FREE RIDING, MARKET STRUCTURE, AND CHURCH MEMBER DONATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The research literature on factors influencing member donations to churches is extensive. This paper uses unique data from South Carolina Baptist congregations to confirm much of the research, particularly including the potential for free-riding by members, but also extends that research by explorin...
| Authors: | ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
2010
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 2010, Volume: 52, Issue: 2, Pages: 172-187 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | The research literature on factors influencing member donations to churches is extensive. This paper uses unique data from South Carolina Baptist congregations to confirm much of the research, particularly including the potential for free-riding by members, but also extends that research by exploring the differential effect on donations of competition among Baptist congregations and between Baptist and non-Baptist congregations. We employ hierarchical linear modeling, rarely used in religious research but particularly well suited to the data, some of which is by congregation and some of which is by county. Previous empirical and theoretical work offers contradictory conclusions. We review the theory, clarifying some issues. Our results confirm that free riding increases as congregations grow larger, an effect mitigated by the increasing level of services offered as congregations grow. Importantly, competition between Baptist congregations reduces and competition with non-Baptist congregations increases per member donations. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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