Marjolein Dennissen

100 The Herculean task of diversity networks norms are questioned is the kick-off meeting of the disability network in Finance. During this meeting, one of the speakers talks about the inclusion of employees with a disability in the organization. He uses the metaphor of Finance as a cathedral: “Cathedrals can make people very small. Some people might think: this is not my world, I do not belong here”. He states that especially employees with a disability have the perception that they do not fit in Finance: “This [organization] is not for our sort of people”. According to the speaker this results in a monoculture where only “a particular kind” is able to work. In doing so, the speaker addresses the implicit organizational norms that benefit the unencumbered , able-bodied (Acker, 1990) employees who fit these norms, but lead to the exclusion of those employees who do not. Reproducing organizational norms. Although there are some events in which organizational norms are questioned, I noted that the majority of events fails to address issues of inequality and the organizational norms that (re)produce them. These events largely revolve around feel-good ways of diversity (Ahmed, 2009; Hoobler, 2005; Prasad & Mills, 1997) and the business case for diversity, emphasizing that diversity is an strategic asset that provides organizations with a competitive advantage (Benschop, 2011; Litvin, 2002). For example, during a masterclass organized by the ethnic minority network in Finance, the speaker emphasizes “diversity’s impact on the bottom line to understand our clients better”. In another workshop organized by the ethnic minority network, participants learn how to perform an elevator pitch. In small groups they have to answer questions about their personalities and their capabilities. The workshop leader instructs participants to focus on the positives and to keep in mind that “talent is about who you are, not about what you do”. As a last example, during a workshop titled Smart & Sexy organized by the women’s network Ladies with ambition in Finance, women are asked to introduce themselves as if they were a pump: “What kind of pump are you? Fabric (soft, stiff), color (black, tiger print, bright pink), are you easy to walk on or not?”. Participants are encouraged to “shine”, to “think positive”, to “boast”, and to “enchant men”. These events are but a few examples of workshops and masterclasses organized to support network members. With topics such as presentation skills, stress management, assertiveness, business etiquette, and leadership styles, these workshops and masterclasses predominantly focus on the development of members’ individual skills and abilities. On the one hand, the prevalent emphasis on individual skills tends to take organizational norms for granted. Yet, on the other hand, events also allowmembers to question organizational practices that (re)produce inequalities. As such, the distinction between norm-challenging events and norm-reproducing events is not always as clear-cut as presented in aforementioned examples. To elaborate on this ambiguity, I now zoom in on a joint event organized by two women’s networks in Finance. “Foresight is the essence of management” Annually, Ladies with ambition for women in middle management positions and Women at the top for women in senior management positions, organize a large, conference-like event together. Prior to the event, the network members actively discuss the organization of the event. They decide upon naming their event Foresight