World Institute of Scientology Enterprises
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World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) is an organization that educates and assists businesses in the use of Scientology management methods and techniques. It uses what it calls "standard admin" (administration), which comprises a fairly large volume of information.[1] WISE applies this information in such a way as to make the Admin Tech usable in the business world, and in turn uses that for dissemination of and recruitment into Scientology.[2] The incorporation papers include the statement "It is organized under the Nonprofit Religious Corporation Law primarily for religious purposes. Its purposes are to promote and foster the religious teachings of L. Ron Hubbard in society, and to have and exercise all rights and powers from time to time granted to nonprofit corporations by law."[3]
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[edit] History
In the history of Scientology, Hubbard said about the early Churches of Scientology: "They are not business and so fail when they try to operate like one". He then began creating a new system of organizing these churches with the stated purpose of "Disseminating Scientology to the world." This new system was modified continually until circa 1980. In the late 60s, a project began compiling his notes into hard bound volumes that later became known as the Organization Executive Course or OEC. Originally intended as a training program for church executives (hence the name), Hubbard later made them available to all church staff and stated that all staff should train on them. This training reportedly was very successful and the church expanded greatly as a result.[citation needed]
However the OEC was stated to work for any kind of organization if understood. Business not connected to the church wishing to improve their own success reportedly began hiring trained church staff in the 70s causing problems in the church. In the 1980s Hubbard created WISE with the intention of giving any non-church related organization a means to train their own staff so that Scientology churches could train their staff without fear of losing them to other groups.[citation needed]
[edit] Organization
While the Church of Scientology denies that WISE is part of the church, internal publications such as The Command Channels of Scientology and WISE's place on the Scientology Org Board, as well as numerous reports that WISE affiliates are urged to recruit for Scientology in exchange for money, lead critics to assert that denials by Scientology are disingenuous.
- WISE headquarters are located at 6331 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. The corporate executives of WISE belong to the Sea Org of the Church of Scientology [2].
- Hubbard College of Administration International, which provides a "Degree program for an Associate of Applied Science Degree of Management and Administration", is located at 320 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California.
- WISE regional offices, which are at Church of Scientology locations, coordinate the local level Charter Committees.
- Charter Committees of established members in local areas provide guidance and dispute mediation between WISE members instead using the civil courts.
- Hubbard Management Consultants are WISE members licensed to sell services, training and courses based on Admin Tech and to encourage their clients to become WISE members. Consultants are encouraged to compete in the "WISE Consultant Expansion Game" with weekly standings.[4]
Members include: MasterTech Computer Products, Sterling Management Systems, Survival Strategies Inc., David Singer Enterprises, and e-Republic, which publishes Government Technology and Converge magazines and coordinates the Center for Digital Government.
[edit] Dentistry
For reasons unknown, the Church focuses heavily on dentistry in its WISE outreach. This has resulted in a number of controversies and court cases in which dental employees refuse to cooperate with Scientology:
- In 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit against dentist K. Mike Dossett of Plano, Texas, on behalf on Dossett's former receptionist, Jessica Uretsky. The suit alleges that Uretsky was pressured to study Scientology during mandatory meetings on her own time, and was told to "increase business by concentrating on her phone to make it ring". [3]
- In 2005, dentist Daniel Stewart and his Smile Savers Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland were sued by former employee Tammy Bright. She accused her employer of religious discrimination for failure to adapt her religious beliefs to Scientology. Devora Lindeman, Stewart's attorney who is also a Scientologist herself, denied the allegations and said Bright was fired for "poor performance." ("Woman claims she was fired unfairly over Scientology" by Laura Cadiz, The Baltimore Sun, March 4, 2005) [4]
- In 2003, three former employees of Aurora, Ohio dentist C. Aydin Cabi asserted in court that Dr. Cabi dismissed them from their jobs for their refusal to take part in Sterling Management's Scientology-based seminars. [5]
- In 2002, The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on behalf of former employees of dentist Juan Villareal and Harlingen Family Dentistry [6] in Harlingen, Texas who refused to attend Scientology training courses. ("EEOC: Employees illegally fired" by Allen Essex, Valley Morning Star, Friday, September 13, 2002)
- In 1998, Dentist Roger N. Carlsten was sued by former employee Susan Morgan, who alleged in court that she was fired for refusing to take a Scientology-filled Hubbard Administrative Technology "statistics" course. Morgan ultimately had to stop pursuing the matter, due to lack of funds. [7]
- In 1994, Christina M. Goudeau of Baton Rouge, Louisiana filed suit against Landmark Dental Care. Goudeau reported she was fired because she was expected to join the Church of Scientology, and to use Scientology practices and terminology in the office. ("Suit blames Scientology for firing" by Fred Kalmbach, The Advocate [Baton Rouge], June 16, 1993)
- In 1992, two former assistants of dentist Lyn V. Bates filed suit in Canton, Ohio, claiming they "were continually, against their will, subjected to religious recruitment, proselytizing and brainwashing by defendants in fervent attempts to convert them to the Scientology cult." ("Dental assistants say firing result of their rejection of Scientology", by David Knox, Akron Beacon Journal, September 2, 1992)
- In 1990, dentist Glover Rowe and his wife Dee claimed to be held forcibly against their will by Scientologists after attending two Sterling management seminars:
"They put a telephone in front of me and said I should call every member of my family and tell them I was a member of the Church of Scientology. I refused," said Mrs. Rowe. "At that point, they said, 'but you see Dee, you have to.'....... "For seven hours, a man drilled me, tried to brainwash me," said Mrs. Rowe. " l begged him to let me go, he kept saying, 'but you see Dee, you can't.' He tried to get me to confess to crimes. He started getting me to tell him sex stories. He made me list every overt sin I had committed. They insisted I write down everything I had done wrong. I couldn't list anything bad enough to please them." (" 'Management Seminar' Harrowing Experience", by Terry Dean, Cherokee County Herald, December 12, 1990) [8]
Chiropractors and veterinarians are also commonly sought by the Church of Scientology by way of WISE. [9]
[edit] Controversial recruitment techniques
One of WISE's controversial tactics for new recruits is to post wanted ads for employment as a gateway of bringing in new recruits. One such example is noted Scientologist Larry Gluck's Mission: Renaissance art school, a well known WISE organization. [5]
[edit] References
- ^ The information which WISE uses is contained in The Organization Executive Course and Management Series by L. Ron Hubbard, published by Bridge Publications, Inc. c1991 ISBN 0-88404-677-X. It is a large 12 volume set of books.
- ^ Dissemination as defined within Scientology is "[..] spreading information on Dianetics and Scientology broadly, using books, tapes and other works by L. Ron Hubbard." [1]
- ^ Copy of incorporation papers, World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, February 1, 1983.
- ^ WISE Consultant Expansion Game. Hubbard Management Consultants (2006-06-27). Retrieved on July 8, 2006.
- ^ http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/archives/scientology_and_the_art_of_deception.phtml
[edit] External links
- WISE
- Sterling Management
- Hubbard College of Administration site
- Critical information on WISE
- Los Angeles Times Article Series on Scientology: 4. Reaching into Society
- Managing to recruit: religious conversion in the workplace, Deana Hall, Sociology of Religion, Winter, 1998.
- Expert report prepared for the plaintiff in the case of EEOC v. I-20 Animal Medical Center, Dr. Stephen A. Kent, November 9, 1999.
- WISE Charter Committees
- WISE Consultant's Guide to Bridge Dissemination
