Humour and Licensed Retailing

The anthropological and sociological purpose of this article is to illustrate the importance of humour within hospitality and, in particular, licensed retail management. With the aid of a number of examples and with the results of some field studies it seeks to conduct a preliminary analysis of the use of humour in a licensed retail context. The aim is to illustrate that within this context, humour is not just a trivialising process. It has other functions and benefits. It also has its limitations. The intention is to show that humour can be, amongst other things, a form of human and organisational communication that is as serious and as subtle as any other. As such it is an appropriate subject for management attention, particularly in this context. Making money and making jokes are compatible activities in licensed retailing, as many publicans will testify.