Este artigo relata a experiência de aplicação dos grupos focais na investigação da identidade organizacional em uma cooperativa popular de trabalho. Foram realizados dois grupos focais com vinte costureiras da Cooperconfec, em Salvador. Fez-se uma análise de conteúdo das discussões grupais, na qual construíram-se representações gráficas dos significados de ser cooperada, das experiências de socialização profissional e das mudanças experimentadas com a inserção na cooperativa. Uma das conclusões é que a identidade organizacional constrói-se a partir da relação entre a cooperativa e a incubadora, da cooperativa com a comunidade, da relação interna entre as cooperadas e das cooperadas consigo mesmas.

This article discusses the application of focus groups in the investigation of the organizational identity of a work cooperative, Cooperconfec, located in Salvador. The attempt was to investigate the factors related to the organizational identity of a cooperative, since this is based on horizontal work relationships, as opposed to the labor market, characterized by verticality. Two focus groups were formed with twenty cooperades seamstresses. The procedure was to analyze thematic content of the results in order to support making graphical representations related to the meanings of being part of a cooperative, to the previous experiences of professional socialization, and to the changes experienced after being made part of the cooperative. One of the conclusions was that organizational identity is based on the connection of the cooperative to the incubator, on the impact of the cooperative in the community, on the group work experience, and on the change in personal image.