<p>Mergers between companies has become more and more common in Sweden and in the rest of the world with the motive to increase the competitive strength in the current markets and has an important role within organisational development of companies. When organisations merger there is not only buildings and objects that are put together but also their individual organisational structures, people, values and cultures. This can be a difficult process and can affect many people in how they think conscious as well as unconscious, feel and react.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of how employees are affected following a merger when changes in the organisational culture come up, and how these changes are expressed.</p><p>This thesis is delimited to investigate only one company, Skruf Snus AB and only focus on their business and employees in the region of Stockholm. The thesis contains a qualitative investigation with semi structured interviews that has been carried out with eight employees at Skruf Snus AB. The thesis is partly based on a model of Schein which describes the different levels in organisational culture and partly on some theories about reactions to change in relation to the integration between the employees following a merger.</p><p>The results of the investigation indicate that with a merger the whole organisational culture is affected and therefore also the employees. Routines, communication, loyalty and relations have been changed. A gain of stress, anxiety, sadness and disappointment appears between the employees. This is often a result of lack of information and indistinct directives. Concepts like “Us and Them” are created, both unconscious and conscious and are permeated through the entire organisation.</p>

Mergers between companies has become more and more common in Sweden and in the rest of the world with the motive to increase the competitive strength in the current markets and has an important role within organisational development of companies. When organisations merger there is not only buildings and objects that are put together but also their individual organisational structures, people, values and cultures. This can be a difficult process and can affect many people in how they think conscious as well as unconscious, feel and react. The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of how employees are affected following a merger when changes in the organisational culture come up, and how these changes are expressed. This thesis is delimited to investigate only one company, Skruf Snus AB and only focus on their business and employees in the region of Stockholm. The thesis contains a qualitative investigation with semi structured interviews that has been carried out with eight employees at Skruf Snus AB. The thesis is partly based on a model of Schein which describes the different levels in organisational culture and partly on some theories about reactions to change in relation to the integration between the employees following a merger. The results of the investigation indicate that with a merger the whole organisational culture is affected and therefore also the employees. Routines, communication, loyalty and relations have been changed. A gain of stress, anxiety, sadness and disappointment appears between the employees. This is often a result of lack of information and indistinct directives. Concepts like “Us and Them” are created, both unconscious and conscious and are permeated through the entire organisation.