I use your idea in my teaching and I have positive results. I use the subject under discussion in a way to provoke laughter, not telling jokes irrelevant to the course.

The students can relax while trying to understand concepts new to them. I haven't had any bad comments yet.

this is a very sufficient equations but it need more effort.

I agree with Dr Michael

In history we find in various cultures also some skeptical views on laughter.

Don't know if we should take them dead serious, though. :)

See the link for such a view from East Asia.

Chapter Attitudes towards laughter and euphoria in medieval Chinese ...

Dear All,

Humour always can or could help in delicate situations. The problem is that the use, the degree, and nature of humour need not only a lot of practice but also presume the deep knowledge of the colleagues/workers, the situation and the possible reactions of the participants. In international society that is among people from various cultures to be humorous may be a very risky situation. Regarding RG threads, humour is a subordinated and rare mode of discussion. Sometimes the cultural limits may be impenetrable.

An example, it happened about 20 years ago. My mentor, a distinguished and really humorous Hungarian zoology professor delivered a lecture for Iranian postgraduate students – men over 30 or more, on nematodes, on Heterodera schachtii which causes very distinct symptoms on the roots of sugar beet. He tried to find a good comparison on the increased development of collateral roots and said that the sugar beet roots attacked by H. schachtii are like the beard of Khomeini ayatollah. He told me, he thought to be in a tale of the thousand and one nights, when Kasim was among the 40 bandits. Of course, these students were not bandits, but they were as grave and morose as a storm at a winter day.  

Thus, spontaneous humour among people from other culture may be very risky.     

People would love to listen to us if we mix humor( that sans pun of course!!!) whenever we initiate a discussion or conversation with people.

Humor only helps to express your mood. A good management strategy will value planning, working approache  and reevaluation of actions. You can do that smiling or not. Sucess comes to those who stick to these three concepts, humor is good but not determinant.

Use humor and play to deal with challenges

You can avoid many confrontations and resolve arguments and disagreements by communicating in a playful or humorous way.

Humor can help you say things that might otherwise be difficult to express without creating a flap.

http://www.edcc.edu/counseling/documents/Conflict.pdf

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) the great Muslim scientist came out with the theory of musical therapy with the temperament of the patient. He employed music to soothe patient’s nerves--- a far better method than the administration of tranquilizer with their side effects. He stated, “We have to understand that the best and effective remedy for the treatment of patients should be through the improvement of the power of the human body in order to increase its immune system, which is based on the beauty of the surroundings and letting him listen to the best music and allow his best friends to be with him………. A long, gentle and relaxing walk……….. a pleasant song, particularly if it induces sleep, and occupying oneself with that which one finds pleasurable is a strong analgesic”.

Dear Dr. GOPINATH. R. ji, I am a research manager and heading a regional research station of ICAR-IISWC at Agra. Since my college days I always use to humorous and find lot of positive energy with it. Since after completing my M Sc in 1980 till now I am follower of Humor in all part of life and find it make the complicated things very easy and simple. Thanks 

10 Reasons Why Humor Is A Key To Success At Work

  Jacquelyn Smith

“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Tasteful humor is a key to success at work, but there’s a good chance your co-workers aren’t cracking jokes or packaging information with wit on a regular basis–and your office could probably stand to have a little more fun.

“Humor, by its nature, tends to have an edge to it, so people typically tone it down at work,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of What the Most Successful People Do at Work (Portfolio, 2013), and What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (Portfolio, 2012). “It’s hard to do well and easy to do badly. Plus, we all have a tendency to take ourselves way too seriously.”

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker, president of Humor at Work, and author of The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses are Laughing all the Way to the Bank (Dec. 2013), says the amount or type of humor you’ll find in any given workplace depends almost entirely on the culture. “In workplaces that encourage people to be themselves–that are less hierarchical and more innovative–people tend to be more open with their humor,” he says. “Even people who aren’t always comfortable sharing their humor tend to do so in more relaxed environments where the use of humor becomes second nature with everyone’s style.”

Then there are workplaces with employees who tone down their humor, often with the desire to be taken more seriously, he adds. “Yet, this can backfire as people who take themselves overly seriously are often, ironically, taken less seriously by the people around them.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/05/03/10-reasons-why-humor-is-a-key-to-success-at-work/#b2d552b24035

Dear Dr. Gopinath,

I list here under 6 selected reasons how humorous speech is helpful in successful management of an organization:

1. Humour is a key to creative thinking

2. Humour is a potent stress buster                                                                                       3. People who use humour are more approachable

4. Humour puts subordinates at ease by breaking the tension barrier

5. Humour helps in building trust of the employees

6. Humour may increase productivity by creating upbeat atmosphere in organization

HUMOUR HELPS TO CAPTIVATE AUDIENCE WHO MAY HAVE GONE OFF TO SLEEP IF IT IS A MONOTONOUS SLEEPAND IF ONE COMBINES SOME FIGURES WHICH CONSTANTLY ARE A SOURCE OD\F LAUGHTER WHICH CAPTIVATES THE AUDIENCES ATTENTIONTHE REWTENTIVE POWER VIS ALSO INCREASED BESIDES THE CONCENTRATION ,GIVING VISUAL AIDS AND PICTURES HELP AND RECENTLY SAW A SPEACH BY DR BASU ON DM WHICH WAS SO CAPTIVATING THAT ONE COULD RECAPITULATE THE WHOLE ONE HOUR TALK.

Last month there was a question reg. humor 'Does a good humor sense correspond to high intellect? Is it a direct relationship between high IQ and a good humor sense ? (https://www.researchgate.net/post/Does_a_good_humor_sense_correspond_to_high_intellect/3)' so obviously a person having humorous sense certainly be a successful manager, no doubt. Gopinath you explained all characteristics of humor. I need not tell much more.

Humour

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humour

All About Humor

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/humor

as per my experience probably yes

Humor is a powerful tool when used effectively.

Humor may be very constructive tool in overcoming and solving problems in organisation, contributing to successful management. 

Some fine resources follow.

" There is a growing consensus that humor could be one of the most important competencies of a leader. This impression seems to be especially so under the clan controls where relationship-building between a leader and employees become crucial in managing human resources (HR)..."

Article The Role of Humor in the Relationship Between Transactional ...

Article Humor in management: No laughing matter

Article Humor in Management: Prospects for Administrative Practice a...

Article How to promote relationship-building leadership at work? A c...

Humorous speech can be used to reduce stress and tension, and for making students relax. But humorous speech should be limited in time so as to achieve the target of using it.

Dear All, Humorous lecture to students and humorous nature of a lecturer reduced disliking for the subject and infuse affinity and liking to subjects without any stress and tension. One must have the element of Humor in his teaching and or research. Thanks

Humor: Key to Management Success--And Happy Workers?

Proper use of humor at work can be a manager's best friend... "humor can disarm uncomfortable situations and help employees identify with their bosses. Jokes aren’t a must for success as a manager, but studies suggest humor leads to creativity, better personal interactions and workplaces that are simply more fun."...

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130731133426-20195722-humor-key-to-management-success-and-happy-workers

“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

See 10 Reasons Why Humor Is A Key To Success At Work---- through link

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/05/03/10-reasons-why-humor-is-a-key-to-success-at-work/#17a018882403

add-on to all the well thought out point as jotted down earlier by learned scholars

1. Humor helps in striking quick relationship with new environment. An example is many leaders talk

2. Humor Ir-relevant to the context ( as well said by Michael) could act as an irritant and  also widens the gap

3. Humor touching personal traits would lead to conflicts, trust deficits and widen gap

Humor Improves Communication

Paul McGhee, PhD, www.LaughterRemedy.com

"Have I reached the person to whom I am speaking?" (Lily Tomlin, as Ernestine)

 [Adapted from P. McGhee, Health, Healing and the Amuse System: Humor as Survival Training. Call 800-228-0810 to order.]

No matter what kind of job you have, communication will always be an important aspect of your work, whether it’s in meetings, phone conversations with clients or discussions between managers and other employees. Many professional organizations (e.g., the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) now emphasize the development of good "people skills," and communication skills are generally at the top of the list. Unfortunately, good communication is often complicated by the fact that people are stressed out and overloaded with work. You have to earn attention and interest, both in your written and oral communications.

A recent poll reported by Newsweek indicated that the biggest work-related complaint that employees had was poor communication with management, with 64% claiming that this impeded their work.1 Part of the value of humor on the job lies in its ability to lubricate the channels of communication, assuring that it occurs more smoothly and effectively. In the next few months, we'll look at some of the ways humor contributes to effective communication on the job.

Removal of Barriers between Management and Non-Management Staff

As long as distinctions are made between management and non-management employees, there will always be barriers to good communication. Some managers have a style which discourages open communication. When a manager uses humor (especially occasional self-directed humor), however, it says to everyone on the team that s/he’s a regular person—s/he’s one of us. To function as a team, you need openness and comfort in bringing up difficult issues, and shared positive humor is a powerful means of achieving that. Any organization that wants or needs the full commitment of its employees to work as a team needs to establish a relaxed and open work atmosphere. A manager who shows that s/he has a good sense of humor goes a long way in establishing this atmosphere.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (a federal utility) improved communication within the company by having executives come to work in costumes, stage talk show sketches, and hold charity water balloon fights.2

In many organizations, people with opposing views don’t express them, out of fear of reprisal. But it’s essential that employees are comfortable expressing concerns and doubts about any decision that’s made--especially in the midst of change. Humor creates an environment in which opposing views are more likely to be expressed.

Trust is important here. There’s always an element of risk in proposing new ideas, which could either succeed or fail, if implemented. They also could be rejected or ridiculed. A history of shared positive humor helps create a sense of trust which enables employees to open up and express ideas freely without fear of ridicule or rejection.

Emotional Tone of Communication

Our daily communications on the job consist of much more than the information we give and receive. Their emotional tone is just as important. Think back to conversations you’ve had with people you’ve met in the past. Chances are you remember your emotional reaction to that person and the general feeling of the conversation much better than you remember what was said. Shared amusement and laughter help assure that both participants in the conversation will remember the good feeling they had long after the content is forgotten.

http://www.laughterremedy.com/articles/communication.html

I use humour a lot. My foundation is tragic, but my appearance is humorous.

                                     Bahman Ghobadi