Organizational culture in Slack : The relationship between organizational culture and digital collaboration tools

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was toexplore organizational culture in a digital context, so that a greater understanding of the relations between the two subjects could be developed. The interest for the subject came from reflections and observations obtained during a prior internship at a small organization using the digital collaboration platform Slack in their daily work. To answer the purpose of the study, one main research question; ‘What is the relationship between organizational culture and a digital communication platform as Slack?’ and two sub questions; ‘How is Slack used to solve problems with internal integration? and ‘How is Slack used to solve problems with external adaption?’ was formulated. The two sub questions came from an operationalization of Schein’s (2010, p.18) well used definition of organizational culture. By using the qualitative method netnography to study the behaviors and interactions of the members of a small organization through participating observations, in combination with the field notes and observations from the prior internship, the research questions were successfully answered. The results showed that Slack was used as a tool to maintain structure and order during problems with external adaption in form of a re-organization creating an unsecure time-period. Decrement in activity also showed that the usage of Slack was limited in time and easily could be exchanged, but that appreciated cultural rites and behaviors created from using it could live on outside of Slack. Results also showed that Slack successfully functioned as a tool to solve problems with internal integration. By allowing new members to efficiently come in contact with both the formal and informal cultural elements, the very essence of culture as in underlying assumptions was quickly taught. The efficiency of using Slack for internal integration was also shown to rely on a new possible problem in form of a disintegration between the private and work. The answer to the main research question was that Slack is an artifact, inhabiting other artifact, living in symbiosis with the organization. Even though Slack could help an organization to cope with problems of external adaption and internal integration, Slack on its own did not serve as a one single place for understanding and becoming a part of an organization and its culture, as the organization and culture still will live and develop outside of the digital medium.