Leader humor and organizational citizenship behavior: the role of perceived interpersonal justice

Purpose This study investigates how distinct styles of leader humor affect employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) through the mediating role of perceived interpersonal justice (IJ). Drawing on equity theory and deonance theory, the research explores humor not only as a socioemotional expression but also as a moral signal shaping fairness judgments in leader–follower relationships. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 220 employees working in Indian organizations. The proposed mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) and PROCESS analysis to examine the indirect effects of affiliative, aggressive, self-enhancing and self-defeating humor styles on OCBs directed at co-workers (OCBI) and the organization (OCBO) via interpersonal justice (IJ). Findings Results supported a full mediation model in which IJ explained the effects of affiliative, self-enhancing and aggressive humor on both forms of OCB. No mediation was found for self-defeating humor. The findings reveal that employees’ fairness perceptions are central to understanding how leader humor drives prosocial work behaviors. Practical implications The study provides evidence that affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles foster justice perceptions and OCBs, whereas aggressive humor harms them. HR managers and leadership developers should train supervisors to use humor styles that reinforce interpersonal justice, as this may enhance voluntary employee engagement and strengthen ethical climates. Originality/value This research extends leadership and organizational behavior literature by introducing a justice-based explanation for the effects of leader humor. It highlights the moral dynamics embedded in everyday communication and demonstrates how humor can be leveraged as an evidence-based tool to support prosocial behavior in the workplace.