Marjolein Dennissen

112 The Herculean task of diversity networks Battle is about inches, not about miles My first contribution is the identification of collective diversity networking practices occurring in diversity networks. By doing so, my study has yielded in-depth insight into how diversity networks are used and what diversity networks actually do when they are networking collectively to advance organizational equality. I have identified five diversity networking practices: undoing otherness, building alternative structures, organizing events, appealing to organizational responsibility and shaping organizational policies. I discussed and analyzed how these diversity networking practices possibly contribute to stimulating equality in organizations. The accounts of diversity networking practices have provided a better understanding of the role of diversity networks as collective agents in addressing, creating or (re)producing structures of inequality in organizations. Engaging in diversity networking practices, diversity networks fulfill a twofold function in supporting their members and challenging the organization on diversity- and inequality- related issues. As collectives, they are able to create structures of support, solidarity and belongingness for individual network members as well as for network members as a group by diversity networking practices such as undoing otherness and building alternative structures. By means of organizing events members are supported in building and maintaining relations with each other (for example during informal drinks), in developing their skills and abilities to advance their careers, and in providing themwith information about organizational processes related to diversity, equality and inequality. Network members can collectively reflect on current organizational practices and question certain tacit rules. By means of their collectivity, diversity networks gain voice and are heard by the organizational management. This allows them to appeal to managerial responsibility for diversity- and inequality-related issues and to influence managerial decisions on organizational policies. Thus, my exploration of diversity networking practices showed that by using their diversity networks to make a contribution to organizational equality, network members can negotiate, contest, and shape organizational policies and processes. As such, the collective networking practices of diversity networks have three advantages over individual employees pursuing similar goals. First, organizational change towards more equality entails a long-drawn-out process which demands endurance and perseverance. As collectives, diversity networks are better equipped to stand their ground and persist in negotiating with and challenging of the organization. Second, a collective network is able to develop a ‘collective memory’. Policies or agreements could be forgotten over time, omitted or simply lost during reorganizations. By means of their collective memory, diversity networks are able to remind organizations about these policies and whether they were beneficial or not. And third, diversity networks are able to create stories (Hemmings, 2011) of (individual) employees’ lived experiences of organizational inequality and exclusion. Engaging in diversity networking practices allows network members to share their individual stories. Bundling these stories, diversity networks can make individual struggles collective. Moreover, this study showed that these stories are emotionally charged.