Employee Networks at Kodak

Employee networks, resource groups, or similar collectives typically refer to groups of employees who come together based on shared interests, aiming to enhance self-development and boost productivity within their workplace, often with the backing of corporate management. To secure support from corporate leadership, specific criteria are established to align the interests of these employee networks with the overarching goals of the companies they represent. In 1993, Kodak delineated the essential attributes expected from its employee networks, including:

1. Consistency with Kodak values
2. Contribution to Kodak's business objectives
3. Facilitation of self-development and increased productivity at work
4. Avoidance of formation around employment categories, religious, social, or political movements
5. Possession of a charter, a mission and vision statement, goals, and objectives
6. Financial self-sufficiency

LNAK exhibit audio · David Kosel recalls an example of Kodaks's anti-union behavior

Given Kodak's anti-labor union stance, the company's employee network policy permitted employees to organize within the corporate structure without disrupting its fundamental framework. Consequently, the strategies employed by these networks did not involve demands or forceful advocacy; rather, education and mutual support became their primary tools. As Kodak underwent changes and its employee networks expanded, the guidelines governing them evolved accordingly.

The inception of employee networks can be traced back to Xerox, with CEO Joseph Wilson establishing the first such group after the Rochester Race Riots of 1964. This group comprised Xerox employees committed to addressing racial discrimination within the company, setting a precedent that many other companies would adopt in subsequent years to address workplace inequalities.