Search

A dynamic movement known as wealth creation education attracts many thousands of people seeking education for the vocation of an entrepreneur in the UK. Entrepreneurship education in these collectives includes venturing know-how but also co-constructs existential meaning and purpose for adherents, a role traditionally fulfilled by religion. This emergent sectarian movement is identified as wealth creationism. Led by charismatic entrepreneurs this newly identified research domain represents rich opportunities to study entrepreneurs in naturally arising settings, but has been neglected and understudied. While publicly subsidised educational support for small-business owners has suffered from low uptake, this study provides new knowledge about the kind of education that is engaged with in large numbers, despite being more expensive. This inquiry critically examines the attraction of these educational collectives and evaluates the social processes of eight wealth creation education providers in England. Teaching content and methods were also investigated. This qualitative study takes an interpreted approach through a social constructionism perspective. Using grounded theory methodology the providers were initially researched through participative observation in the educational settings followed by theoretically sampling data with various collection methods. Interdisciplinary theories, including the sociology of religion, accounted for findings, which were analysed at the meso-group level. The movement teaches entrepreneurship know-how and 'mindset' - ways of thinking and being. Insulating directives of behaviour and the construction of stigmatised out-groups maintain social boundaries. Employing similar narrative features and resources as religious sects, the socially constructed co-extensive nomos and cosmos privileges esoteric knowledge and is closely identified with modern Gnosticism. Participants do not acknowledge religious interpretations of their activities, yet three North American authors provide plausible canonical works that legitimise the movement. Wealth Creationists display entrepreneurial chauvinism, which equates employment with bondage, viewing the employed as slaves. Adherents choose educators with perceived entrepreneurial credibility to lead them on a purposeful mission for the type of knowledge that promises emancipation. This study is significant for both researchers of entrepreneurs and the sociology of religion. It offers participating entrepreneurs critical insights into the charismatic settings, which can be both enabling and disabling for venturing. This study has implications for academics engaged in outreach to small-business owners who may learn from the marketing tactics of these groups, although academics may still lack perceived credibility. Insights into business group formation will be of interest to business group researchers. A map of educational provision may interest researchers and educators of small and microbusiness owners, and those from the fields of entrepreneurial learning.

This is a reflexive exploratory study examining the recognition and assessment of pain on a medical unit at a District General Hospital in the North West of England to answer the following research question: What factors impact on the management of pain and how can these be addressed when changing pain assessment practice on a medical unit? There had been little investigation into pain management specifically within medical wards prior to this study which explored pain assessment practice on the medical unit using action research to examine the factors influencing pain assessment practice and at the same time change practice. Following an initial assessment of practice and examination of pain assessment literature a theoretical framework was produced that identified seven elements relevant to pain assessment. The study interventions were guided by and tested the theoretical framework. During the study participation and collaboration between the researcher and practitioners developed resulting in a deeper understanding and awareness of everyday practice on the unit. This led to critical reflections and focus group discussions that enabled practitioners to change their practice. Over the study period documentation of pain assessment increased from 16% to 98%. The number of patients identified as requiring an intervention by the Acute Pain Team increased from 39 patients a year prior to the study to 181 patients a year. Knowledge of pain management was found to be variable and initially this knowledge was not used in practice. Observation of practice identified pain assessment as one of a large number of everyday requirements of a nurses' role which was not an aspect of nursing practice initially, but was conducted more consistently during the evaluation observation. This study identified five of the seven elements identified in the theoretical framework impacting on pain assessment on the medical unit. Two elements had strong influences on pain assessment practice. These were knowledge of pain and pain assessment and the context of clinical practice. The provision of education was an intervention used throughout the study to increase knowledge of pain management and was necessary to increase practitioners' awareness of pain assessment. The context of individual wards within the unit was found to influence the use of knowledge in practice. Attitudes and behaviour were affected by social norms, the values and beliefs and the history of a group, which in turn influenced the changes in practice. The consistent use of one pain assessment tool and the provision of a chart to record a pain score were identified as factors that increased the documentation of pain assessment but were affected by the context and practitioners awareness of pain assessment. The researcher's interventions were also found to be a strong factor influencing the changes in recognising and assessing pain.