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Some organizations are worried that a typical response to diversity and inclusion will make them fall short of their goals. That is, seeing global ERGs as simply overseas extensions of US diversity initiatives. As ERGs have gone global, companies have found the most success with groups dedicated to women, LGBT employees, and those with disabilities. Young professionals have also lent themselves to a global ERG approach as they face some shared challenges within organizations around the world. These kinds of networks continue to proliferate quite naturally.

Some efforts flow from a master global strategy while others surface quite organically in the absence of a global strategy, in response to the universal experience of societal pressures, taboos, and even legal restrictions that force people to hide who they truly are in order to have a chance at success.

Going global opens up additional unexpected dimensions that have universal appeal. For instance, one professional services firm has a Global Athlete's Network, which aims to connect people “who are involved in and passionate about the top echelons of sport,” including high‐level coaches, elite athletes, and those involved in organizing major sporting events or training camps.

The objectives of this group are instructive in the unique take they have on the role of sports in networking within the organization. The following goal and objectives are listed on the company's intranet:

The goal of the network is to gather insights and ideas so that we can offer a unique perspective to clients. To realize this goal, we have established a set of objectives that address the firm's client and talent agendas:

 Establish a global network of people with a common interest in elite sport, who can share knowledge and experience ranging from training tips to managing a balanced lifestyle.

 Provide a real example of where our talent is “Always one step ahead” that illustrates our company's commitment to high performance, flexibility, and choice.

 Apply high performance and coaching expertise to our business.

 Support the development of a center of excellence in delivering major sporting events that can be leveraged throughout the global organization through sporting event knowledge.

So far, the network covers 28 countries and 24 Olympic sports.

Addressing the issue of race and ethnicity around the globe is a greater challenge, however. How does a Latino employee group go global when Latinos in Latin America are the majority and find the whole concept of ERGs foreign? How does an African American group establish a global presence when many Africans look at Black ERGs and see them as more American than African? How do companies address race and ethnicity in places like Peru, China, and France, where people prefer to talk about things other than race (even when they indeed have racial and ethnic societal tensions)?

Accelerating the evolution of ERGs so that they address both domestic and global diversity and inclusion issues will be explored throughout the book. Pushing ERGs to have a holistic value proposition as they strive toward excellence is the main focus of this book.