This paper explores informal codes and rhythms of social behavior at work and their relation to organizational change and wellbeing. After a
merger within a public service organization we organized 8 focus groups of 2-3 clerical or academic employees within a head office and a division
office (N = 21). Word counts of ‘I’ and ‘we’ revealed that people sharing pre-merger organizational background (homogeneous groups)
used ‘we’ more often than heterogeneous groups. Head office employees were concerned with workload and social code, whereas division office
employees mainly discussed meetings, commitment, and office space. Organizational background rather than office cultures guided these
differences. We found that in a merged organization cultural synergies are possible to create if practical and social values for employees are
offered. Thus, interesting new ways to transform problems and frustrations into solutions and innovations were revealed and deserve further
research.