External environments are the forces and events outside a company that have the potential to influence or affect it. You may be thinking, come on now, amway is just a harmless soap business, right. The cult of free enterprise written in 1999 by former distributor stephen butterfield. Scott shaw rated it liked it jun 15, anirudha manohar marked it as toread oct 14, asails f rated it liked it feb 15, jul 03, kathleen rated it it was ok. Hes the author of black autobiography in america university of massachusetts press and amway. Dec 15, 2017 multilevel marketing mlm also called pyramid selling, 1 2 network marketing, 2 3 and referral marketing, 4 is a controversial marketing strategy for the sale of products and services. I am not one to apply the term cult loosely, but after having attempted the amway business for a year i can definitely say that at least some factions of amway use cult tactics sic to keep their membership numbers going. Author of black autobiography in america, amway, amway, the double mirror, amway, the cult of free enterprise. Amway, the cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield. The powerful mlm irxlustry, largely led by amway, has been able to keep things that way in the face of numerous challenges in the courts and by public txxlies such the federal trade commission and the irs. Here are a few titles that i suggest you check out. Aug 09, 2019 amway, derived from american way is an american company which deals in health, beauty, and home care commodities. According to its proponents, mlm is merely a form of direct selling, in which distributors. The cult of free enterprise, by stephen butterfield the acton institute for the study of religion and liberty is another grand rapidsbased entity that believes in the marriage between capitalism and christianity.
The cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield 1999, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. June 14, 2001, folder van andel, steve, 20012002, box 67, subseries d. Amway that old time religion hiddenmysteries conspiracy. In the cult of free enterprise, author and former amway distributor stephen butterfield wrote amway sells a marketing and motivational system, a cause, a way of life, in a fervid emotional atmosphere of rallies and political religious revivalism. In the cult of free enterprise, stephen butterfield, who spent time in the yager group within.
In this report adhesives are classified by the type of chemistry of the adhesive rather than the mode of application or the enduse. Definition environment is including external and internal environment. Butterfield lives in shrewsbury, vermont and teaches dante at castleton state college. Accusations of amway being a cult have become so widespread that the company dedicates a couple of pages on its website to the topic. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection. You realize that they are all the same, a pyramid scheme.
The cult of free enterprise 1st by stephen butterfield isbn. There are several great books in the marketplace that talk about the good, and the bad, of amway. Several scenes in early episodes might as well have been lifted verbatim from amway. Amway, the cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield 1 edition first published in 1985 download daisy. Not surprisingly, there are also a number of excellent cult information sites here on the web, most of which have links to many other such sites. Aug 14, 2019 amway, one of the largest mlms in the world, has been the subject of several books that detail the companys cultlike strategies, including amway.
The cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield corporate cults. The cult of the customer download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Sales plunged as much as 30 percent during this period. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. However, those who have challenged the narrative about amway have not limited their criticism to just the canadian incident, they have looked at the business structure and the corporate culture as well. Quickly the business took off and, according to amway, did a half million. Includes guide, templates, tools, samples and more. Career manual which must be followed to keep amways reputation. In the 1990s, the amway organization was a major contributor to the. In the cult of free enterprise, author stephen butterfield wrote amway sells.
How mlms and cults use the same mind control techniques. Amway short for american way is an american multilevel marketing company that sells. Amway which now goes by the more ominous name amway global, or as scamway by its detractors is a multilevel marketing scheme based on selling laundry detergent and other household cleaners, mostly to yourself, and on helping your upline make a lot of money by buying tapes of motivational speeches from them. The late stephen butterfield, tells all in this book based on his experience as an amway distributor. My wife is starting to get into amway and i have just wondered since it seems kinda weird to me.
The cult of free enterprise, a notorious 1985 tellall published by a former distributor, stephen. Amway project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. They only had a limited range of products including powdered milk which, god forbid, i actually drank but the culture of group members was cult like. Amway has often been compared to religious groups or even cults. Go to the editions section to read or download ebooks. I am told that out of 3 million distributors presently in amway besides the millions that have come and gone and are now forgotten since the beginning of amway in 1959, only about a fifth of them make money.
In this report adhesives are classified by the type of chemistry of the adhesive rather. Interest in solvent free adhesives is increasing because of environmental concerns about the use of solvent containing adhesives and the subsequent need to decrease or eliminate solvent use. Mar 01, 1985 stunning, eyeopening book on this strange, cult like operation which has worked quietly in america since the late 1950s. In the forbes quote, an amway executive admits to the problem of cultism. By evelyn j pringle eric scheibelers book new, merchants of deception, is a first hand account of the authors recruitment into the amway cult, his rapid advancement as a recruiter of others, and his final awakening after many years of minddulling dedication to the cult ideology. Butterfield, an examway distributor, dissects the dynamics of this free ente. Dec 08, 2015 i was in amway at one time, and the group i was with had the characteristics of a cult.
In the 1990s, amway s international expansion proved to be a lucrative investment. Amway wwdb pushes really hard for their huns to be partnered up with another ambot. The cult of free enterprise illustrates how the companys leadership marketed this ideology to its salesforce. Multilevel marketing mlm plans provide a quick and inexpensive route to business ownership for wouldbe entrepreneurs. Multilevel marketing companies promise prosperity to the. The amazing story of a global business phenomenon book oreilly logo. Amway, one of the largest mlms in the world, has been the subject of several books that detail the companys cult like strategies, including amway. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Brittany rated it really liked it may 26, amazon renewed refurbished products with a warranty. Several more recent books by former amway distributors graphically describe classic cult techniques they say they were subjected to in amway. Phil kerns, who was in both the peoples temple and amway, compares the two. In the cult of free enterprise, stephen butterfield, who spent time in the yager group within amway, wrote amway sells a marketing and motivational system, a cause, a way of life, in a fervid emotional atmosphere of rallies and political religious revivalism. Some say amway should be called scamway and that the organization has a cultlike following but steve van andel, a dynastic heir of the multi level marketing mlm empire claims that he is not in the business of making a fast buck by just recruiting people, reports indias economic times. The cult of free enterprise stephen butterfield south end press, 1985 order aum shinrikyo the cult at the end of the world.
Soon they find themselves sitting for 12 hours at a stretch at mass rallies, chanting thanks to the leader for teaching us to be free. The cult of free enterprise, 1985, south end press, isbn 089608253 9. Amway, the cult of free enterprise by butterfield, stephen. Inscribed to ms morris, author signed, dated july 3, 1963.
The comparison between cults and mlms is not a new one. The terrifying story of the aum doomsday cult, from the subways of tokyo to arsenals in russia david e. The amway founders believe this so fervently that their company conventions are often referred to as a religious revival. In the cult of free enterprise, author and former amway distributor stephen butterfield wrote amway sells a marketing and. One of the earliest critics of amway, former insider stephen butterfield. Kaplan and andrew marshall crown publishing, 1996 order. The cult of free enterprise butterfield, stephen on.
Butterfield, an ex amway distributor, dissects the dynamics of this free enterprise empire with an insiders insight. The very first critical book written about amway was entitled, amway, the cult of free enterprise, by stephen butterfield. Devoted specifically to cultism and mind control in amway. Behind the smoke and mirrors backstreet publishing, 1999 conn, charles paul. The cult of free enterprise and fake it til you make it. Mind dynamics was a seminar company, founded by alexander everett in texas in 1968 the company ceased operating in december 1973 after the death of coowner william penn patrick and the resignation of president robert white, alongside investigations for fraudulent representations and practicing medicine without a license. Amway, the cult of free enterprise stephen butterfield. The cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield online at alibris. Another book critical of amway s sales methods, amway.
The core of amways center for free enterprise is the freedom. The author became involved with amway himself, and gives an inside view of the experience, with a healthy dose of dry wit appropriate to. One emerald topperforming seller relayed to his distributor network a brief history lesson, no doubt culled from the top brass, on the reason that people have jobs. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Living the delayed life with amway, the baffler, no.
The author became involved with amway himself, and gives an inside view of the experience, with a healthy dose of dry wit appropriate to the material, which sometimes borders on the surreal. The cult of the customer download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Armsbearing and the clergy in the history and canon law of western christianity. The cult of free enterprise 1985, offers a critical view of amway. The other, which is even more vehemently denied, is cult. About 20 years ago i was introduced to this by an outfit called omegatrend, an offshoot of amway.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Amway s second generation of chief executivessteve van andel and doug devosnot resting on their laurels, grand rapids press, may 18, 2009. Stunning, eyeopening book on this strange, cult like operation which has worked quietly in america since the late 1950s. Some factions of amway use cult tactics march 2002 by a former amway distributor. Click download or read online button to get the cult of the customer book now. The cult of free enterprise, by stephen butterfield, was published in 1985. Recruits are given special monikers within the organization and are promised. Butterfield does an excellent job in uncovering the true sinister and cult like nature of. Many people understand cults to be dangerous restrictions on freedom and individuality.
Another former distributor who has written critically of amway is matt roth. Publication date 1985 topics amway corporation, amway corporation. As with many similarly structured multilevel marketing companies, many of. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. And if theyre not they will actually try to encourage them to break up with their so to find someone else that is easier to brainwash or already in the cult. Formerly counted among the top companies by the forbes magazine, the dual principles of amway business model. Amway explains that its meetings might appear to some people to be a cult because amway meetings are full of energy, enthusiasm and excitement just like most sales motivation meetings.
Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. For a further investigation of this, please see the book amway. Charles paul conn has written a number of books sympathetic to amway and its founders, the most factual of which is promises to keep. This paper presents an overview of mlm with an emphasis on the environmental factors which affect the manufacturers, distributors, and consumers involved in this method of distribution. The company owes its foundation to jay van andel and richard devos in ada, michigan, and roots back to 1959. Recruits are given special monikers within the organization and are promised salvation. The cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield. The cult of free enterprise by stephen butterfield there are two taboo terms in the world of multilevel marketing mlm.