Representing Consumers: Voices, Views and Visions (Routledge Interpretive Market Research Series)

Book Description

This book challenges the prevailing orthodoxies within consumer research methodology by examining representation and constructions of "truth". The contributors adopt a wide variety of theoretical approaches, drawing on postmodernism, photography, literary theory, narratology and poetry. Representing Consumers explores both the crisis in representation and the representation of crisis. Using diverse approaches, the contributors examine issues ranging from the construction of the researcher and consumer voice, and the use of quantitative tools, multimedia and representation, to advertising narratives, poetic representation of consumer experience, and consumer-oriented ethnographic research.
The international contributors include many distinguished experts in consumer research: Morris B. Holbrook, Russell Belk, Elizabeth C. Hirschman, Barbara Stern, Stephen Brown, Dawn Iacobucci, Susan Spiggle, Craig Thompson, John F. Sherry Jr., George M. Zinkham, Kent Grayson, Eric Arnould, Jonathan E. Schroeder, Jennifer Edson Escalas and Linda Price.

Amazon.com

In the context of contemporary business, the ancient art of "dialogue" refers to a thoroughly modern communications practice that can bridge diversity and forge cooperation in virtually any kind of organization. Linda Ellinor and Glenna Gerard, consultants and trainers who focus on issues such as communication and collaboration, contend that informed use of the process can measurably enhance creativity and boost productivity--and, not coincidentally, improve profitability. In Dialogue: Rediscover the Transforming Power of Conversation, they explain why they believe it can work and show how it might be integrated into today's workplace. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

The practice of Dialogue, though as old as mankind itself, is revolutionizing today's business world. Dialogue is a way of conversing and thinking together that dissolves barriers and creates organizational cultures energized by collaboration and partnership.

Peter Senge has called Dialogue an important tool for promoting team learning and fostering shared meaning and community within an organization. Now Dialogue: Rediscover the Transforming Power of Conversation shows leaders how talking about what matters can pave the way to new heights of creativity and productivity.

Linda Ellinor and Glenna Gerard, cofounders of their consulting firm, The Dialogue Group, draw upon their combined 50 years of experience in organizations to show how Dialogue can change the way we work by widening information arteries so that employees at every level begin to think along "leadership" lines and take responsibility for how their actions affect the whole organization. Diversity becomes a high-leverage resource; conflict becomes a creative opportunity. Leading companies including Levi Strauss, Shell, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, and AT&T are unleashing the wellspring of power that flows naturally from the trust, mutual respect, and spirit of inquiry that are at Dialogue's core.

In an organizational world fragmented by competition, takeovers, downsizing, and reengineering, the inspiration and meaning that energize us and make work satisfying are often hard to come by. Linda Ellinor and Glenna Gerard offer clear strategies and guides for rekindling our spirits and renewing our ability to work creatively with the key dilemmas we face every day. They engage us in practical reflections and exercises to help bring the value of Dialogue into all our conversations.

The strategies they describe for integrating dialogic principles into any group can help leaders at every level:

Create and sustain collaborative partnerships that foster shared responsibility and accountability
Develop skills to build the trust needed to surface "undiscussable" issues that block creativity and learning and diminish effectiveness
Open doors to new and creative ways of thinking and problem solving
Get at the roots of recurring problems
Reawaken the meaning, satisfaction, and inspiration in work

Dialogue will provoke your thinking about:

What is involved in "being the change you wish to see" in organizations, and how can Dialogue help?
What is the price/reward of having conversations that get to the root of things?
How do we ask important questions so as to see the larger picture before crafting our responses?
How can dialogue foster self-organization and systems thinking?

Dialogue shows how to tap into the collective wisdom essential to high functioning work environments.

"An extraordinarily important book, Dialogue challenges us to examine our basic assumptions about the fundamental purpose and method of conversation, and offers rich resources on how to find greater meaning and joy in our everyday encounters. It's the best book yet on a subject of ever-increasing importance." —Jim Kouzes, coauthor of The Leadership Challenge and Chairman Tom Peters Group/Learning Systems.

"Many people are talking about dialogue these days. But there are few places to turn to learn the practices that might enable it to happen. This book is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in practicing dialogue and learning ways to introduce it in the settings in which they live and work." — William Isaacs Director of the MIT Dialogue Project and President, DIAlogos, Inc.

"Dialogue is possibly the most powerful tool you will ever find to develop and harness the wisdom and experiences of the people who drive your organization. Dialogue is a must read for any executive driven to succeed." —Robert Harrison, Jr. Vice President of Sales CIGNA HealthCare of California

"A classic and seminal look. . . . Ellinor and Gerard provide a compelling way to generate openings where collective wisdom can manifest in any partnership, team, or group setting. There is no other book of such central importance to assist individuals or organizations in demonstrating efficient, creative, and responsible communication." —Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., author of The Four-Fold Way.

Customer Reviews:

Useful stuff.......2003-03-29

This book was a much more detailed exploration of the topic of dialog. It began with a scattered, pretty useless dialog between some academics and consultants transcribed from a group phone call they made. I found this painful to get through as it was a real collage of different ideas and their latest `thoughts' they all needed to share. They didn't seem to be talking `to' each other, but that was probably due to the fact that they were on the phone and that they are all so full of ideas on the subject that they couldn't help but blabber on and on when they each had a chance. While it avoided a lot of the `metaphysical' aspects of Dialog (as compared with the previous book - "Spiritual Art of Dialog" that I read before this), it did tend to oversimplify problems in the workplace a bit in my opinion. The first parts of the book offered some great tips on how to engage in, and maintain a positive dialog. It talked about intentions as being very important, and suspending one's own assumptions and judgments that were useful. It also stressed the importance of being a good listener and asking good questions. There were few tips on how to gauge nonverbal queues, which I think would have been useful, but there were a lot of suggested activities to get better at it. The point I think they were making were that nonverbal queues are specific to individuals and can't be readily identified generally. There was talk of inquiry (asking questions) and also of reflection (taking moments and going slowly) which was also interesting. Then the part of the book that most interested me were the practical tips that management could take to implement better dialog in the workplace. Although they were very skeptical of it working in long-term ways in most circumstances, which took away from the authority of the book, and in that way they seemed to undermine what they were advocating. There was also discussion of group evolution dynamics, and the four stages of a group. They did get slightly metaphysical in talking about mysterious group energies and such, but I took it all with a grain of salt. The idea of shared leadership seemed powerful if properly implemented, but they also pointed out some very dangerous aspects that can go along with implementing it and that should be watched for.

not a ground breaker, but a worthwhile read.......1999-09-06

This book is not an eye-opener, it appears to be going over ground that has been covered before. But for those of us who are grappling with the concept of utilizing DIALOG in organizational change and development, an approach that skims the surface, explains the benefits and touches on different issues while pointing you to a place where you can do more research is probably more useful than an in-depth study of the more esoteric features.

More-of-the-same:An incoherent mishmash of training gimmicks.......1999-04-06

I concur with one of the reviewer's from Seattle...this book exploits the whole intent of dialogue, turning it into yet another training tool and management consulting technique. The deeper and more illuminating aspects of dialogue, its potential for a true metanoia, are lost to a bunch of eclectic little structured exercises for people to perform in training sessions. It seems their book reflects a modern phenomena, particularly evident in the management consulting world, where truly fresh insights and new approaches to inquiry that could potentially open up the mind, are dumbed down, commodified, and technique-ized, and trivialized in the effort to mass market them. This book will appeal to those who want another tool in their tool-box, but not to those who are genuinely seeking an authentic exploration of dialogue, where no paths or techniques are imposed on the mind in advance.

A fantastic book!.......1998-09-11

Dialogue is a next generation tool for creating collaboration, effectiveness, and a sense of community within organizations. After studying this topic for several years, including participating in events sponsored by Scott Peck's Foundation for Community Encouragement (Seattle, WA), I have found this recently published book to be the definitive work available on this topic. The book is readable, practical, insightful, and wise. The only thing I couldn't obtain from the book was the direct experience of participating in dialogue with others, but I look forward to attending one of the authors' public seminars on this topic in the near future.

A fantastic book!.......1998-09-11

Book Description

Computers, telecommunications equipment, semiconductors - the products and technologies of the information and communications (IC) industry have transformed our world. Most of these products were initially developed in Western countries, but by the early 1990s some of the world's largest companies in the field were Japanese. This book explains the resurgence of Japan's IC giants, their global status, and their strengths and weaknesses. Empirical scrutiny of their evolution is the author's own theory of the most appropriate method for studying the dynamics of long-term industrial change. While the Japanese motor vehicle and consumer electronics industries have been relatively well analysed, there are no comprehensive up-to-date studies of the Japanese IC industry. This book addresses the questions consequently left unanswered: How were Japanese IC companies able to catch up with their western rivals--and in some cases overtake them? How have Japanese IC companies responded to the post-IBM world of computing? Why do they remain primarily dependent on the Japanese market? Why do they combine competences in computers, semiconductors, and telecommunications equipment, while their US counterparts are far more specialized? What role has been played by the Japanese government and the system of controlled competition in their success? Will Japanese IC companies become increasingly competitive internationally in the future? The author extends the evolutionary approach to the organization of the firm and industry developed by such writers as Schumpeter, Nelson, Winter, and Chandler. He argues that in order to understand the evolution of companies and industries, it is necessary to create a theory of the firm capable of encompassing the development of real firms in the real world in real time. This approach stresses the importance of the beliefs that are constructed in the firm under conditions of 'interpretive ambiguity', which guide the firm's decisions and its reactions to new technologies. Lengthy analyses of NEC and NTT (by far the world's largest company in terms of market value; its future currently under government scrutiny), and of the computing, switiching, and optical fibre industries, illustrate these concepts. Based on over 600 personal interviews over eight years with Japanese leaders, this book provides important new material on the past, present, and future of Japanese industry.

Japan's Computer and Communications Industry: The Evolution of Industrial Giants Global Competitiveness

Average customer rating:

Japan's Computer and Communications Industry: The Evolution of Industrial Giants Global Competitiveness
Martin Fransman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKNS0K

Amazon.com

Mark Bunting's message is both simple and wise: it takes work and perseverance to build the life you want. But anything is easier to build when you have the right tools--and the computer can be an extremely powerful tool. While the book tells of how he managed his own move from hand-to-mouth existence to millionaire status, it's not about getting rich quick. It's about tapping into the resources that computers make available for business, personal relationships, and achieving dreams. The result is highly inspirational--and the practical advice is excellent.

Book Description

Do you want to

* Set up an at-home business?

* Communicate with others who have already done so?

* Learn more about math, science, and history?

* Meet people who have the same hobbies as you?

* Find out about just about anything?

The computer is your link, and media-savvy Mark Bunting promises to show you how. In his witty, adventurous, and incredibly informative style, Bunting gives you the know-how you need to use your computer as your partner in any project you undertake. After all, your computer is not merely an expensive machine bought for typing letters; it can become the most extraordinary tool at your disposal because it enables you to build, fix, or create whatever your want. Mark Bunting, the Bob Vila of the cyberworld, will dramatically change your relationship with your personal computer. He will help you realize a life of increased freedom and success -- the life of your dreams -- with your computer.

Customer Reviews:

Refreshing book...Tony Robbinesque.......1999-08-31

Good knowledge, enthusiam, and some hype. All and all a good pump for getting online and getting PC literate.

A nice tale of success, little useful information.......1998-02-27

The riches to rags to riches success story is quite interesting and sometimes even inspirational. The book is very easy to read. However, for an entrepreneur looking for practical tips or information it is quite useless. This is a good book to read for general inspiration and to lift the spirit only. Seek guidance elsewhere.

Inspirational.......1997-07-04

This book is extremely inspirational. Mark Bunting gave up a 100,ooo dollar job to reach his quest, as he called it. He realized yopu have to try no matter what and the risk paid off. He was a multi-millionare really soon. This book shows how he started with no knowledge and worked up, also explaining that you can do. A must have for sny aspiring entreptuears or money-seekers

Book Description

Whether you've been downsized and reorganized out of a job, or just find yourself in a corporate dead end, you can take charge of your career with this positive, practical guide. Written by three leading experts in career development and change, this guide gives you practice-tested tools you can use to jump-start your job hunt, with exercises and quizzes that are as easy and fun to do as they are helpful. This guide is essential reading for anyone in the job market.

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Effort!.......2001-02-17

A job search used to be a dreary process of mailing resumes, making calls, scheduling interviews, and suffering rejection until you took the first thing that came along. Well, the employment quest has changed along with everything else. Here's how to take advantage of being a skilled, available professional in a hot job market. J. Thomas Buck, William R. Matthews and Robert N. Leech pool their considerable experience as career development consultants to cover the entire landscape of job hunting in this detailed workbook of 101 exercises. Though written clearly and conversationally, the book is not simplistic. The authors ask thought-provoking questions as they take you through the job search process. Even if you've been in the business world for years, you will find this guide valuable since it harnesses the whirlwind of today's ever-changing corporate climate. We at getAbstract.com recommend this book to anyone embarking on a job search and to human resources professionals.

Average customer rating:

101 Ways to Power Up Your Job Search
William R. Matthews, Robert N. Leech, Tom Buck J. Thomas Buck
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFDJDQ

Average customer rating:

Funny short book

You Have "My Word!": A Fifth Collection of Stories from "My Word" - a Panel Game Devised by Edward J.Mason and Tony Shryane
Frank Muir , and Denis Norden
Manufacturer: Methuen Publishing Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Oh, My Word!

ASIN: 0413618102

Customer Reviews:

Funny short book.......2007-05-14

Great item for fans of the show, if you were fortunate enough to listen to it on the radio. If not, buy it anyway to have some good laughs in terms of puns strung out over a 2 to 3 page funny made-up story.

Average customer rating:

Have You Seen My Henry Brown
Clark Dave J ( Words ) Von Tilzer Albert ( Music )
Manufacturer: The York Music Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LCJ74M

I Guess I Understand Why You Went Away But Did You Have to take My dog? Words, Lyrics and Some Music

Average customer rating:

I Guess I Understand Why You Went Away But Did You Have to take My dog? Words, Lyrics and Some Music
Pat Garvey
Manufacturer: Pat Garvey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W2KTMU

Average customer rating:

My word you should have seen us
Jack Ripley
Manufacturer: Hamish Hamilton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZ3FMO

You can't have your kayak and heat it;: Stories from My word!

Average customer rating:

You can't have your kayak and heat it;: Stories from My word!
Frank Muir
Manufacturer: Eyre Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0413306607

Average customer rating:

You Have My Word 175 Promises of God

Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1577487591

Product Description

175 Promises of God covering His Grace, Mercy, Faithfulness, Freedom and Redemption from Sin, Joy and more...

Average customer rating:

You Have My Word On It

Manufacturer: ARC Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0938041355

Product Description

Haunting words capture the horrors of war, the joy of love and life, the despair of loneliness, and the comedic posturing of human frailties.

Average customer rating:

LEFT ME WANTING MORE
Mystique!
Publisher, your plan worked. I want to know more.
The movie Casino, was close, but not as close as this book.
I cannot in good conscience say buy this book.

You Have My Word On It
Bob Miller
Manufacturer: Vanquish Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Financial Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0963416111

Book Description

"Rutledge and I was hungry, and the door was open, so we joined the others in line for the free buffet. The thought crossed my mine that if these political party goers, only knew that we were from the street, they might fear for their lives, or at least for their money. But after being around them for a few minutes, I realized that that would be like a school of tiger sharks worrying about two salmon."

Customer Reviews:

LEFT ME WANTING MORE.......2001-01-13

I was totally into the story. Hated to put it down. One of those books that leaves you thinking Wow is this true or fiction. And if it is true where is this character now. I would recommend it to anyone that loves adventure.

Mystique!.......2000-01-24

This is the third book I have read by this author. None of his books have come packaged very well. More than enough typos and poor word usage to discourage most readers. But if you can persevere, you will come away with a truth that is not so easily spoken or accepted. Honestly, I don't think I would like having this man live next door, but I adore the way he explains the unexplainable. I truly would not want to be in the army that tried to come between him and the God he serves.

Publisher, your plan worked. I want to know more........1999-12-08

I did not believe it could be done! An action packed adventure without a car chase, a hero who could whip fifty Martial Arts Masters, or a single building being blown-up. I said no way! Well this author found a way, and yes, I will go see the movie when it comes out.

The movie Casino, was close, but not as close as this book........1999-11-28

The last four chapters about events in Las Vegas, was most interesting since it was written as the local Vegas newspaper had described it over the same period. Times Review said book was nothing but a test market for the screen play, Taciturn. So what! I got my monies worth. That's more than I can say for their paper.

I cannot in good conscience say buy this book........1999-06-20

There is no middle ground here. You will either, like myself, adore this author's work or you will hate it. I agree with "World News" that Bob Miller and those like him are the "Infrastructure of America". I cannot help but think of Thomas Payne when I read something by this man. It is very possible than none of his writing will ever be considered literature, but he will be remembered by those who have read his labors. How he will be remembered, is an entirely different matter.

Average customer rating:

You Have My Word on It

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound
ASIN: B000EU5YRK

Representation and asymmetric information, or, Can citizens trust Congressman Joe Isuzu when he says "you have my word on it" (Working paper)

Average customer rating:

Representation and asymmetric information, or, Can citizens trust Congressman Joe Isuzu when he says "you have my word on it" (Working paper)
William T Bianco
Manufacturer: Duke University Program in Political Economy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Congresses, Senates, & Legislative Bodies | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000720GVE

Average customer rating:
It Pays to Talk: How to Have the Essential Conversations with Your Family About Money and Investing

Manufacturer: Books On Tape, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 073668932X

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book!

The silver is buried in the backyard.

A Helpful Book

Disappointing

It Pays to Talk: How to Have the Essential Conversations with Your Family About Money and Investing
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz , and Charles Schwab
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Bonds | Commodities | Futures | General | Introduction | Mutual Funds | Options | Real Estate | Stocks
Financial Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

You're Fifty--Now What? Investing for the Second Half of Your Life

Charles Schwab's New Guide to Financial Independence Completely Revised and Updated : Practical Solutions for Busy People

Kids and Money: Giving Them the Savvy to Succeed Financially (Bloomberg Personal Bookshelf (Paperback)) (Bloomberg Personal Bookshelf (Paperback))

The Financially Intelligent Parent: 8 Steps To Raising Successful, Generous, Responsible Children

Raising Rich Kids

ASIN: 1400049601
Release Date: 2003-12-23

Book Description

Financial security begins with a conversation . . .

And that’s why Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz has teamed up with her father, internationally respected investing pioneer and bestselling author Charles R. Schwab, to produce this excellent family financial primer. This book will help investors succeed whether the stock market is going up or down, both in the present and in the long term. Throughout the book, the authors stress the importance of having regular and effective conversations about money—with a spouse or partner, young children and teenagers, and aging parents—and offer the perfect roadmap for starting and continuing those conversations, including:

• understanding the basics: stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
• building wealth over time, understanding your tolerance for risk, and developing and maintaining the right investment portfolio
• investing for your children’s future and for your secure retirement
• estate planning for you and your older parents
• preparing for life’s unexpected events

“A practical book for men and women, young and old ...It’s smartly written, earnest without being preachy, and offers down-to-earth advice on how to forge productive conversations about money between spouses and partners, parents and children, and adult children and aging parents.”—Chicago Tribune

“Most families don’t talk about money. Personal finance ranks with sex and drugs as one of the least-discussed topics and one fraught with emotional baggage....Bottom line: You have to fend for yourself when it comes to money, and the way to do that is to talk about it with parents, spouses, and children....We all have to take care of ourselves financially. This book is a good place to start.”—USA Today

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book!.......2006-05-31

This book goes way beyond it's title... it is a great primer on financial planning and investing. In addition, it gives you a lot of ideas on how to open up the dialog with your family about money matters.

The silver is buried in the backyard........2003-07-08

The airline stock information is in your grandfather's wardrobe. The coin collection is behind the Meow Mix on the back porch shelf. Your older sister is going to stab you in the back. Your brother's neurosis may be an act. You're a good kid, but you won't pass "GO." Better make your own money.--Laurel825

A Helpful Book.......2003-02-19

I was always afraid of investing. This book is a great guide. It does a wonderful job of demystifying money issues that always have intimidated and scared me. A friend of mine recommended this book (her book club is reading it). I've read some of it out loud to my husband. We've talked about things we should have discussed years ago. It's an easy read, and a necessary one (at least for me). FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!!

Disappointing.......2003-02-07

The authors make many good points about the need to have
conversations with your family about money and investing.

However, the book includes far too many personal stories of random people and in particular of the Schwab family.
The information is not particularly interesting or pertinent.

Average customer rating:
It Pays to Talk: Essential Conversations with your Family about Money and Investing (Unabridged)
Schwab, Carrie, Charles R. Pomerantz
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B00023O10U

Average customer rating:
It Pays to Talk: How to Have the Essential Conversations with Your Family About Money and Investing
Schwab, Carrie, Charles Schwab-Pomerantz
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B00008HBR8

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books