"Managers did not meet their employees as before" : A qualitative study of managers' experience of social cohesion during Covid-19.

The aim of this study was to examine the managers view on how Covid-19 has affected the social cohesion in organizations. The questions that were in focus in this study was: How did managers experience that social cohesion has changed during Covid-19? Which tools has the managers used to manage the social cohesion during Covid-19? And also, what difficulties does the managers experience that exist around the social cohesion in the organization? The goal with this study was to illustrate the importance of social cohesion in organizations and it will enhance the awareness of management responsibilities. The research methodology follows the hermeneutic approach, which we use to conduct qualitative interviews with eight managers from different organizations. The study´s results have been analyzed based on Randall Collins' theory of interactive ritual chains, Thomas Scheff’s theory of social connections, and Göran Ahrne’s theory of organization. The results show that the managers did not experience any change in the social cohesion during Covid-19. According to respondents, the new management tool introduced under Covid-19 were the digital tools, for example Teams. Managers experience that in order to strengthen social cohesion, it is increasingly important to express gratitude to employees