LONDON, ENGLAND: THE mother hen. The dude. The joker. The realist. The geek.

These workplace characters are playing a more critical role in the current economic climate, say business psychologists.

As more companies face the grim task of managing their employees' emotions amid uncertain job security, these characters can do much to help lift, or sink, morale in the office. They can contribute to team motivation and help ease tensions arising from business downsizing, according to the T-Mobile Workplace Motivation Report done in Britain recently.

THE MOTHER HEN

As the comforting voice of reason and empathy, this is the person everyone turns to for advice. This character can help raise the team's spirits in times of difficulty.

THE DUDE

Laidback and relaxed, the dude has the ability to remain unflustered when things go wrong. This person can be a calming influence.

THE JOKER

He or she uses humour to communicate and always has time to chat with colleagues. This can play a vital role in lightening the mood in the office.

THE REALIST

With the ability to always see the truth through the spin, the realist always tells it like it is - thus keeping the team in check.

THE GEEK

The geek is the one the boss can depend on to get the job done, when everyone is distracted by job security.

Experts say that now, more than ever, employers and staff need to understand the value of each of these characters and how they can be tapped upon to help companies ride out the economic crisis.

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