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This article considers the role of humour as a disciplinary technology. Using the British military as an organizational context, and drawing on data from the published memoirs of recently serving military personnel, the article makes three arguments in this regard. First, it is argued that the disciplinary apparatus of the military, as an example of a rule-bound and hierarchical organizational structure, creates the conditions that allow for a controlled form of resistance (through humour) to be enacted by organizational subjects; but ultimately, such acts work to serve the requirements of the organization. Second, it is argued that humour contributes to the establishing of social cohesion through disciplinary practices of inclusion and exclusion and the drawing of lines of normalization, both at the local level and at a wider institutional level. Third, it is argued that humour permeates the power relations that structure organizational life: both those governed by rank and position and those that arise through the modes of self-regulation through which much organizational disciplining is enacted. This article concludes by drawing attention to the dialectic and dynamic nature of humour while also offering suggestions for the wider applicability of the disciplinary role of workplace humour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2004 the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) published its second Code of Practice on postgraduate research programmes. This was an update following the UK Government commissioned Roberts Review (2002) which suggested that standards should be raised, and skills and knowledge enhanced to better meet the requirements of research and the employers of researchers. Ten sports science PhD bursary students from Brunel University returned completed questionnaires which were designed to elicit views on the provision of taught lectures as part of their programme of education. Analysis and interpretation was made in the light of the Roberts Review (2002) and the QAA Code of Practice (2004). Findings demonstrated that students had access to a large number of relevant lectures but only 50 per cent had actually attended any. General findings suggest that the University provides a very positive environment for PhD education that may require only minor changes. However, the lack of more explicit guidelines in the Roberts Review (2002) and QAA Code of Practice (2004) increases the risk of some universities providing inadequate education to their students. These exploratory findings suggest that future research is needed on this topic. Indeed, it suggests that universities need to carefully investigate the extent to which training programmes are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiday ultra-endurance races present athletes with a significant number of physiological and psychological challenges. We examined emotions, the perceived functionality (optimal-dysfunctional) of emotions, strategies to regulate emotions, sleep quality, and energy intakeexpenditure in a four-man team participating in the Race Across AMerica (RAAM); a 4856km continuous cycle race. Cyclists reported experiencing an optimal emotional state for less than 50% of total competition, with emotional states differing significantly between each cyclist over time. Coupled with this emotional disturbance, each cyclist experienced progressively worsening sleep deprivation and daily negative energy balances throughout the RAAM. Cyclists managed less than one hour of continuous sleep per sleep episode, high sleep latency and high percentage moving time. Of note, actual sleep and sleep efficiency were better maintained during longer rest periods, highlighting the importance of a race strategy that seeks to optimise the balance between average cycling velocity and sleep time. Our data suggests that future RAAM cyclists and crew should: 1) identify beliefs on the perceived functionality of emotions in relation to best (functional-optimal) and worst (dysfunctional) performance as the starting point to intervention work; 2) create a plan for support sufficient sleep and recovery; 3) create nutritional strategies that maintain energy intake and thus reduce energy deficits; and 4) prepare for the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation so that they are able to appropriately respond to unexpected stressors and foster functional working interpersonal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]