Kevin D. Dougherty

Using Facebook to Engage Learners in a Large Introductory Course.

Classes of hundreds pose special challenges for teaching and learning. Notable among these challenges is the tendency for students to feel like anonymous spectators rather than active, collaborative participants. To combat this tendency, we used the popular social networking site Facebook to cultivate a sense of community among 200-plus students in an Introduction to Sociology course. The Facebook Group proved a powerful tool for community-building and learning. We describe our Facebook Group, present evidence of its benefits in the course, and discuss the pedagogical potential of social media.

Institutional Influences on Growth in Southern Baptist Congregations

Recent trends in church growth research emphasize the influence of institutional factors in generating organizational growth. However, confusion exists over how internal factors relate to growth and which are most influential. Pitfalls of limited longitudinal data and a lack of attention to both direct and indirect influences limit past studies of church growth. To reduce confusion, this paper distinguishes structural characteristics from more malleable institutional aspects. The basic premise is that congregations grow by creating belonging, which in turn elevates membership participation. A causal, structural equation model is proposed to test seven hypotheses. The model tests relationships of structure, participation, and growth, using three waves of self-reported data from 35,202 Southern Baptist congregations. Findings affirm the primary importance of participation in promoting congregational growth and relegate organizational characteristics of age, size, and staffing to secondary roles of influence.

Christian Perspectives on Faith at Work: An Empirical Exploration of Faith and Work Associations Across Christian Religious Traditions

While personal experiences and family socialization are likely to influence beliefs and behaviors linking faith to work, religious congregations also are likely to play a prominent role in shaping faith-work connections. Our purpose in this chapter is to draw upon a nationally representative sample of over a thousand working adults to describe the role of Christian congregations in making faith relevant to the workplace. Two variables that have particular relevance to the association of faith and work are the Congregational Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale (CEOS) and the Congregational Faith at Work Scale (CFWS). The CEOS variable assesses the behavior of congregational leaders related to being innovative and demonstrating a willingness to take risks, whereas the CFWS variable assesses the extent to which specific beliefs about faith and work integration are emphasized within a congregation. This chapter reports on the association of these congregational variables, across religious traditions, with work attitudes and behaviors and offers recommendations for future research.

Religious Orthodoxy and Entrepreneurial Risk-Taking

The relationship between entrepreneurship and religion is complex (Dana 2010), and religion can help or hamper the entrepreneurial process, depending on the context and culture (Dana 2009; Dodd and Gotsis 2007). This article examines religious orthodoxy and its connection to one aspect of the entrepreneurial process—risk-taking within existing organizations. Using multinomial logistic regression to analyze data from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey, the researchers find that religious orthodoxy is negatively associated with entrepreneurial risk-taking, even after controlling for traditional variables associated with entrepreneurism. It supports the idea that beliefs—and not just adherence or behaviors—are important to understanding the connection between entrepreneurial processes and religion.

Work, Occupations, and Entrepreneurship

This chapter provides an overview of research on the relationship between religion and work, occupations, and entrepreneurship. It begins with a review of Max Weber’s well-known Protestant Work Ethic thesis and problematizes it using extant research from sociology, psychology, and business. The relationship of religion to workplace outcomes is complex, neither always positive nor always negative. We highlight various dimensions of religion and their implications from job satisfaction to work-life balance strategies. We review growing scholarship on the role of religious stratification in the workplace as well. We introduce new research examining the impact of religion on entrepreneurship and close with suggestions for future research.

Congregational Size and Attitudes towards Racial Inequality among Church Attendees in America

Research suggests that congregational characteristics are associated with the racial attitudes of American churchgoers. This study examines the relationship between congregational size and beliefs about the Black/White socioeconomic gap among religious adherents. Method Drawing upon data from the General Social Survey and the National Congregations Study, we fit binary logistic regression models to estimate the association between congregational size and Americans’ explanations of Black/White economic inequality. Results Findings reveal that attendees of larger congregations are less likely than attendees of smaller congregations to explain racial inequality as the result of the racial discrimination. The likelihood of explaining racial inequality in terms of personal motivation does not vary by congregation size. Conclusion Despite the growing diversity in larger congregations in America, such congregations may steer attendees’ views about racial inequality away from systemic/structural factors, which may attenuate the ability of such congregations to bridge racial divisions.

BONDING AND BRIDGING ACTIVITIES OF U.S. PENTECOSTALS

A growing body of literature weighs the influence of religion on civic life. Largely missing from prior analysis is Pentecostals. With novel religious beliefs and practices, Pentecostals might be expected to focus more on in-group bonding activities than out-group bridging activities. We test this expectation using national data from the 2005 Baylor Religion Survey. We contrast three measures of Pentecostalism: denominational affiliation, speaking in tongues at a place of worship, and self-described Pentecostal/charismatic identity. Results affirm high rates of bonding activity (church attendance and other congregation activity) for contemporary Pentecostals. Results for Pentecostal bridging are more complicated. People in Pentecostal denominations and those who speak in tongues participate less in community organizations and politics. However, this is more a function of social class and general conservatism than religious culture or sense of identity. Comparable to other conservative Protestants, the vitality of Pentecostal groups seems no impediment to democratic society.

Employee Turnover In Christian College/University Admissions

Few campus offices bear the weight of organizational health and vitality more directly than college and university admissions offices. This is particularly true for Christian colleges and universities where annual operating budgets depend largely on student tuition dollars. The purpose of the research reported in this paper was to explore rates and reasons for employee turnover in Christian college/university admissions. Data come from 2002–2005 annual membership directories of the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) supplemented by a survey of former admissions staff from NACCAP member schools. During this five-year period, nearly half of the NACCAP workforce turned over and most did so within three years on the job. Turnover varied by position type, school size, and region, with gender as a significant mediating factor. Survey respondents indicate that their time in Christian college/university admissions has lasting effects on them, even though other jobs, family, or advancement opportunities spur exit from the profession.

Worshiping across the Color Line: The Influence of Congregational Composition on Whites’ Friendship Networks and Racial Attitudes:

Religious participation has reinforced the color line in American society for generations. Despite rising racial and ethnic diversity across U.S. communities, most Americans continue to belong to congregations composed primarily of others from their own racial/ethnic groups. Yet recent scholarship suggests that the presence of multiple racial or ethnic groups in the same congregation is increasing. The authors examine how the racial/ethnic composition of U.S. congregations is related to white attenders’ friendship networks and comfort with other racial/ethnic groups (i.e., blacks, Hispanics, and Asians). Using national survey data, the authors find that whites in multiracial congregations report more diverse friendship networks and higher levels of comfort with nonwhites than do whites in nonmultiracial congregations. However, the influence of worshipping with another race/ethnicity seems to be most pronounced for whites in congregations with Hispanics. Moreover, neighbors and friends of other races have more impact on whites’ friendship networks and attitudes than do congregations. The authors discuss implications of these findings for understanding U.S. intergroup relations and the potential of congregations to address the color line.

Football, Recruitment, and Retention at U.S. Christian Colleges.

ABSTRACT An increasing number of Christian colleges are adding football programs as a way to boost enrollment among men and ethnic minorities. No systematic study has attempted to measure these outcomes. We tested the relationship of football to percent male, percent non-White, and first-year retention at 125 U.S. colleges and universities affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). Our findings revealed that football at Christian colleges is associated with more men on campus, but not with more ethnic diversity. In addition, Christian colleges with football retained fewer students from first-year to second-year than did Christian colleges without football. We discuss the implications of our findings and offer suggestions for further research.