Employee Resource Groups

The key to an engaged, mindful and forward-thinking workforce

CEO’s leading-edge research on Employee Resource Groups offers insight into the benefits and advantages of the diverse perspectives, inclusive strategies, and employee engagement that ERGs bring.

Questions about ERGs?

The Annual Employee Resource Group (ERG) Research Survey

Benchmark your ERG progress and learn from validated metrics.

Employee Resource Groups

The key to an engaged, mindful and forward-thinking workforce

 

CEO’s leading-edge research on Employee Resource Groups offers insight into the benefits and advantages of the diverse perspectives, inclusive strategies, and employee engagement that ERGs bring.

Questions about ERGs?

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play a crucial role in organizations, addressing social needs and boosting employee satisfaction. These groups, formed around identity or shared traits, foster deeper workforce involvement, positively impacting culture, strategy, and performance. Studies indicate that companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%.

Surprisingly, despite the prevalence of ERGs in the business world, there has been very little research done on them. That’s why, having been focused on the issue for over a decade, CEO’s findings represent some of the most cutting-edge and comprehensive knowledge in the field.

Register Now for the 2024 Strategic Leadership Summit

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July 16-17, 2024 in Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN

The Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) at the USC Marshall School of Business and Presenting Sponsor, Ecolab Inc., are proud to present the 2024 Strategic Employee Resource Group (ERG) Leadership Summit. Now in its 12th year, this data-driven learning event brings together ERG leaders, diversity, equity and inclusion executives, and executive sponsors for collaborative learning, innovation, and networking. 

Since 2009, CEO has spearheaded research on ERGs and their business impact, continually enhancing it with interviews and performance data to support and empower ERG leaders, support their organizations, and help them both to thrive.
USC CEO ERG Community

Join CEO’s proprietary ERG community to access 2023 Strategic ERG Leadership Summit presentations, network globally with other ERG leaders, and to attend exclusive webinars.

Click here to request access.

Participate in our Benchmarking Study: The Annual Employee Resource Group (ERG) Research Survey

Benchmark your ERG process & learn from validated metrics by participating in CEO research! Click here to learn more.

Featured Article

Employee Resource Groups: An Introduction, Review and Research Agenda

Skylar Rolf, Steven Schlachter, Theresa M. Welbourne

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are within-organization groups, staffed by employee volunteers, which have evolved since their inception in the 1960s. In this paper, Theresa M. Welbourne (CEO), Skylar Rolf (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Steven Schlachter (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) provide an introduction to ERGs, review the literature that exists to date, and provide ideas for a research agenda. 

Top Articles on ERGs

How Employee Resource Groups Can Help Manage COVID-19 or Coronavirus Fears

Theresa M. Welbourne

Employee resource groups (ERGs) have a history of helping bring calm during rough times. Consider their inception point. During the United States’ first race riot in Rochester, N.Y., the CEO of Xerox started the precursor to today’s ERGs, the black caucus.

 

Is Equality the Next New Thing? Why It May Matter More Today

Theresa M. Welbourne

In the Fall Leadership Pulse® report, we examined leader energy and attitudes toward diversity. However, rather than just asking about diversity in general, we did a deep dive examining the new language of diversity. Specifically, we looked at three items: diversity, belonging, and equality.

Certificate in Employee Resource Group (ERG) Leadership

The ERG Leadership Certificate can help you not only during your time as an ERG leader, but also strengthen your skills for future, non-ERG leadership roles. While you learn, you accumulate points toward earning the Certificate. You will:

– Customize your curriculum and learning

– Get an immediate return on investment (ROI) from the certificate program

– Solve some of your organization’s issues

– Create and share learning materials that are usable with your ERG members and multiple ERG leaders NOW and in the future

Now accepting applications for the 2024/2025 ERG Certificate Cohort

Meet Our Researchers

Our award-winning research scientists, affiliates and  practitioners help companies drive performance by providing leading-edge research, practical tools, and a wealth of experience.

Theresa M. Welbourne

Affiliated Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Theresa Welbourne’s work focuses on human capital and leadership strategies that drive growth, innovation and high performance. She is known for her work on employee energy and how energy, direction and confidence come together to stimulate and sustain high sense of urgency cultures and organizational growth.

Sharoni Little

Affiliated Research Scientist

Sharoni Denise Little is Associate Dean, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer & Professor of Clinical Business Communication at USC Marshall School of Business and an award-winning teacher, researcher, and mentor. A renowned author, global facilitator, and media commentator, Sharoni’s research and expertise centers on organizational leadership, strategic communication, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Beth Chung

Affiliated Research Scientist

Beth Chung is a Professor of Management. She is currently the Director for the Institute on Inclusiveness and Diversity in Organizations (IIDO) and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Outreach Committee for San Diego State University. She is also past research director for the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming. She has taught a variety of courses including Diversity Issues, Organizational Behavior, Leadership and Group Process, Human Resource Management, and Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Cathleen Clerkin

Affiliated Research Scientist

Cathleen Clerkin is a Senior Research Faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), and is based out of Charlottesville, VA. She is a scientific researcher with experience in industrial-organizational psychology, social and personality psychology, positive psychology and applied social cognitive neuroscience.