriately used. This is particularly important for people working in investment settings. Plain Language Summary Who can start an investment presentation with a joke and in which conditions? While previous work suggested that presenters may benefit from the use of humor, others argue that the use of humor can be risky. The purpose of the study is to experimentally explore the use of humor during a professional investment presentation. The final sample included 400 participants who were randomly assigned to four conditions (man or woman presenter and a presentation with or without a humorous message). The participants watched a video of an investment presentation. Participants were asked to invest virtual money in the firm after the video. the key results show that humor was related to higher investment amounts due to the increase in the presenters’ status. In addition, women tended to invest less when a male presenter used humor, while men tended to invest more when a woman female presenter used humor. The perceived status of the presenter mediated these associations. Our findings practically encourage females to use humor in the workplace, specifically during presentations. To maximize humor’s benefits, one must consider its relevance to the audience and recognize that it must be appropriately used. This is particularly important for people working in financial and investment setting.