Employee Networks at Whirlpool Corporation

Since 1911, Whirlpool Corporation has grown from a small company to a global corporation with manufacturing locations on every major continent and over 68,000 employees worldwide. Like many organizations, one of Whirlpool's strategies for creating a culture of pluralism is encouraging the formation of employee network groups. These are voluntary groups formed around primary dimensions such as gender and ethnicity, and which meet regularly to focus on business issues. The groups are also a resource to the employees by providing a supportive community, decreasing social isolation, and promoting career development. Further, they help retain employees by providing them a forum for expressing ideas. These discussions often spark new ideas that benefit the company as a whole.

1. Using the Whirlpool Corporation Web site (http:// www.whirlpoolcorp.com), identify the employee network groups at Whirlpool and the mission of each.

2. Do you think Whirlpool's encouragement of employee networks works for or against creating a culture of diversity? Explain your answer.