The Soul Of The Service Economy: Wal-Mart And The Making Of

The Soul Of The Service Economy Wal Mart And The Making Of Christian

The Soul of the Service Economy: Wal-Mart and the Making of Christian Free Enterprise, 1929–1994 Bethany Moreton Enterprise & Society, Volume 8, Number 4, December 2007, pp. (Article) Published by Cambridge University Press For additional information about this article Access provided by University of Toronto Library (24 Aug :08 GMT) The Soul of the Service Economy: Wal-Mart and the Making of Christian Free Enterprise, 1929 – 1994 B E T H A N Y M O R E T O N ‘‘The Soul of the Service Economy’’ explains the rise of Christian corporate globalism in the twentieth century, that always unfinished task of sanctifying capitalism and consumption under Christianity. As the biography of the Sunbelt service sector’s ‘‘free enterprise’’ ideology, ‘‘The Soul of the Service Economy’’ is not an examination of Wal-Mart itself but an analysis of Wal-Mart’s world — the interconnected commercial, religious, and educational institutions which both produced the world’s largest company and then depended upon its patronage.

This culture united Southwestern entrepreneurs, service providers, middle managers, students, missionaries, and even waged employees in an ethos of Christian free enterprise. On the basis of archival research in local and ephemeral sources, ‘‘The Soul of the Service Economy’’ uses the stories of people linked through Wal-Mart and its philanthropies to understand the shift to post-Fordist regimes in work, gender relations, education, and geography. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Business History Conference. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]. doi:10.1093/es/khm103 Advance Access publication December 7, 2007 Bethany Moreton completed her history dissertation in 2006 at Yale University. She is an Assistant Professor of History and Women’s Studies at the University of Georgia. Contact information: 220 LeConte Hall, Athens, GA 30602. E-mail: [email protected]

Perhaps more than most dissertations, this one depended heavily on the generosity of friends and colleagues in Arkansas, mentors in New Haven, and funders that included several programs at Yale as well as the Social Science Research Council, the Louisville Institute, the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, the Mellon Foundation, the Baker Library at Harvard Business School, and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. My hope is that this product of so many people’s contributions will meet with their respect if not always their agreement.

Paper For Above instruction

The rise of Christian-influenced capitalism, exemplified by Wal-Mart’s transformation from a regional discount retailer to a global powerhouse, reflects a profound intertwining of commercial, religious, and cultural forces shaping the American service economy from 1929 to 1994. This paper explores how Wal-Mart became a conduit for Christian free enterprise, fostering a distinct ethos that united entrepreneurs, employees, and religious institutions under a shared moral vision that celebrated service, humility, and family values.

Historically, the development of the American service economy, particularly in the Sunbelt South, was rooted in regional culture that diverged sharply from the urban, modernist industrial North. While city-based industrial capitalism was characterized by technological innovation, unionism, and secular labor practices, the Sunbelt’s culture was rooted in evangelical Christianity, rural sensibilities, and ideas of individual salvation. Bethany Moreton’s analysis positions Wal-Mart not merely as a corporation but as an emergent cultural and spiritual institution that mirrored and reinforced this regional ethos.

Wal-Mart’s origins in the 1940s as a small-town five-and-dime store expanded significantly during the postwar decades, aligning with the entry of women into the labor force and the rise of mass consumerism. The company’s growth coincided with the spread of evangelical Christianity, which emphasized individual morality, humility, and service—values that became embedded in Wal-Mart’s corporate identity and management practices. The concept of “servant leadership,” rooted in Christian theology, shaped how managers viewed their roles, fostering a workplace culture that prioritized mutuality and humility over aggressive competition.

Furthermore, the intersection of religion and business in Wal-Mart’s rise was facilitated through educational institutions, particularly Christian colleges in the Sunbelt. These colleges produced a cadre of managers and entrepreneurs sympathetic to the values of free enterprise and aligned with the company’s ethos. During the 1970s and 1980s, Christian colleges became vital incubators for middle-management training, shaping a managerial class that viewed economic success as a moral imperative rooted in faith-based principles. This relationship cemented a cultural framework in which economic activities were understood as moral pursuits, reinforcing the social authority of Christian-inspired capitalism.

Religious and cultural networks extended beyond education into philanthropic and missionary work that linked Wal-Mart’s corporate identity with broader evangelical missions. These networks fostered a grassroots globalization, spreading Christian business ethics across North America and into Latin America through joint ventures, foreign trade zones, and trade agreements like NAFTA. Wal-Mart’s expansion into Mexico and Central America exemplifies how corporate growth paralleled and supported the Christianization of commerce, fostering a shared identity rooted in moral narratives about service, humility, and the divine approval of free enterprise.

In addition to shaping corporate culture, the Christian-influenced free enterprise model altered gender dynamics within the workforce. As women entered retail and service positions, their roles were often imbued with religious symbolism emphasizing humility, service, and nurturing—concepts aligned with Protestant notions of feminine virtue. The valorization of “family values” and “servant leadership” created a workplace ideology where workplace humility and mutuality became virtuous traits, often masking underlying gender and class hierarchies.

Overall, Bethany Moreton’s analysis underscores how Wal-Mart’s transformation reflects a broader cultural shift—one that redefined capitalism in moral terms rooted in Christianity. The company’s evolution epitomizes a post-Fordist regime characterized by decentralization, service-based activities, and a moral economy that links consumption with spiritual fulfillment. This cultural shift has had lasting impacts on the geographic and social landscape of the American South and beyond, reshaping notions of work, gender, consumption, and international relations. Ultimately, Wal-Mart exemplifies how capitalism and Christianity have co-evolved to produce a “Christian free enterprise” that continues to influence global economic and cultural norms.

References

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