Managing to recruit: religious conversion in the workplace

Sociology of Religion, Winter, 1998 by Deana Hall

1 According to McCarthy and Zald, a social movement is a voluntary collectivity "that people support in order to effect changes in society" (McCarthy and Zald 1973: 2). While critics might dispute the voluntary nature of Scientology's members, no one would dispute that Scientology strives to change society. As the movement's own literature states, the organization and its members aspire to the goal of "clearing the planet" (Church of Scientology International 1994: 9-10). This goal involves recruiting as many individuals as possible and convincing them to achieve a status known as "clear." By converting the world's population to its doctrines, Scientology aspires to "reverse the downward direction of the current civilization and actually bring about a cleared planet" (Church of Scientology International 1994: 3).

2 Scientology's considerable financial holdings and extensive membership base warrant an economically-based sociological analysis. Currently the organization operates in 86 countries and, according to author Richard Behar, controls a four hundred million dollar empire (Behar 1986: 315; Lopez 1993: H5). In addition, one recent statement by an organization official in New York State indicates that approximately eight million people worldwide have participated in Scientology courses, and a further five hundred thousand take their first Scientology course each year (Lopez 1993: H5). Thus, investigation into the organization's financial and membership components is imperative.

3 At least three published sources identify the link between Scientology and its PMCs. For example Passas states that "the [Church of Scientology] recruits well-to-do individuals through a number of consultancy firms with secret ties to it. Stirling (sic) Management Systems, for example, allegedly targets health-care professionals with the promise to help them dramatically increase their income, offers seminars and courses priced at $10,000, and lures them to the [Church of Scientology]" (1994: 221). See also Passas and Castillo (1992) and Zellner (1995).

4 Three distinct research methods provided information necessary to examine the relationship between Scientology, its PMCs, and their clients. First, I conducted a content analysis of primary documents, including Canadian dental, veterinary, and chiropractic school calendars along with media and legal accounts of professionals' experiences with Scientology's practice management programs. Second, I conducted personal interviews with medical/dental professionals previously or currently involved in the Scientology-affiliated practice management courses. And third, I completed a literature review of Scientology internal documents and the course contents of one of the practice management training programs. Available internal documents included Scientology textbooks and dictionaries and World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) advertisements and publications.

Because it was difficult to locate a large sample of medical professionals to interview regarding experience with the practice management companies of interest to this study, I chose to supplement my interviews with content analysis of secondary data, in the form of media accounts. I was able to obtain thirteen individual media accounts of personal experience with Scientology's medical practice management programs. Together, the articles recounted the experiences of fifty-four medical professionals, including dentists, veterinarians, chiropractors, and podiatrists, as well as former and current employees of the practice management companies in question. Furthermore, I obtained one legal affidavit, which summarizes the personal experience of a dentist with one of Scientology's affiliated practice management programs.