Jim Lyttle

Telephone: (608) 203-5790
E-Mail: jim @ JimLyttle.com
Website: www.JimLyttle.com

Area of Interest

Teaching courses at the intersection of business and the
liberal arts, such as organizational behavior, and doing
research on the effective and responsible use of humor.

Biographical Sketch

Jim Lyttle holds a Ph.D. from York University, where he received the Anthony P. Cunliffe Award, and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, where he earned an entrance scholarship. These Canadian universities placed 49th and 46th in the world, respectively, on the 2011 Financial Times ranking. Since 2001, he has served as a full-time faculty member of MBA programs at Upper Iowa, Long Island, and Penn State Universities.

Before coming to America, he traveled across Canada as a musical arranger with his own show band. Then, he worked in sales administration at Electrohome Electronics in Kitchener. He is a life member of Mensa, an executive of the Clan Little Society, North America, and the editor of its publication The Reiver. He owns and operates MORNA to conduct and encourage scholarly research on humor.

Research Impact

Jim Lyttle is a scholar of humor and a member of the International Society for Humor Studies. His work has been cited in books, graduate theses, conference papers, and academic journals as diverse as Management Decision, Human Relations, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Conflict Management, Organizational Psychology Review, Asian American Journal of Psychology, American Behavioral Scientist, Media Psychology, Mass Communication and Society, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, International Journal of Bank Marketing, and American Politics Research.

Writing

Humor in Business Ethics Training
Humor and the Evaluation of Teaching
Judicious Use of Humor in the Workplace
Why Work is Not More Fun
The Use of Humor in E-Advertising
Supervising Therapists' Humor
The Fear of Being Laughed At
The Ethics of Humo(u)r

Teaching

Jim Lyttle uses problem-solving techniques learned from Gareth Morgan at York University, critical thinking standards learned from Richard Paul at Sonoma State, and the case method learned at "The Ivey School." He also studied The Art and Craft of Discussion Leadership at Harvard and has adapted that method for part-time students with diverse levels of academic preparation. He has taught undergraduate courses and, occasionally, online and off-site courses. Using humor, challenging discussions, and lively classroom presentations, he advocates a more thoughtful approach to leadership in his university courses. He has also develops and delivers private sector courses that help professionals use humor in their practices, while maintaining their credibility and avoiding offense or confusion.

Learn More About

Jim Lyttle's Research
Jim Lyttle's Experience
Jim Lyttle's Preparation
Impact of Jim's Research