would join a GE business that is hosting one of these events for personal and professional development,” Garavel says.
The Women’s Network is funded by the company, but women rotate voluntarily into leadership and planning positions. Garavel says the bottom line of the Women’s Network is increasing diversity within the managerial and executive ranks at GE.
“Ultimately, the outcome we hold ourselves to is representation. If we can improve that metric across the company because we are able to promote more women, hire more women or we don’t lose them through attrition, as representation goes up, we feel good about the program,” Garavel says.
Like GE, most major corporations are gung-ho about their affinity groups. The Boeing Co., the Chicago- headquartered aerospace giant, sponsors separate affinity groups for women, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees.
Corning Co., the Corning, NY, glass and ceramics manufacturer, encourages its groups “to raise awareness around important issues that often stimulate the company to respond with new policies, services, and development and training opportunities.” Corning affinity groups illustrate how specific groups can be with names that include Administrative & Technical Employee Council, Black Growth Council, Corning Cable Systems Professional Women’s Forum and Ethnic Diversity Group of Employees.
A 2008 report, “Affinity Networks: Building Organizations Stronger Than Their Parts,” from the Network of Executive Women, a Chicago-based women’s advocacy group whose membership includes more than 2,000 members and more than 400 companies, noted that affinity groups provide a wealth of benefits compared to the minimal investment needed to start them. The report noted, “Affinity networks are an increasing part of the corporate landscape.”
Nancy Krawczyk, Network of Executive Women director of client service, says affinity groups can help balance the “disconnect” between the number of women employees at many companies and their paltry numbers in management and executive ranks.
“Companies go through journeys in putting these affinity groups together. Usually it starts with women. Women really need to have seat at the table so that their perceptions and impressions are factored into companies’ businesses and their products programs and services,” Krawczyk says.
Garavel of GE says affinity groups may someday be the reason why a new employees selects one company over the other.
“More and more, as the demographic of our workforce changes, having an affinity group, an investment in diversity or program like ours is going to become a differentiator for young men and women who come out of school and want to join companies,” Garavel says. “Today it is sort of a wow factor, but I believe the day will come where it will be kind of a ticket to compete.”
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WOMENOFCOLOR | SPRING 2011
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