4 books found
This lively survey of the ever-changing Irish-American experience contains “many perceptive, and sometimes surprising, observations” (The Irish Times). Irish-American Autobiography explores the evolution of Irishness in America through memoirs that describe, define, and redefine what it means to be Irish. From athletes and entertainers to saloon keepers, community activists, and Catholic priests, Irish-Americans of all stripes share their thoughts and perceptions on their ever-evolving ethnic identity. Poet and Irish studies specialist James Silas Rogers begins his evocative analysis with celebrity memoirs by athletes like boxer John L. Sullivan and ballplayer Connie Mack―written when the Irish were eager to put their raffish origins behind them. Later, he traces the many tensions registered by lesser-known Irish-Americans who’ve told their life stories. South Boston step dancers set themselves against the larger culture, framing their identity as outsiders looking in. Even the classic 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners speaks to the poignant sense of exclusion felt by its creator Jackie Gleason. Rogers also examines the changing role of Catholicism as a cultural touchstone for Irish Americans, and examines the painful diffidence of priest autobiographers. Irish-American Autobiography becomes, in the end, a story of a continued search for connection—documenting an “ethnic fade” that never quite happened.
Hundreds of large organizations worldwide have used the groundbreaking Service Profit Chain to improve business performance. Now The Ownership Quotient reveals the next generation of the chain: customer and employee "owners" of your business. Employee-owners exhibit such enthusiasm for their organization that they infect countless customers with similar satisfaction, loyalty, and dedication. Customer-owners are in turn so satisfied with their experience that they relate their stories to others, persuade them to try your product, and provide constructive criticism and new product ideas. As a new generation of managers has been changing the way that products and services are designed and delivered, authors Heskett, Sasser, and Wheeler have followed the evolution of this new ownership model. Case studies from companies as diverse as Harrah's Entertainment, ING Direct, Build-a-Bear Workshop, and Wegmans Food Markets bring home the central principle of engagement - and showcase ways to raise the ownership quotient among both your employees and your customers. With the authors' decades of consulting and research paving the way, you'll learn to identify your customer-owners; consistently exceed their expectations in ways they truly appreciate; and foster, measure, and grow the Ownership Quotient throughout your company. An organization that learns how to cultivate an ownership attitude creates a self-reinforcing relationship between customers and front-line employees. The lifetime value of a customer-owner can be equivalent to that of more than a hundred typical customers. And that makes the lifetime value of an employee who can promote customer ownership priceless. This powerful and practical book shows you how to add that value to your company and delight your employees, customers, and investors. Is your organization ready to make the transition to an ownership state of mind?
The ultimate guide to customer satisfaction, from the people who understand it better than anyone For nearly forty years, J. D. Power and Associates has been synonymous with measuring customer satisfaction and helping businesses understand what customers really want. Now two of the company's senior executives, Chris Denove and James D. Power IV, unlock the vault on decades of closely guarded research data?and insights previously available only to the firm's clients. This is the first book that really explains how great companies like Lexus, UPS, JetBlue, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car get it right, delivering consistently high customer satisfaction and translating it into profitable growth. It will teach you, for instance, how to: -Understand the financial link between satisfaction and profits -Turn customers who are simply ?satisfied? into vocal advocates - Empower frontline employees to do the right thing - Use problem resolution as an opportunity to make new fans Satisfaction offers advice for companies large or small, for product manufacturers, service providers, and retailers alike. It delivers not just a stockpile of customer research, but a road map to developing specific policies and processes. It also tells fascinating stories of companies that don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk every day—and of other companies that ignored the voice of the customer, with dire consequences.
by K Edgington, Thomas Erskine, James M. Welsh
2010 · Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Whether chronicling an athlete's rise, fall, and redemption or following a team's improbable triumph on the field, sports have been a favorite theme of filmmakers almost since movies were first produced. And whether focusing on soccer (Bend It Like Beckham), boxing (Rocky and its sequels), hockey (Slap Shot), baseball (Bull Durham), football (The Longest Yard), basketball (Hoosiers), cycling (Breaking Away), or tennis (Wimbledon), such films capture the competition and thrill of sport. All major films with a primary focus on athletic endeavor are contained in Encyclopedia of Sports Films. In this volume, more than 200 fictional feature-length movies released between 1925 and 2010 are described, including comedies, dramas, and biopics. While the focus is on Hollywood productions, independent films and foreign releases are also represented. Though boxing and baseball films have tended to dominate the genre, many other sports are also included here, including skiing, curling, and cricket. Arranged alphabetically by title, each main entry contains a synopsis of the film, principal production information, and a critical analysis. In addition to the main entries, credits and brief descriptions for more than 200 films are also provided. DVD and VHS distributors are included, if available. Appendixes include made-for-television movies, documentaries, and films based on or inspired by true events and persons. For teachers who wish to incorporate films into their lesson plans, as well as librarians ordering titles for their patrons, Encyclopedia of Sports Films will be a valuable resource.