Effects of Leader Self-deprecating Humor on Employee Well-being and Psychological Safety: The Mediating Role of Leader–Member-exchange

Employee well-being and psychological safety are essential for organizations to address today’s complex challenges and sustain long-term work performance. Leaders play a pivotal role in fostering these outcomes, with humor serving as a long-known yet often underestimated leadership tool. Among different humor styles, leader self-deprecating humor stands out for its potential to strengthen relationships with subordinates by reducing (perceived) hierarchy and mitigating risks commonly associated with humor by leaders. Despite this potential, little is known about the mechanisms through which leader self-deprecating humor affects employee well-being and psychological safety. Drawing on the relational model of humor and the wheel model of humor, this study examines the relationship between leader self-deprecating humor and employee well-being as well as psychological safety, with a focus on the mediating role of leader–member-exchange and the moderating role of tenure and contact frequency with the leader. A quantitative survey (N = 197) was conducted, and moderated mediation analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that the relationship between leader self-deprecating humor and both employee well-being and psychological safety is mediated by LMX quality, while tenure and contact frequency showed no moderating effect. These findings reinforce the positive potential of leader self-deprecating humor and highlight the central role of relational quality. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.