Tension was apparent as the management team discussed changes to promotion requirements. but then chris made a joke about jake's white-knuckled grip on his pen, and the laughter seemed to lighten the mood. chris was acting in a role.

chris was acting in a maintenance role. Maintenance roles refer to the actions of individuals that help preserve the relationships in a group.A maintenance role is behavior that fosters constructive relationships among team members. Examples include harmonizers, those who mediate conflict through reconciliation or humor.