“Sarcasm is considered the highest form of intelligence (Oscar Wilde) and, under certain conditions, it can increase creativity in the workplace for both expressers and recipients,” said Li Huang, INSEAD, at a seminar organised by the EIB Institute.

Sarcasm can express scorn or disapproval but research conducted by Li Huang, Francesca Gino (Harvard) and Adam D. Galinsky (Columbia University) shows that it also increases abstract thinking and thus creativity.

Interpersonal trust is a prerequisite as recipients interpret sarcasm from individuals they trust positively and expressers expect individuals they trust to interpret their sarcasm positively.

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