Tension was thick in the room 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 improve the mood. chris was acting in a role.

I believe the answer is: Maintenance role

In an organization, people who held the maintenance role would played a crucial role in maintaining a certain level of performance/productivity among other members. This could be done by doing things such as, providing emotional support, relieving working tension, giving counseling for troubled members, etc.

The best bet is to google