The study, from academics at three elite universities, looked at the impacts of fake positive reactions to jokes by employees. It found that bosses who make too many jokes actually increase the amount of surface acting employees do, which can then lead to emotional exhaustion or burnout, and lower levels of job satisfaction. AdvertisementThe study found that the leaders who frequently made jokes increased surface acting in followers, which subsequently resulted in poor well-being outcomes, including emotional exhaustion. AdvertisementThe surface acting can trigger a cycle of negative well-being outcomes for employees, per the study. When leaders are more thoughtful about their humor, it actually alleviates the pressure of surface acting.

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Persons: —, Randall Peterson, Xiaoran Hu, Michael Parke, Grace Simon, Peterson, they're Organizations: Service, Academy of Management, London Business School, London School of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, US Army Locations: United States