EDUCATION
Degrees
Schulich School of Business
York University
Toronto, ON
Department of Education
University of Minnesota
Duluth, MN
Ivey Business School
Western University
London, ON
(Double Major)
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, ON
Other
Talent Development & Gifted Education
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
School of Health Professions
Long Island University
Brooklyn, NY
Woodsworth College
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Dissertation
The effectiveness of humor in persuasion: The case of business ethics training.
ISBN 978-0-612-70570-8
ProQuest 30470088
Or, READ IT HERE for free.
Abstract
Humor is a ubiquitous and under-researched phenomenon. Previous research on its effectiveness in persuasion has produced conflicting and inconclusive results. Accordingly, this study began by developing theory about when the use of humor could be expected to be effective, based on a review and integration of existing humor theory and persuasion theory. The Ethics Challenge (Lockheed Martin's board game that uses Dilbert cartoons to teach about ethics) was selected for an experiment to test this theory. As elements of the humor were removed, changes in the effectiveness of the game were noted. The independent variable was humor (cartoons, wisecracks, neither, or both) and the dependent variable was persuasion (changes in behavioral intentions and descriptive adjective ratings). Overall, it was the removal of irony and self-effacing humor that had the most significant impact on the effectiveness of the persuasive message.
Committee
BA (Manitoba); MA & PhD (Michigan)
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Professor (York)
BA (St. Olaf); MA & PhD (Minnesota)
Career Development/HRM
Associate Professor (York)
BComm & MSc (UBC); PhD (Cornell)
Organizational Culture
Associate Professor (York)
BSc (Madras); MBA (IIM); PhD (Northwestern)
Diversity in Organizations
Associate Professor (York)
BA, MA, and PhD (Toronto)
Social Psychology
Professor (York)
BA, MBA (Western); PhD (York)
Organizational Change
Professor (WLU)
Professional Development
Death and Dying as a Pathway to Generate Resilience and Cultivate Compassion, Bakken Center, University of Minnesota, July 12, 2023.
Explorations in Consciousness: Death, Psychedelics, and Mystical Experience, June 8, 2023.
Faculty Writing Hunker, Writing Across the Curriculum, University of Minnesota, May 22-26, 2023.
The Global Existentialist Summit Mission #2, Existential Offerings, January 2-6, 2023.
Why are we trapped in conflict, and how do we get out? Humphrey School of Public Affairs, November 2, 2022.
Revenue Over Public Safety, Brennan Center for Justice, July 6, 2022.
The Global Existentialist Summit Mission #1, Existential Offerings, January 3-7, 2022.
CANVAS Training, University of Minnesota Duluth, January 7, 2021.
Aging Mastery Program, October 22 - November 21, 2019.
The Amazing Conference with James Randi in Las Vegas, July 12-15, 2017.
Teaching with Cases Online: Web-Based Training, Harvard University, February 24-March 12, 2015.
The Case Method Teaching Seminar: Part II at Harvard University June 14-15, 2013.
OL2000: Online Teacher Training from the World Campus of the Pennsylvania State University, 2010.
Seventh International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter, University of Aberdeen (Scotland), July 9-14, 2007.
Faculty Development Workshops at Long Island University under Judith Kirchhoff, Jason Zhu, and Aaron Lieberman.
The Art and Craft of Discussion Leadership at Harvard University at the end of April 2004.
Web-based training in classroom technology with McGraw-Hill at the beginning of April 2004.
Studied under award-winning teachers Ronald J. Burke and Christine Oliver (former editor of Administrative Sciences Quarterly) and organizational scholar Gareth Morgan (Images of Organization) at York University.
For five semesters, supported Gareth Morgan, Asaf Zohar, and Pat Bradshaw in developing independence and collaboration within project teams as part of the Management Skills course initiated by my thesis advisor, Rob Lucas.
During 1997, completed a graduate course in University Teaching and Learning at York University. In that context, participated in videotaped teaching and feedback sessions, teleconferencing seminars, and multicultural sensitivity training.
In 1995, attended the 15th Annual Conference on Critical Thinking at Sonoma University near Santa Rosa, California. Spent two additional days there studying the Socratic method under Richard Paul. After the conference, offered in-service seminars at the Toronto campus of DeVry University. Faculty members were inspired to redesign the student orientation course (STOR 115) to include a critical thinking component, and to adopt the textbook I recommended.
Recognition
Omicron Delta Kappa, 2023 (University of Minnesota Duluth)
Nominated for Teaching Excellence Award, 2009 & 2010 (Pennsylvania State University - Great Valley)
Excellence in Student Service Award, 2007 (Long Island University)
Nominated for U.S. Professor of the Year, 2007 (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching)
Nominated for the David E. Newton Award for Teaching Excellence, 2006 & 2007 (Long Island University)
Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow, 2001-2003
Anthony P. Cunliffe Award (Scholarship), 1996 (York University)
First Year Entrance Scholarship, 1985 (University of Western Ontario)
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score = 740
Life Member of Mensa (IQ = 149)
University Courses Completed
POSTGRADUATE COURSES
- Long Island University - Department of Psychology
- Research Design II
- York University - Schulich School of Business
- Qualitative Methods
- Research Writing Practicum
- Individual and Group Behavior
- Advanced Quantitative Methods
- Independent Study: Business Ethics
- Advanced Topics in Organization Theory
- Statistical Methods for Business Research
- Independent Study: Humor in the Workplace
- Philosophy and Method in the Social Sciences
GRADUATE COURSES
- University of Minnesota - Department of Educational Psychology
- Intelligence and Creativity
- Education of the Gifted & Talented
- Independent Study in Educational Psychology
- University of Minnesota Duluth - Department of Education
- Teaching Online
- Assessment of Learning
- Diversity and Social Justice
- Principles of Adult Education
- Educational Policy and Issues
- Curriculum Theory and Design
- Foundations of Education & Research
- Ethics and Professionalism in Education
- Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
- American Indian Education Policy Development
- Adolescent/Adult Development and Learning Theory
- Long Island University - Department of Psychology
- Tests & Measurement
- Practicum in Psychology
- Therapeutic Intervention
- History of Psychotherapy
- Professional Issues & Ethics
- Psychology Independent Study
- Introduction to Clinical Psychology
- Contemporary Psychological Theory
- York University - School of Graduate Studies
- Philosophy of Psychotherapy
- University Teaching and Learning
- Systemic Approaches to Interpersonal Change
- Western University - Department of Philosophy
- Special Topics in Values Theory: Interpretation
- Western University- Ivey Business School
- Business Policy
- Interpersonal Skills
- Managers of Change
- End User Computing
- Finance for Managers
- Management Science
- Management Behavior
- Marketing Management
- Operations Management
- Economics for Managers
- Managerial Communication
- Accounting for Management
- Legal Environment of Business
- Human Resource Management
- Political Environment of Business
- Special Topics: Creative Leadership
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
- University of Toronto - Woodsworth College
- East Asian Religions
- Confucian Philosophy
- Religion: East and West
- Religious Consciousness
- Religious Self-Deception
- Jung's Theories of Religion
- Introduction to Psychology
- The New Religions of Japan
- Freud's Theories of Religion
- Introductory New Testament
- Comparative World Religions
- Introductory Psychology of Religion
- Wilfrid Laurier University - Faculty of Arts
- Ethical Theories
- Business Ethics
- Introductory Logic
- Digital Electronics I
- Problems of the Self
- The Physics of Music
- Existentialist Themes
- Basic Christian Ethics
- The Philosophy of Law
- Basic Materials in Theory
- Introduction to Sociology
- The Quest for World Peace
- Logic and Critical Thinking
- Models of Human Intelligence
- Introduction to Logic & Algebra
- Philosophy and Contemporary Life I
- Philosophy and Contemporary Life II
- Wilfrid Laurier University - School of Business & Economics
- Business Law
- Basic Statistics
- Decision Analysis
- Personnel Management
- Administrative Practices
- Organizational Behavior
- Computer Fundamentals
- Financial Management II
- Introduction to Marketing
- Introduction to Economics
- Logic and Critical Thinking
- Enterprise and Public Policy
- Working Capital Management
- Intermediate Microeconomics
- Interpersonal Communication
- Intermediate Macroeconomics
- Theories of Economic Regulation
- Accounting: Basic Decision Process
- Introduction to Financial Accounting
- Introduction to Business Organization
- Industrial Relations and the Labor Market
- Industrial Organization: Competition Policy
- Industrial Organization: Theory and Evidence
- Business & Economics in the Greco-Roman Period