Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2017, History

Tyson, Chick-fil-A, Walmart, and Hobby Lobby's presence within the faith-based business community is mostly thanks to corporate lineages that reached well into the previous century. Tyson was founded in 1935, Chick-fil-A in 1946, Walmart in 1962, and Hobby Lobby in 1972, each undergoing various business model and philosophical shifts along with their executives' changing understanding of Christian faith. This thesis analyzes these businesses through a series of case studies, highlighting various uniting themes in their corporate narratives, exploring the ways they interact with their customers and the cultures in which they flourish, while noting that there is a discernible, yet-unexplored gap between faith-based business and workplace spirituality. Ultimately, this thesis concludes that faith-based businesses choose to identify as such as an expression of belief in a Christian supernatural deity's influence in their careers rather than as a way of garnering specific markets or making a profit.

Committee: Scott Martin Ph.D. (Advisor); Amilcar Challú Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; American History; American Studies; Animals; Audiology; Bible; Biblical Studies; Business Administration; Business Community; Business Costs; Divinity; Economic History; Economic Theory; Economics; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Food Science; History; Labor Economics; Labor Relations; Management; Marketing; Modern History; Religion; Religious History