The Role of Employee Resource Groups in Corporate Diversity: Insights from King Games, Nike, Amazon

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Introduction

The project is related to the examination of employee resource groups and their significance in modern business settings. Employee resource groups are voluntary and employee-led workplace networks that unite team members with similar characteristics. According to Shore et al. (2018), they were “originally designed to increase socialization and networking opportunities for members of underrepresented groups, but now are being viewed as strategically important by creating greater understanding and connections with customers and communities” (p. 180).

In particular, employee resource groups increase retention, ensure workers’ commitment, and improve their performance (Bonaccio et al., 2020). This project will address these networks and their significance for employees and companies through the collection of data from businesses’ representatives. The potential participants may be the following:

Table 1a – Organizational Information: King Games

Organization	King Games
Website	https://www.king.com/
Mission	“At King we are not just incredibly proud to be a home to people of all backgrounds and orientations, but proud that we are home to people who feel free and confident to be who they really are” (“Diversity,” n.d., para. 1)
The intersection of the mission with the subject	King Games is one of the companies that promoted the creation of its employee resource group to reduce gender-related discrimination. It transformed into a diversity and inclusion mentorship program that allowed to increase the company’s gender diversity in hiring and promotions (D’Sa-Wilson, 2023). Thus, the experience of this organization’s members will be beneficial for the project.
A contact person	King Games’ employee. A woman who takes the position of a game developer is highly preferable.
Actions taken to reach	Monitoring of professional websites and groups on social media platforms.
Status of communication	Not reached yet.

Table 1b – Organizational Information: Nike

Organization	Nike
Website	https://www.nike.com/
Mission	“Nike, Inc. is working to build a more diverse, inclusive team that reflects the athletes and communities where we live, work and play” (“Diversity, equity, & inclusion,” n.d., para. 1)
The intersection of the mission with the subject	Nike is a company that reportedly values diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In this case, the existence of employee resource groups within it is plausible. Thus, the connection with its representative will provide an insight into the conditions of these groups’ performance and their relationships with management.
A contact person	Nike’s employee.
Actions taken to reach	Observing professional websites and communities on social media platforms, searching in the social circle.
Status of communication	Two individuals who work as shop assistants at Nike will be met for conversation.

Table 1c – Organizational Information: Amazon

Organization	Amazon
Website	https://www.amazon.com/
Mission	“Our diverse perspectives come from many sources including gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, culture, education, and professional and life experience” (“Diversity, equity, and inclusion,” n.d., para. 1).
The intersection of the mission with the subject	According to its mission statement, Amazon pays attention to its diversity and inclusion, however, there is multiple evidence of inappropriate working conditions within its settings and management’s ignorance in response to workers’ requests for change (Sainato, 2020).
A contact person	Amazon’s employees and managers.
Actions taken to reach	Searching in social circle.
Status of communication	One individual who works in Amazon’s warehouse is found. More workers are required.

Involving Partnering Organizations in the Project Development

King Games

In order to ensure a comprehensive approach to the identified topic of interest, three different companies were chosen. The first one is King Games, and the rationale for this choice is determined by the company’s considerable experience in the sphere of diversity and inclusion. In particular, it has already established a mentorship program that initiated positive changes and increased the percentage of female candidates’ hiring and promotion (D’Sa-Wilson, 2023). The semi-structured interview with the representatives of this company concerning the peculiarities of this program’s performance and its benefits for both employees and the business would be essential for the project’s implementation. The invitation of these professionals is expected in the near future.

Nike

Nike is another company that underlines its adherence to the principles of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. At the same time, sufficient information exists about the existence of employee resource groups in these settings. That is why consulting with Nike’s team members will allow one to clarify this aspect. If the company’s workers form groups, information about their performance, management’s support, and impact on the organization would be essential for the project. While two individuals who work as shop assistants at Nike are identified, and they are interested in conversation, a greater number of participants is preferable.

Amazon

The last company was chosen for a broader perspective of the project, as its attitude to the issues of diversity, inclusion, and working ethics is controversial. On the one hand, Amazon articulates the importance of diverse people’s contributions to its stable growth and development. On the other hand, multiple workers report inappropriate working conditions and the company’s ignorance in response to the signs of negligence and exploitation (Sainato, 2020). Thus, company representatives should be attracted to collect data related to whether employee resource groups exist in Amazon and how they function within the framework of workers’ rights and potential violations. Semi-structured interviews with warehouse workers would be suitable for the research.

Conclusion

To conclude, for the project that will address employee resource groups and the peculiarities of their performance in companies, data should be collected through the involvement of team members. They will be able to provide an in-depth insight into the current situation and explore the issue from various perspectives. Three companies – King Games, Nike, and Amazon – will be chosen for the project due to different conditions related to employee resource groups that will make the project multidimensional and reliable.

References

Bonaccio, S., Connelly, C. E., Gellatly, I. R., Jetha, A., & Martin Ginis, K. A. (2020). The participation of people with disabilities in the workplace across the employment cycle: Employer concerns and research evidence. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35, 135-158. Web.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion. (n.d.). Amazon. Web.

Diversity, equity, & inclusion. (n.d.). Nike. Web.

Diversity. (n.d.). King Games. Web.

D’Sa-Wilson, M. (2023). 10 examples of successful employee resource groups. Together. Web.

Sainato, M. (2020). ‘I’m not a robot’: Amazon workers condemn unsafe, grueling conditions at warehouse. The Guardian. Web.

Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176-189. Web.