Management gurus have the last laugh

Skilful communication techniques, particularly the use of humour, are key to the popularity of some of the world’s leading management gurus, according to ESRC-funded research.

In common with all public speakers, management gurus need their audiences to remain receptive to their ideas. Those management gurus who fill an auditorium with laughter can deliver uncomfortable messages without alienating their audience or damaging their own popularity.

Existing research shows that most politicians maintain audience support for their messages by using presentation techniques that generate applause. In a new study, researchers Dr Tim Clark and Dr David Greatbatch, of King’s College London, have analysed the techniques that gurus such as Tom Peters, Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Gary Hamil employ to keep their managerial audiences ‘on-side’.

“Examining live and video recorded performances of leading international gurus enabled us to analyse the presentational techniques they use to disseminate their ideas during live presentations,” explains Dr Greatbatch.

In presenting their ideas, gurus often have to praise organisational practices that their audience members are unlikely to be using and disparage practices that they are likely to be using. Gurus face the delicate task of extolling the virtues of some practices and criticising others while avoiding alienating their audience.

However, as Dr Clark argues: “These gurus remain highly regarded on the world speaking stage and we wanted to discover their grammar of persuasion – in other words the communication techniques which underpin their frequently charismatic and persuasive public speaking performances.”

The study reveals that gurus avoid offending their audience by evoking laughter and by telling stories. “Basically, whenever the guru says anything potentially uncomfortable to audiences of managers they use humour and wrap it up as a joke,” states Dr Greatbatch. Researchers discovered that gurus use a series of specific techniques to invite laughter. “Collective audience laughter is not simply a spontaneous reaction to humour or jokes,” he argues. “Rather the gurus invite laughter by indicating when it is appropriate for the audience members to do so.”

The methods used by gurus to invite laughter include a range of verbal and non-verbal actions such as the speaker laughing himself, using exaggerated, ironic or comedic gestures or showing his teeth in a ‘laughing’ smile. When gurus thus succeed in evoking laughter, they enable the audience to demonstrate that they and the gurus share a common viewpoint. Through laughter, the audience begins to feel part of an ‘in group’ that is joined in opposition to whatever management practice the guru is criticising.

The study also shows the importance of story telling both in evoking laughter and deflecting criticism. Over two-thirds of the cases of audience laughter studied occurred in the context of stories. In addition to making messages more entertaining and memorable, story-telling is used by gurus to establish the authority of their knowledge. Their stories, for example, constantly reference well-known and highly regarded managers and organisations that the guru has come into contact with. When interviewed, audience members consistently declared the speakers who developed their arguments through humorous stories to be the most memorable.

“Our research clearly shows that gurus deploy humour at those points in their presentation where they face possible dissent,” asserts Dr Greatbatch. “Because they package their ideas in a non-offensive way, the world’s leading gurus are never booed from the stage and typically generate very positive audience reaction and a high feel-good factor. Anyone can learn the techniques which they use – and public speakers ranging from politicians to trainers could benefit from having a greater range of presentation techniques to deploy when necessary.”

For further information, contact Dr David Greatbatch. Tel: 01538 386240.
Email: [email protected]
Or, Dr Timothy Clark. Tel: 020 7848 4092. Email: [email protected]
Or, contact Lilian El-Doufani or Lesley Lilley in ESRC External Relations.
Tel: 01793 413032 or 413119.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Both researchers are based at The Management Centre, King’s College London.

2. The ESRC is the UK’s largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It has a track record of providing high-quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and government. The ESRC invests around £46 million every year in social science research. At any time, its range of funding schemes may be supporting 2,000 researchers within academic institutions and research policy institutes. It also funds postgraduate training within the social sciences, thereby nurturing the researchers of tomorrow. The ESRC website address is http://www.esrc.ac.uk

3. REGARD is the ESRC’s bibliographic database accessible via the World Wide Web. It provides a key source of information on ESRC social science research awards and all associated publications and products. The website can be found at http://www.regard.ac.uk