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Det har länge dividerats om hur den teknologiska utvecklingen påverkar oss. Marshall McLuhan och Alvin Toffler ifrågasatte vårt beteende och berättade om hur teknikens utveckling kommer att påverka oss redan på 1960-talet. Det har också myntats uttryck som information overload och infobesity som uttrycker den stress människor upplever när de inte längre kan bearbeta den information de konstant tar del av. Sociala medier är en stor bidragande faktor till det rådande tillståndet av information overload. Det råder inte heller några tvivel om att vår användning av sociala medier mer eller mindre påverkar våra medvetna beslut och vår kommunikation.Information overload är inget nytt begrepp, och i dagens informationssamhälle är det inte bara massmedia som står för den informationsspridning som sköljer över befolkningen utan de är själva delaktiga i att skapa den enorma mängd information och kommunikation de tar del av varje dag. Medierad kommunikation är under ständig utveckling och tar en stor plats i vårt vardagsliv. Det är inte enbart den klassiska masskommunikationen som fångar användarnas uppmärksamhet utan det är möjligheten att själva vara med och bidra till kommunikation och information som är intressant för användaren.Det är av vår uppfattning att de moderna kommunikationsverktygen påverkar vårt varande, både i den digitala och den verkliga världen, och det är denna påverkan som är i fokus för denna studie. / Today’s interactive media invites users to take part in a massive exchange of information and the idea and desire to filter information has always been in question. This thesis will discuss the problems with information overload and the effects it has on users of social media. With critical design as a point of view we aim to point out some of these effects in an attempt to create a debate within the interaction design community. The first chapter will discuss the theories underlying mediated communication, information overload, user centered design and critical design. The following chapters will discuss methodology and implementation of these methods. Bodystorming and user studies will function as our main methods to map out the behavioural changes that come from information overload. The result of our user studies indicates that the communication often becomes impersonal and that the activity itself becomes more important than the content of the message. Our final results will not present a solution to the problem area but will give an example on how to focus design work to avoid creating unpleasant user experiences of social and interactive media.

The main purpose of this dissertation is to assess ontological issues of information acquisition, focusing on information overload from an integrative perspective of two theoretical foundations, which links two perspectives of consumer behavior in information acquisition: foraging theory in behavioral ecology and information processing theory in marketing. Applying to the integrative investigation, the current research primarily emphasizes the infusion of ecological rationality (i.e., Darwinian Theory) into normative rationality (i.e., Newtonian Theory), but it is not alternative but complementary to each other. Ecological rationality, which is rooted in Darwinism, emphasizes that human behavior has developed through adaptation and natural selection as the human minds interact with environments. The current study consists of five chapters: the philosophical foundation of the rationalities, exploratory study, proposed hypotheses, empirical tests, and general discussion. A summary of the contents of each chapter is: The first chapter aims to provide an integrative framework of consumer information acquisition in order to explore ontological issues in information overload paradigm, attempting to synthesize different approaches in marketing and behavioral ecology. To explore, the current study emphasizes an integrative perspective between two theories for information acquisition (foraging and information processing), which are based on different philosophical foundations of the rationality (ecological and normative). Along with the process of the information acquisition, this study provides relevant consequences (decision-related responses and decision-related alternatives) after the information acquisition process and influential factors in temporal and psychological dimensions (time and motivation). Then, the conceptual study provides conclusion and the current research scope. The second chapter aims to examine the efficacy of the current study's theoretical integration in the process of consumer information foraging so as to approach an ontological issue in information overload paradigm: more information is better vs. less information is better (i.e., information processing theory and foraging theory under an information overload paradigm). Therefore, this study explores and examines what can be appropriate information structures to describe the ontological issue in the process of consumer information foraging. To formulate the adequate information structure, this study attempts to utilize an integrative perspective between marketing and behavioral ecology. This study examines consumers' online activities sequentially from a broad to detail approach, based on the categories of goods and services. The result, by and large, suggests a necessity of an integrative perspective to view a holistic information structure, including quantity, quality, and environment components. These structural components interactively communicate with minds when shaping the process of the consumer information foraging, which are likely to involve in the degree of information overload. Moreover, results demonstrate rather higher variation of strategic information foraging but emphasize some important communality in the initial stage of information foraging, such as the role of search engine and interpersonal communication. In addition, categories of goods and services affect shaping the pattern of strategic information foraging. Then, the conclusion of the study provides. The third chapter aims to propose a hypothetical model, based on the theoretical backgrounds in Chapter 1 and the findings of the exploratory study in Chapter 2. In addition, the pilot study was conducted to provide a concrete framework of the empirical study by checking the manipulation of holistic information structures. The manipulation of the structures includes the total quantity of information, the quality of information, and environmental information. Those structures measured on several resultant consequences, using the patch concepts (within-patch and between-patch). Controversially, in general, consumers tend to prefer more information rather than less information only when arranged information provides; otherwise, this preference attenuates. This controversial result also has conflicting variations, depending on the types of patches. Overall, the comparison in the within-patch and between-patch through displaying heterogeneous information structures suggests that holistic information structures are a more important factor than the mere quantity or quality of information. The fourth chapter empirically tests the theory-based hypothetical frameworks to assess the ontological issues in information overload paradigm using the integrative perspective of the two information acquisition theories. The findings of the empirical study suggest that the real-world information overload is not simply determined by a single dominant factor (e.g., quantity), but by the interplay of intricately intertwined factors. The factors are the following: information structures (three unarranged and four arranged information structures, including quantity, quality and environment), item categories (durables, nondurables and services), and time constraints (time pressure vs. no time pressure). The interwoven complexity implies that paradigmatic change of perspectives in relation with information overload though integrating two important conceptual factors between domain-specific dependency and universality. Moreover, the information overload begins with the browsing stage of acquiring the necessary information, not with the searching stage, suggesting the view of browsing-searching continuum that underscores the important role of the patch concept. As a whole, the conclusive findings suggest an integrative perspective between Darwinism and Non-Darwinism as a prerequisite of providing a better comprehension of the issues of the information overload paradigm. The fifth chapter is the section of general discussion including major findings, theoretical, methodological and empirical implications, limitations, and conclusive statement. / Business Administration/Marketing

There has been an increasing demand for commercial organisations to foster real-time interaction with customers, because harnessing customer competencies has been shown to be a major contributor towards various benefits, such as growth, innovation and competition. This may drive organisations to embrace the development of multimodal interaction and complement Electronic Customer Knowledge Management Systems (E-CKMS) with metaphors of audio-visual nature. Although the implementation of E-CKMS encounters several challenges, such as lack of trust and information overload, few empirical studies were devoted to assess the role of audio-visual metaphors, and investigate whether these technologies can be put into practice. Therefore, this thesis describes a comparative evaluation study carried out to examine the implication of incorporating multimodal metaphors into E-CKMS interfaces on not only usability of E-CKMS, but also the user's trust, knowledge and acceptance. An experimental E-CKMS platform was implemented with three different modes of interaction: Visual-only E-CKMS (VCKMS) with text and graphics, Multimodal E-CKMS (MCKMS) with speech, earcons and auditory icons and Avatar-enhanced multimodal E-CKMS (ACKMS). The three platforms were evaluated by three independent groups of twenty participants each (total=60) who carried out eight common tasks of increasing complexity and design based on three different styles. Another dependent group of forty-eight participants (n=48) was instructed to interact with the systems under similar usability conditions by performing six common tasks of two styles, and fill a questionnaire devised to measure the aspects of user acceptance. The results therein revealed that ACKMS was more usable and acceptable than both MCKMS and VCKMS, whereas MCKMS was more usable than VCKMS, but less acceptable. Inferential Statistics indicated that these results were statistically significant.

E-post är det vanligaste kommunikationsverktyget för att skicka och ta emot information på arbetet. Trots dess fördelar att snabbt och enkelt kunna utbyta information visar forskning att mängden e-postmeddelanden har ökat till den grad att det bidrar till informationsöverbelastning. E-postkommunikation förväntas utsätta individer, och särskilt chefer, för allt högre nivåer av informationsöverbelastning. Forskning visar att problemet inte handlar om hur chefer ska undvika information, utan om hur chefer kan hantera e-postkommunikation. Detta leder fram till studiens frågeställning: Hur upplever chefer informationsöverbelastning vid e-postkommunikation och vilka copingstrategier använder de? För att få en ökad förståelse för hur chefer hanterar informationsöverbelastning vid e-postkommunikation har vi använt en kvalitativ forskningsansats. Med hjälp av en tematisk analys har vi kunnat identifiera, analysera och upptäcka återkommande mönster av chefers upplevelse. Vi valde därefter att skapa teman av hur upplevelser kan förstås för att kunna beskriva vilka upplevelser som copingstrategier baseras på. De teman som vi har identifierat under den tematiska analysen är: mängd, alltid ansluten, avbrott och organisationsstöd. Tillsammans skapar de fyra temana en förståelse för hur chefer kan uppleva informationsöverbelastning vid e-postkommunikation och vilka copingstrategier de använder. Studien indikerar att det finns kontraster i chefers upplevelser. En upplevelse som kan upplevas som överbelastande för en chef behöver inte vara det för en annan chef. Detta pekar på att det inte finns en enskild copingstrategi för att hantera informationsöverbelastning vid e-postkommunikation. / Email is the most common communication tool for sending and receiving information at work. Despite emails advantages of being able to exchange information quickly and easily, research shows that the volume of emails has increased to the extent that it contributes to information overload. Email communication is expected to expose individuals, and especially managers, for even higher levels of information overload. Research shows that the problem is not about how managers could avoid information, but about how managers can handle email communication. This leads to the question: How do managers experience information overload within email communication and what coping strategies do they use? In order to gain an increased understanding of how managers handle information overload within email communication, we have used a qualitative research approach. With the use of a thematic analysis, we have been able to identify, analyze and detect recurring patterns of managers’ experiences. We then chose to create themes of how experiences can be understood to describe what experiences coping strategies are based on. The themes that we identified under the thematic analysis are: amount, always connected, interruption and organizational support. Together, the four themes create an understanding of how managers can experience information overload within email communication and that coping strategies they use. The study indicates that there are contrasts in managers experiences. An experience that one manager can perceive as overloading does not have to be overloading for another manager. This demonstrates that there is no single coping strategy for managing information overload within email communication.

As technology and capital markets complexity increases, so does the amount of accounting information disclosed by companies in their financial reports. Nowadays, we reached an impasse, where it is questionable if more information will in fact reduce information asymmetry. Previous authors strongly criticize the length of financial statements and annual reports, arguing that they should communicate more rather than just be voluminous as the current volume of information can be counterproductive to the average individual to acquire, retain and process all available information. Based on evidence of previous accounting literature on presentation format and the psychology theories of attribution theory and cognitive load theory, we hypothesize that, by manipulating accounting information using a more general accessible format such as the narrative one, individual investors are able to better understand accounting information and, thereafter, make a more effective use of it versus the concurrent non-fundamental information available in a standard investment decision making setting. To achieve our research goal, we use a mixed method research strategy with an Exploratory Sequential Design: the qualitative method act as a preparation for the quantitative one. Concerning the qualitative method, we interview- using the Q methodology approach - 31 subjects, being 13 analysts/professional investors and 18 individual investors. Our objective in this phase is to identify patterns in the usage of accounting/non-accounting information by analysts/professional investors, in contrast to individual investors\' information choices. By doing so, we can use the obtained results to base our experimental information choices regarding (a) which accounting information pieces were most preferable to professional investors and (b) the information presentation sequence to be followed in the experimental setting. Next, we develop a 2 X 2 between-subjects experimental design in which we manipulate the presentation format of a hypothetical company between the traditional \'tabular and footnotes\' design versus the narrative content-only design. We also vary the financial performance between \'good\' and \'bad\' to check if the variables of interest would impact (a) investment propensity on the company\'s shares and (b) the amount of information retrieved from memory. As our main results, we find that the narrative format per se does not impact investment propensity and that the alternative presentation format is beneficial for participants with less than 5 years of investment experience in capital markets in the poor financial performance condition, adjusting their investment propensity to the same investment propensity level of more experienced investors. / A medida que a complexidade da tecnologia e dos mercados de capitais aumentou, o montante da informação contábil divulgada pelas empresas em seus relatórios financeiros também aumentou. Atualmente, chegamos a um impasse, onde é questionável se mais informações reduzem a assimetria de informações. Autores anteriores criticam fortemente o tamanho das demonstrações financeiras e relatórios anuais, argumentando que eles devem comunicar mais ao invés de apenas serem volumosos, já que o atual volume de informações pode ser contraproducente para o indivíduo médio adquirir, reter e processar todas as informações disponíveis. Com base na evidência de literatura contábil anterior sobre o formato de apresentação e as teorias de psicologia, teoria da atribuição e teoria da carga cognitiva, temos a hipótese de que, ao manipular informações contábeis através de um formato amplamente mais acessível, como a narrativa, os investidores individuais serão capazes de compreender melhor as informações contábeis e, posteriormente, ter um uso mais proeminente delas em relação às atuais informações não fundamentais disponíveis para uma avaliação de decisão de investimento. Para alcançar nosso objetivo de pesquisa, utiliza-se uma estratégia de pesquisa de método misto com um Desenho Sequencial Exploratório, o método qualitativo atua como uma preparação para o quantitativo. Como método qualitativo, entrevistou-se - usando a abordagem da Metodologia Q - 31 sujeitos, sendo 13 analistas/investidores profissionais e 18 investidores individuais. O objetivo nesta fase foi entender o padrão de comportamento de uso de informações contábeis/não-contábeis por analistas/investidores profissionais, em comparação com as escolhas de informações de investidores individuais. Ao fazê-lo, puderam-se usar os resultados obtidos das entrevistas para basear as escolhas de informações experimentais em relação a (a) quais peças de informação contábil eram mais preferíveis aos investidores profissionais e (b) a sequência de apresentação de informações a seguir na configuração experimental. Em seguida, desenvolve-se um design experimental 2 x 2 entre os sujeitos em que manipulamos o formato de apresentação de uma empresa hipotética entre o design tradicional \'tabular e notas explicativas\' versus o design narrativo apenas de conteúdo. Foi alterado também o desempenho financeiro entre \'bom\' e \'ruim\' para verificar se as variáveis de interesse impactam (a) propensão de investimento nas ações da empresa e (b) a quantidade de informações recuperadas da memória. Como nossos principais resultados, identificamos que o formato narrativo individualmente não afeta a propensão de investimento e que o formato de apresentação alternativa beneficiou os participantes com menos de 5 anos de experiência de investimento nos mercados de capitais na condição de má performance financeira, ajustando sua propensão ao mesmo nível de investimento de investidores mais experientes.

As technology and capital markets complexity increases, so does the amount of accounting information disclosed by companies in their financial reports. Nowadays, we reached an impasse, where it is questionable if more information will in fact reduce information asymmetry. Previous authors strongly criticize the length of financial statements and annual reports, arguing that they should communicate more rather than just be voluminous as the current volume of information can be counterproductive to the average individual to acquire, retain and process all available information. Based on evidence of previous accounting literature on presentation format and the psychology theories of attribution theory and cognitive load theory, we hypothesize that, by manipulating accounting information using a more general accessible format such as the narrative one, individual investors are able to better understand accounting information and, thereafter, make a more effective use of it versus the concurrent non-fundamental information available in a standard investment decision making setting. To achieve our research goal, we use a mixed method research strategy with an Exploratory Sequential Design: the qualitative method act as a preparation for the quantitative one. Concerning the qualitative method, we interview- using the Q methodology approach - 31 subjects, being 13 analysts/professional investors and 18 individual investors. Our objective in this phase is to identify patterns in the usage of accounting/non-accounting information by analysts/professional investors, in contrast to individual investors\' information choices. By doing so, we can use the obtained results to base our experimental information choices regarding (a) which accounting information pieces were most preferable to professional investors and (b) the information presentation sequence to be followed in the experimental setting. Next, we develop a 2 X 2 between-subjects experimental design in which we manipulate the presentation format of a hypothetical company between the traditional \'tabular and footnotes\' design versus the narrative content-only design. We also vary the financial performance between \'good\' and \'bad\' to check if the variables of interest would impact (a) investment propensity on the company\'s shares and (b) the amount of information retrieved from memory. As our main results, we find that the narrative format per se does not impact investment propensity and that the alternative presentation format is beneficial for participants with less than 5 years of investment experience in capital markets in the poor financial performance condition, adjusting their investment propensity to the same investment propensity level of more experienced investors. / A medida que a complexidade da tecnologia e dos mercados de capitais aumentou, o montante da informação contábil divulgada pelas empresas em seus relatórios financeiros também aumentou. Atualmente, chegamos a um impasse, onde é questionável se mais informações reduzem a assimetria de informações. Autores anteriores criticam fortemente o tamanho das demonstrações financeiras e relatórios anuais, argumentando que eles devem comunicar mais ao invés de apenas serem volumosos, já que o atual volume de informações pode ser contraproducente para o indivíduo médio adquirir, reter e processar todas as informações disponíveis. Com base na evidência de literatura contábil anterior sobre o formato de apresentação e as teorias de psicologia, teoria da atribuição e teoria da carga cognitiva, temos a hipótese de que, ao manipular informações contábeis através de um formato amplamente mais acessível, como a narrativa, os investidores individuais serão capazes de compreender melhor as informações contábeis e, posteriormente, ter um uso mais proeminente delas em relação às atuais informações não fundamentais disponíveis para uma avaliação de decisão de investimento. Para alcançar nosso objetivo de pesquisa, utiliza-se uma estratégia de pesquisa de método misto com um Desenho Sequencial Exploratório, o método qualitativo atua como uma preparação para o quantitativo. Como método qualitativo, entrevistou-se - usando a abordagem da Metodologia Q - 31 sujeitos, sendo 13 analistas/investidores profissionais e 18 investidores individuais. O objetivo nesta fase foi entender o padrão de comportamento de uso de informações contábeis/não-contábeis por analistas/investidores profissionais, em comparação com as escolhas de informações de investidores individuais. Ao fazê-lo, puderam-se usar os resultados obtidos das entrevistas para basear as escolhas de informações experimentais em relação a (a) quais peças de informação contábil eram mais preferíveis aos investidores profissionais e (b) a sequência de apresentação de informações a seguir na configuração experimental. Em seguida, desenvolve-se um design experimental 2 x 2 entre os sujeitos em que manipulamos o formato de apresentação de uma empresa hipotética entre o design tradicional \'tabular e notas explicativas\' versus o design narrativo apenas de conteúdo. Foi alterado também o desempenho financeiro entre \'bom\' e \'ruim\' para verificar se as variáveis de interesse impactam (a) propensão de investimento nas ações da empresa e (b) a quantidade de informações recuperadas da memória. Como nossos principais resultados, identificamos que o formato narrativo individualmente não afeta a propensão de investimento e que o formato de apresentação alternativa beneficiou os participantes com menos de 5 anos de experiência de investimento nos mercados de capitais na condição de má performance financeira, ajustando sua propensão ao mesmo nível de investimento de investidores mais experientes.

Este trabalho analisa, a partir dos pontos de vista conceitual e sociocultural, o fenômeno de sobrecarga de informação. Este termo designa uma situação em que os indivíduos, tendo em vista uma tarefa, não se sentem capazes de lidar com certa quantidade de informação, a qual, assim definida por critérios pessoais, profissionais e societais, lhes parece necessária para seus objetivos. Assim sendo, se assimila a outros, como multitudo librorum, explosão da informação, fadiga da informação e infobesidade. Para abordar esse objeto, o método usado é o da pesquisa exploratória, isto é, estruturam-se e aprofundam-se os debates presentes na literatura. O material de base do estudo são referências sobre a história da produção da informação e do conhecimento e uma seleção de artigos com os termos \"information overload\" e \"sobrecarga de informação\" encontrados em bases de dados na área da Ciência da Informação. Com tal apanhado, elencamos na pesquisa ocorrências da sobrecarga -- ou de casos análogos -- desde a Antiguidade à Idade Contemporânea, de modo a substanciar uma exposição das características do conceito e esclarecer as relações entre ele e as várias expressões (como as citadas acima) que o manifestam. Com esse estudo, torna-se claro que precisam ser repensadas as perspectivas que entendem os danos advindos do excesso de informação como produtos únicos da contemporaneidade -- é preciso compreender esses acontecimentos nas interrelações de fatores em cada momento e recuperar aprendizados possivelmente esquecidos. Portanto, destacamos o vínculo entre as situações de sobrecarga e o desenvolvimento de novos recursos de tratamento informacional, principalmente no que se refere à Ciência da Informação. / This work analyses, conceptually and socioculturally, the phenomenon of information overload. The term designates a situation in which individuals, having a task in mind, don\'t feel capable of dealing with a certain amount of information that is deemed necessary to their assignment, based on personal, professional and social criteria. Therefore, \"information overload\" is comparable to others notions as multitudo librorum, information explosion, information fatigue and infobesity. To understand this subject, the exploratory research method is used, that is, we structure and deepen previous debates concerning the theme. Our basic material are references in the history of the production of information and knowledge and a selection of articles with the incidence of the terms \"information overload\" and \"sobrecarga de informação\", found in Information Science databases. By these means, we compile instances of overload -- or analogous cases -- since Antiquity to the Contemporary Age, so as to be able to expose the concept\'s characteristics and clarify the relations between it and the various expressions (as the ones cited above) around it. Considering what we found, it becomes clear that it is necessary to rethink perspectives which believe that the damages caused by the information excess are an exclusive product of our days -- it is necessary to understand these circumstances from the point of view of the interrelations of factors in each moment and retrieve possibly forgotten learnings. Hence, we underline the conection between the situations of overload and the development of new informational tools, principally regarding Information Science.

Este trabalho analisa, a partir dos pontos de vista conceitual e sociocultural, o fenômeno de sobrecarga de informação. Este termo designa uma situação em que os indivíduos, tendo em vista uma tarefa, não se sentem capazes de lidar com certa quantidade de informação, a qual, assim definida por critérios pessoais, profissionais e societais, lhes parece necessária para seus objetivos. Assim sendo, se assimila a outros, como multitudo librorum, explosão da informação, fadiga da informação e infobesidade. Para abordar esse objeto, o método usado é o da pesquisa exploratória, isto é, estruturam-se e aprofundam-se os debates presentes na literatura. O material de base do estudo são referências sobre a história da produção da informação e do conhecimento e uma seleção de artigos com os termos \"information overload\" e \"sobrecarga de informação\" encontrados em bases de dados na área da Ciência da Informação. Com tal apanhado, elencamos na pesquisa ocorrências da sobrecarga -- ou de casos análogos -- desde a Antiguidade à Idade Contemporânea, de modo a substanciar uma exposição das características do conceito e esclarecer as relações entre ele e as várias expressões (como as citadas acima) que o manifestam. Com esse estudo, torna-se claro que precisam ser repensadas as perspectivas que entendem os danos advindos do excesso de informação como produtos únicos da contemporaneidade -- é preciso compreender esses acontecimentos nas interrelações de fatores em cada momento e recuperar aprendizados possivelmente esquecidos. Portanto, destacamos o vínculo entre as situações de sobrecarga e o desenvolvimento de novos recursos de tratamento informacional, principalmente no que se refere à Ciência da Informação. / This work analyses, conceptually and socioculturally, the phenomenon of information overload. The term designates a situation in which individuals, having a task in mind, don\'t feel capable of dealing with a certain amount of information that is deemed necessary to their assignment, based on personal, professional and social criteria. Therefore, \"information overload\" is comparable to others notions as multitudo librorum, information explosion, information fatigue and infobesity. To understand this subject, the exploratory research method is used, that is, we structure and deepen previous debates concerning the theme. Our basic material are references in the history of the production of information and knowledge and a selection of articles with the incidence of the terms \"information overload\" and \"sobrecarga de informação\", found in Information Science databases. By these means, we compile instances of overload -- or analogous cases -- since Antiquity to the Contemporary Age, so as to be able to expose the concept\'s characteristics and clarify the relations between it and the various expressions (as the ones cited above) around it. Considering what we found, it becomes clear that it is necessary to rethink perspectives which believe that the damages caused by the information excess are an exclusive product of our days -- it is necessary to understand these circumstances from the point of view of the interrelations of factors in each moment and retrieve possibly forgotten learnings. Hence, we underline the conection between the situations of overload and the development of new informational tools, principally regarding Information Science.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate Stena Metall’s values and how they are communicated within the organization. Background: In the Fall of 2008, the world was shocked by the worst financial crisis in decades. The crisis had deep effects on the Swedish economy, and many companies suffered heavily. The recycling and environmental service company Stena Metall experienced their first negative result in 30 years, and 900 employees had to leave the company. An action program, including an altered culture was established with the purpose to adapt the operations to the new business environmental conditions. Values, which are a part of the organizational culture, were decided to be an important part of the change. To implement these in the entire organization a well-structured communication process is needed. Within these subjects; values and communication, a qualitative study at Stena Metall has been conducted. Method: To fulfill the purpose, a qualitative method has been used. Thirteen interviews were conducted to collect data from different levels of the organization. The interviews were designed differently based on the employee’s level of responsibility in the organization. The theoretical framework used when analyzing the empirical material includes earlier research in the areas of culture, with emphasis on values, and communication. Conclusion: Two set of values have been identified, core values and aspiration values. The findings indicate a gap in the communicational process at Stena Metall. Part of the new information communicated about Stena Metall´s values is lost on its way from the management to the lower levels in the organization. The perception of what the values mean, both core and aspiration values, differs depending on level in the organization.