Germans laugh at work? You're joking

Link : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041011/80/f4bht.html


BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans tend not to laugh at work because humour is a taboo considered to show a lack of self-discipline, a German author and corporate adviser has told Bild newspaper.


"Being happy and laughing are often seen in Germany as something negative," said Thomas Holtbernd, who has studied the phenomenon and written a book called "Fuehrungsfaktor Humor" (Leadership with Humour).


"Humour being frowned upon at the workplace can probably be traced back to the discipline instilled in Germans in the past," Holtbernd, who teaches manager seminars on humour, said on Monday.