Background: Organisational culture is an important topic in business research, as it is crucial for organisational success. So far, organisational culture was primarily experienced in the physical context. However, due to the pandemic, organisational members are currently forced to work remotely and therefore collaborate digitally. First research within the forced digital collaboration context suggests that collaboration behaviours of employees changed due to switching from on-site to remote work. According to organisational culture theory, behaviours are based on values and likewise behaviour changes can affect values. Therefore, changes in collaboration behaviours are likely to affect collaboration values, which might have implications for organisational culture.

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to explore if and how forced digital collaboration has changed collaboration behaviours and subsequently collaboration values, which are embedded in organisational culture.

Method: To serve our purpose, we conducted qualitative exploratory research. To collect empirical data, we performed twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews. Being inductive in our research, we analysed the data in a structured way, based on a thematic analysis.

Conclusion: The study results show that collaboration behaviours have changed due to forced digital collaboration. These changes are primarily evaluated negatively as they have led to less interactions, less communication, and less personal exchange. Subsequently, the findings imply that not the collaboration values per se, but the interpretations of those values have changed. Based on the dynamic interrelations of culture levels, organisational culture therefore might become less collaboration-driven in the long run. Furthermore, we found two influence factors (leadership and camera) that have affected the changes in collaboration behaviours, as well as two impacts on society (new ways of working and work-life-balance) resulting from the changes in the way people work due to forced digital collaboration. The interrelations of all findings arefinally illustrated in a theoretical model.