The purpose of this study is to understand how the blue-collar workers in the industrial sector create solidarity for each other when they are a part of a heterogeneous work group and what obstacles to solidarity can arise in a workgroup embossed by heterogeneity. The study is also investigating how an “us” and “them” can arise and be maintained in heterogeneous work groups. Previous research has studied how diversity in the workplace affects the organization’s profitability and efficiency, and the managers’ perspective on diversity work groups. However, previous research is missing aspects from the employees’ perspective about what it is like to work in heterogeneous work groups, therefore this study aims to fill that knowledge gap. In order to study how solidarity is created and how an “us” and “them” is maintained, seven blue-collar workers in the industrial sector have been interviewed. These employees work in southern Sweden and are a part of a heterogeneous work group. The study’s theoretical framework has been based on Schein’s definition of organizational culture and two of his three culture levels celebrated values and basic assumptions as well as Tajfel and Turner's perspectives on social identity.    The results from the interviews showed that the employees who were a part of the heterogeneous work group felt a sense of solidarity with each other regardless of their different individual characteristics. The reason for this turned out to be that the group members shared the same values and assumptions regarding the group’s common working methods that had been institutionalized. Although the heterogeneous group felt a sense of solidarity with each other, barriers to solidarity arose through communication problems and deviant behavior, which contributed to smaller groupings and an “us” and “them” feeling. Another reason for the groupings that occurred could be derived from the theory of social identity as the group members both identified with the entire group, but also with individual employees who shared similar characteristics.

The purpose with this study is to identify an organizational culture at Posten Örebro based on Edgar H. Schein´s theory about the three levels of culture. These three levels consist of artifacts, espoused beliefs and values and basic underlying assumptions. Artifacts represent the visible and tangible of an organization and this level is the easiest level to identify. Espoused beliefs and values include common thoughts and ideals within the organization and are an aware, but not necessarily material, cultural level. The essence of a culture contains basic underlying assumptions that influence underlying thoughts and actions and this is a level that is difficult to identify since it is unaware to the members of an organization. This study will also examine the organizational culture’s level of homogeneity among departments and employee levels within Posten Örebro.This study is based on the following questions: How can the organizational culture of Posten Örebro be described based on Schein´s levels of culture? How homogenous is the organizational culture among departments and employee levels within Posten Örebro?The result of this study shows that it is possible to apply Schein´s theory on Posten Örebro and to identify artifacts, espoused beliefs and values and an indication of a basic underlying assumption. The result also shows that the organizational culture within Posten Örebro is almost completely homogenous, with the exception of the value of change.Key words: Organizational culture, Schein, Posten, artifacts, espoused values, underlying assumptions