The Groupon dilemma for churches: Attracting members without encouraging cheapskates
The Groupon dilemma for churches: Attracting members without encouraging cheapskates
- May 11, 2011
- Michael McBride, economics professor, is quoted in the Huffington Post May 11, 2011
From the Huffington Post:
Observers need only to look to the struggles of the newspaper and music industries
to see the difficulty of finding ways to make people pay for services they become
accustomed to getting for free. And research indicates that religious institutions
that screen out members who lack commitment make the organizations stronger and more
attractive because they place a high value on members giving time, talent and treasure.
But while attracting new members with free or reduced-price services may be risky
investments, allowing free riding also is necessary for the future of the church,
some scholars concluded at the recent meeting of the Association for the Study of
Religion, Economics and Culture in Washington. "Committed people aren't just born,"
Michael McBride of the University of California, Irvine, said in a presentation on
"Why Churches Need Free Riders."
For the full story, please visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-briggs/groupon-dilemma-churches-memb...
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