The Impact of Economic Recession on Faith-Based Organizations

By

A Dissertation

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in

Table of Content

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSIII

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION1

The Problem Addressed by the Study1

Problem Statement5

Historical Antecedents5

Significance of the Problem6

The Thesis Statement8

Aims Of The Research8

Objectives Of The Research8

Research Question8

Limitation Of The Study9

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW10

Faith-Based Organizing In The United States10

THE EMERGENCE AND HISTORY10

Characteristics Of Faith-Based Organizations13

Practices and strategies of faith-based organizations14

Strengths And Outcomes Of Faith-Based Organizations17

Limitations And Challenges Of Faith-Based Organizations20

Social Capital Theory22

The Modeling Of Monetary Policy35

Regulation And Business Norms40

Challenges In Economic Equilibrium48

Faith-Based Organizations In The Development Sector49

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY52

Introduction52

Design55

Research Questions55

Participants56

Setting (Or Site)56

Procedures56

Data Collection57

Surveys/Questionnaires58

Data Analysis59

Trustworthiness60

BIBLIOGRAPHY61

List of Abbreviations

Civil Rights Movement: Movement which initiated to defent and fight for the right of individuals in minority (coloured).

NAACP: National association for the advancement of coloured people

MIA: Montgomery Improvement Association

ACMHR: Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights

Communities of practice (CoPs)

Faith-based organizations (FBOs)

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PWORA)

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

The Problem Addressed by the Study

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have been placed in the spotlight as becoming a source to help cure some of the social ills in our society and make an impact on communities within which they operate. This spotlight began with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PWORA) of 1996, or more informally known as Charitable Choice, and continues today with the establishment of the White House Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Since Charitable Choice came about there has been much research revolving around volunteerism and faith-based organizations as a whole. Frank & Wouters (2002) concerning faith-based and non-profit organizations have focused on many facets of those organizations and the individuals who work within them however, there is not much research concerning how staff and volunteers might be learning their jobs, particularly within the realm of communities of practice (CoPs).

Elkhoury (2009, Pp. 45) will specifically look at a volunteer organization and the CoPs that exist within it. Specifically, this research will focus on a small, non-profit, faith-based organization that depends upon local affiliations for volunteers. Understanding how to leverage CoPs to help build knowledge for their service could potentially reveal some value to their organization, as well as similar small organizations which do not have as many learning and development resources.

Communities of practice (CoPs) are a newer concept of organizational learning, and were first identified, Situated Learning. Important to organizations, is how people in CoPs are sharing experiences and knowledge in ways that are creative and help foster new ways to solve problems. Knowledge sharing is important for organizations that seek to develop knowledge workers.

People are most likely already part of several CoPs throughout various aspects of their life, such as at school, work, home, and in their hobbies. CoPs are simply groups of people who are joined together through a shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise. In turn, Duncan (2005, Pp. 51) description could identify many areas of people's lives, including organizations in which they work and volunteer in.

CoPs are entities that strive to add value in various ways, such as: decreasing the ...