A Beginners Guide to Delphi Database Programming

A Beginners Guide to Delphi Database Programming About the Course: using TADOConnection Email Course Prerequisites: Delphi Programming A Beginners Guide to Delphi Programming Chapters Start with Chapter 1 : Then continue learning, this course already has more than 30 chapters ... CHAPTER 1:Fundamentals of Database Development (with Delphi)Delphi as the database programming tool, Data Access with Delphi...just a few words, Building a new MS Access database.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 2:Connecting to a database. BDE? ADO?Connecting to a database. What is the BDE? What is ADO? How to connect to an Access database - the UDL file? Looking forward: the smallest ADO example.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 3:Pictures inside a databaseDisplaying images (BMP, JPEG, ...) inside an Access database with ADO and Delphi.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 4:Data browsing and navigation Building a data browsing form - linking data components. Navigating through a recordset with a DBNavigator.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 5:Behind data in datasetsWhat is the state of data? Iterating through a recordset, bookmarking and reading the data from a database table.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 6:Data modificationsLearn how to add, insert and delete records from a database table.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 7:Queries with ADOTake a look at how you can take advantage of the TADOQuery component to boost your ADO-Delphi productivity. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 8:Data filteringUsing Filters to narrow the scope of data that is presented to the user.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 9:Searching for dataWalking through various methods of data seeking and locating while developing ADO based Delphi database applications.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 10:ADO CursorsHow ADO uses cursors as a storage and access mechanism, and what you should do to choose the best cursor for your Delphi ADO application.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 11:From Paradox to Access with ADO and DelphiFocusing on the TADOCommand components and using the SQL DDL language to help porting your BDE/Paradox data to ADO/Access.related to this chapter! CHAPTER 12:Master detail relationships How to use master-detail database relationships, with ADO and Delphi, to deal effectively with the problem of joining two database tables to present information. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 13:New...Access Database from Delphi How to create an MS Access database without the MS Access. How to create a table, add an index to an existing table, how to join two tables and set up referential integrity. No MS Access, only Pure Delphi code. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 14:Charting with Databases Introducing the TDBChart component by integrating some basic charts into a Delphi ADO based application to quickly make graphs directly for the data in recordsets without requiring any code. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 15:Lookup! See how to use lookup fields in Delphi to achieve faster, better and safer data editing. Also, find how to create a new field for a dataset and discuss some of the key lookup properties. Plus, take a look at how to place a combo box inside a DBGrid. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 16:Compacting an Access database with ADO and Delphi While working in a database application you change data in a database, the database becomes fragmented and uses more disk space than is necessary. Periodically, you can compact your database to defragment the database file. This article shows how to use JRO from Delphi in order to compact an Access database from code. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 17:Database reports with Delphi and ADO How to use QuickReport set of components to create database reports with Delphi. See how to produce database output with text, images, charts and memos - quickly and easily. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 18:Data Modules How to use the TDataModule class - central location for collecting and encapsulating DataSet and DataSource objects, their properties, events and code. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 19:Handling database errors Introducing error handling techniques in Delphi ADO database application development. Find out about global exception handling and dataset specific error events. See how to write an error logging procedure. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 20:From ADO Query to HTML How to export your data to HTML using Delphi and ADO. This is the first step in publishing your database on the Internet - see how to create a static HTML page from an ADO query. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 21:Using ADO in Delphi 3 and 4 (before AdoExpress / dbGO) How to import Active Data Objects (ADO) type-libraries in Delphi 3 and 4 to create a wrapper around components that encapsulate the functionality of ADO objects, properties and methods. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 22:Transactions in Delphi ADO database development How many times have you wanted to insert, delete or update a lot of records collectively wanting that either all of them get executed or if there is an error then none is executed at all? This article will show you how to post or undo a series of changes made to the source data in a single call. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 23:Deploying Delphi ADO database applications It is time to make your Delphi ADO database application available for others to run. Once you have created a Delphi ADO based solution, the final step is to successfully deploy it to the users computer. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 24:Delphi ADO/DB programming: Real Problems - Real Solutions In real world situations, really doing database programming is much more complex than writing about. This chapter points to some great Delphi Programming Forum threads initiated by this Course - discussions that solve problems on the field. CHAPTER 25:TOP ADO programming TIPS Collection of frequently asked questions, answers, tips and tricks about ADO programming. related to this chapter! CHAPTER 26:Quiz: Delphi ADO Programming What would it look like: Who Wants to be a Delphi ADO Database Programming Guru - the trivia game. related to this chapter! Appendices What follows is a list of articles (quick tips) explaining how to use various Delphi DB related components more efficiently at design and run time. APPENDIX 0DB Aware Grid ComponentsThe list of the best Data Aware Grid components available for Delphi. The TDBGrid component enhanced to maximum. APPENDIX ADBGrid to the MAXContrary to most other Delphi data-aware controls, the DBGrid component has many nice features and is more powerful than you would have thought. The standard DBGrid does its job of displaying and manipulating records from a dataset in a tabular grid. However, there are many ways (and reasons) why you should consider customizing the output of a DBGrid: Adjusting DBGrid column widths automatically, DBGrid with MultiSelect Coloring DBGrid, Selecting and highlighting a row in a DBGrid - OnMouseOverRow, Sorting records in DBGrid by Clicking on Column Title, Adding components to a DBGrid - theory, CheckBox inside a DBGrid, DateTimePicker (calendar) inside a DBGrid, Drop down pick list inside a DBGrid - part 1, Drop down list (DBLookupComboBox) inside a DBGrid - part 2, Accessing protected members of a DBGrid, Exposing the OnClick event for a DBGrid, What is being typed into the DBGrid?, How to Display Only Selected Fields in a DbGrid, How to get DBGrid Cell coordinates, How to create a simple database display form, Get the line number of a selected row in a DBGrid, Prevent CTRLDELETE in DBGrid, How to correctly use the mouse wheel in DBGrid, Making the Enter key work like a Tab key in a DBGrid ... APPENDIX BCustomizing the DBNavigatorEnhancing the TDBNavigator component with modified graphics (glyphs), custom button captions, and more. Exposing the OnMouseUp/Down event for every button.related to this quick tip! APPENDIX CAccessing and managing MS Excel sheets with DelphiHow to retrieve, display and edit Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with ADO (dbGO) and Delphi. This step-by-step article describes how to connect to Excel, retrieve sheet data, and enable editing of data (using the DBGrid). Youll also find a list of most common errors (and how to deal with them) that might pop up in the process. related to this quick tip! APPENDIX DEnumerating available SQL Servers. Retrieving databases on a SQL ServerHeres how to create your own connection dialog for a SQL Server database. Full Delphi source code for getting the list of available MS SQL Servers (on a network) and listing database names on a Server. related to this quick tip!

Discrimination at Workplaces

Discrimination at Workplaces Introduction Discrimination at workplaces is not a new phenomenon as it has existed in various fields for a long time. Basically, discrimination occurs when an employer holds certain prejudice against a certain employee or a group of certain workers based on reasons that are superficial.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Discrimination at Workplaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These reasons may be on basis of age, race, sexual orientation, class or even disability among others. As a result all the employees though they possess equal qualifications are treated differently since the employer treats some less favorably than others. This may be in cases of promotion, pursuing some training of even payment among many others. Discrimination in a working environment may take various forms depending on the way it is carried out. Types of discrimination The various types of discriminations in the workplaces include; direct and indirect form of discrimination, harassment, and victimization. Direct discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee less favorably for reasons like race difference, disability or the other reasons stated above. For example such a case would be experienced where a position in a workplace is only open to individuals who are of a certain race. Indirect form of discrimination on the other hand occurs when an employer or the management places some conditions that are not universal where those conditions may disadvantage one group of people within the working environment. For instance, when the management or the employer places a strict rule that workers must dress in a certain way, some members of certain religions might feel disadvantaged. Harassment in the work place is also viewed as another form of discrimination. This is where a worker is exposed to intimidating language or behavior like racial language with an aim of humiliating or undermining him or her.Advertisi ng Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Victimization on the other hands involves treating an employee in a less favorably manner since he or she tried to make a complaint about a certain form of discrimination in the organization. Practices that have promoted inequality in workplaces The current increase in the temporary, part-time wage work and other forms of employment that is not covered by labor laws and policies in Canada has contributed a lot to cases of discrimination and other irregularities in the Canadian labor market. Different practices are used by employers and these organizations to maintain forms of inequality for a particular category of employees or group of workers. In Canada the standard employment relation which took root after the World War II has been the one that has been predominant in this nation (Vosko 34). However, this form of employment relationship h ad its own limitations. This is because it had not been structured to accommodate some groups in the workforce as it was only handling the largest group who were the white male population. It never therefore catered for groups like the women workers and those from other races particularly the immigrants. In addition, the employment relation overlooked some working environments like the small business that operated on decentralized structure and the competitive sectors like manufacturing. As a result, the current state in Canada where employees engage in non standard employment that is different from the earlier form of full time employment, some form of insecurities due to irregularities have emerged. This is where aspects like gender and race among other categories have become a basis for discrimination. For instance, In Canada male employees tend to enjoy more work benefits compared to their female counterpart. This is where statistics have shown that in an organization, men are l ikely to secure permanent employment compared to women employees.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Discrimination at Workplaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because according to Cranford, Vosko and Zukewich (456), while the women who have part-time employment in Canada are 19 percent, the men are 8 percent. Just like sex, race is a predominant determiner of the employee’s access to permanent employment. For instance, in Canada white men are likely to get permanent employment compared to men of color. When comparing both men and women of color, women of color are less likely to get permanent employment compared to their male counterparts. Age is also a factor in access to permanent employment in Canadian labor market. This is where young people are less likely to get full-time permanent employment when compared to those who are middle-aged or older individuals. All these factors have contributed to insecurity in the Canadian labor market as they have disadvantaged several groups of individuals through giving more privileges to others. The government of Canada or the Canadian labor market has not placed any labor prohibitions on any gender regarding their participation in the labor market. However, the cultural and political values in this nation have consistently empowered a system where there are differences in the access and even in the participation of certain members in the labor market. This is where, for instance, males dominate some forms of employment while women are found in particular areas of employment. This is clearly seen in the health provision areas where most medical doctors who are highly paid are male. On the other hand, the nurses who are mostly female are less paid as their job is viewed to be of lower status. Although employment chances for women have increased substantially, there are more non-standard work arrangements makings which are increasing the c hances of discriminations in the workplaces.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is in areas of payments and access to promotion chances. On the other hand, there have been cases of loss of jobs for the ageing and the unqualified population. There are other forms that have been used to perpetuate inequality in the labor market in Canada. The modernization in organizations has led to changes in the individuals’ quality of working life. This is where the increasing intellectualization in various work functions has resulted to permanent changes. In work relationships, there has been inequality between those who have acquired the knowledge in modern technology making them appear more qualified and able to deal with new challenges as opposed to those who hold moderate training; who area seen as dependent on routine training and those who depend on order to carry out their tasks. The various work-related inequalities that have been manifested by differences in payments among workers, promotion chances, employment security and even the level of social integ ration within the work environment require appropriate measures to mitigate them. There are various strategies that can be applied to encourage equalities in the various workplaces. Strategies of advancing equalities in the workplaces Since in most working environments, the employer has more power and authority over the employee as he or she has the right to terminate an employee’s contract and immediately get a replacement, workers can combine forces to increase their bargaining power. Collective bargaining is therefore one of the most efficient tools of advancing equality in the workplaces. It refers to a process where employees of an organization present their grievances to their employer through their representatives. This often happen in organizations where the employees have formed a union through which they are able to negotiate for better working conditions collectively. This strategy has proved to be the most effective as the employer will seek to avoid any decision that may lead to work stoppage since this may lead to incurring of losses. Though collective bargaining through unionization has been used in the past as a tool for negotiating salaries and wages increase, it can also be used to address the issue of work inequalities. For instance, in Canada, organization members have used unions to handle various aspects of inequality in their organizations. This has led to reducing the wage gap between various categories of workers in contract provisions (Duffy, Daniel and Pupo 46). This is through encouraging initiatives like pay and employment equity among the members of the union. Union also negotiates for non-monetary inequalities in the work places. These include improvement of working conditions for particular members in the organization with an aim of ensuring their safety within the working environment. The union often comes up with collective agreement together with their employer which clearly stipulates how disputes are to be resolved i n the organization. It also lays the rights that the employee is entitled to in the organization. Social movements have also been other methods that the workers in Canada have used to advance equality in workplaces. This is where people who share similar goals come together to campaign against their discrimination in various areas of society and workplaces. This has been common among the minority groups within a certain environment. For instance, the gay and lesbians have been victims of discrimination in various work environments. To these groups social movements have been very effective in addressing various forms of discriminations that they go through (Adams 86). Their main goal is to achieve social equality through right to enjoy their freedom, and protection from harm among other benefits. Passing of employment equity act is another strategy to achieving work-related equality. This is an initiative of the Labor Program that outlines various measures that are aimed at eliminati ng inequality in workplaces. According to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (para 14), the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy (RFWS) is one of their commitment which aims at promoting fair and equitable workplaces. This is through elimination of barriers that have in the past prevented promotion of minorities like the Aboriginal people in various workplaces. The labor program achieves this through establishment of partnership with employers, unions and even non-governmental organizations. This has been effective in advancing equality since it involves increasing awareness of the benefits of eliminating discrimination in work environments through creation of racism-free environments. Conclusion Increase in inequality has been noted in the recent past where it has emerged in new forms that were initially not there. This has made it the most common economic and social issue in the current work environment. Due to individuals who suffer this vice remaining silent, some of the ne gative consequences that discrimination causes have been overlooked making them progress and cause more damage. However, the new Canadian labor laws if well implemented can assist in advancing social and economic equality in various workplaces. This is because the laws promote the actions of various organizations’ unions and promote the rights of all members in the nation. Adams, J. Roy. â€Å"Prospects for labours right to bargain collectively after BC health services.† UNB Law Journal 59 (2009): 85-94. Print. Cranford, Cynthia, Vosko Leah F. and Nancy Zukewich. â€Å"The gender of precarious employment in Canada.† Industrial Relations, 58.3 (Fall. 2003): 454-462. Duffy, Ann, Glenday Daniel and Pupo Norene. The shifting landscape of work. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2011. Print. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2009. Canada, Labour. 2010. Web. Vosko, F. Leah. Gender differentiation and the standard/non-standard employment distinction in Canada: 1945 to the present. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003. Print.

Identifying Stakeholders and Interests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Identifying Stakeholders and Interests - Essay Example This organization is mainly concerned with the creations of fair systems of trade that would benefit the farm workers and ensure that they get fair remuneration. It conducts research on the various aspects related to farm workers to ensure that they get satisfaction from their work efforts (Fair Trade, 2010). It is clear that this organization has concerns on the interests of farmers and thus, it supports the labor laws. The stakeholders that are also associated with labor laws are those in the Office of Disability Employment Policy. The stakeholders in this case wish to change the systems used in employing and addressing the issues that affect the people with disability. They have suggested the things incorporations for the systems to change effectively. The first thing to change is the elimination of the disincentives in the federal programs. These disincentives have been detrimental to the people with disabilities and in turn, it violates the law on inclusion of all regardless of race, state of ability or ethnicity. The other thing that needs attention is the collaboration and synchronization of the federal programs (ODEP, 2010). The stakeholders in this department have the aim of improving the efficiency of labor laws meaning that they support the labor laws. The National Mediation Board (NMB) is also an organization built to address the issues that affect human capital. However, this organization has some political issues surrounding it and thus, it does not support the labor laws. The first issue in this organization is that all the senior members have reached the retirement age. This means that the organization does not protect the interests of the young who are unemployed and could fill the management positions when given the chance. This organization is also weak in its procurement procedures and thus does not obey the existing labor laws. It should therefore be changed for it to meet the labor laws (Smith & Erez, 2011). The stakeholders at

Two short stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Two short stories - Essay Example Hecker’s protagonist, Rosaura evokes empathy among readers. Certainly, the circumstances of her life and the situation around which the story revolves may be alien to the reader but by expressing Rosaura’s simplest dreams and pleasures, Hecker incites identification with her. The daughter of a maid who, despite her mother’s constant efforts to remind her of the limitations of her socio-economic status, looks upon those around her with simple innocence, Rosaura’s acceptance of others leads her to assume their reciprocal acceptance of her. From the outset of the party, however, not to mention the events which followed, it was evident that there was no such acceptance. The little girl with the bow, Luciana’s cousin, refuses to believe Rosaura’s claims of friendship with her cousin and throughout much of the party, she is treated as a helper, not s an invited guest. The fact that she does not see this bit, instead, takes pride in being treated th at way, believing it a testament to the closeness of her relationship with the family, Rosaura’s innocence evokes our empathy because, suddenly, her experiences become ours and her naivety or gullibility become ours. Readers do not just sympathize with Rosaura but they empathize with her, feel her excitement throughout the party and, eventually feel her hurt and humiliation. Ironically, even as readers empathize with Rosaura, they sympathize with the story’s supposed protagonist, Senora Inà ©s. Possibly, this is largely die to the fact that Senora Inà ©s meant no harm and indeed, definitely did not intend to hurt Rosaura. Certainly, she did not treat her as an invited guest and singled her out throughout much of the party but she did not do so out of malice but under her assumption that this was the norm – after all Rosaura was the maid’s daughter. At the end of the

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

None - Essay Example The Church, normally respected by the Americans, considers that when imitating evil spirits, people take over demonic disposition and destroy their appearance that was given to them by God. Such behavior contradicts Christian foundations; however the Americans never cease being true believers. Also there are usually acts of â€Å"petty vandalism† which the Church also does not approve of – children break glasses, burn trees, etc. Though in the 1920s the scouts called to introduce the practice of â€Å"trick or treat† instead, sometimes people still like to commit something they would not usually do in their normal life. Respectable businessmen are likely to turn over garbage bins, stewardesses (mainly on domestic flights) dress up like a witches or fairies, teachers have no less fun than their students. It is really an unusual tradition – to wear a mask and play a role quite opposite to what one is in the society. Both children and grown-ups enjoy themselves and have fun meeting November in the costumes of witches and vampires, throwing eggs, taking part in the â€Å"best costume† competitions, and eating pumpkin dishes. It reveals the Americans being in need of throwing away from time to time their â€Å"normal† social roles and taking up something quite uncommon. It would be incorrect to state that the Americans are the only nation incorporating both pagan and Christian traditions into their culture. However, in order to answer this question it is important to have a look at how the feast of Halloween reflects the peculiarities of American mind and culture on the whole, and at what it reveals about the Americans. There is no other feast that would be as dear to each American’s heart as Halloween is. To my mind, it is based upon the national tendency to enjoy trick effects and shows. It should also be mentioned that celebrating Halloween is a part of American death-denying culture pointed out by Mitford, as it teaches –

Defining and Evaluating the Concept of Strategic Intent

Defining and Evaluating the Concept of Strategic Intent Strategic Intent is one of the revolutionary concepts in the field of Strategic Management, which has brought major changes in the functioning style of every organization and is responsible for many breakthroughs. It refers to the obsession that organizations usually term as win it all even though the aspirations out-proportion the resources and capabilities. This concept has in past made many organizations way more successful than the one in past with same amount of resources and capacity. Now as competition gets global and tougher it is of utmost importance that companies not only understand this revolutionary concept but also instil practices within the organization that makes the Goal look always in reach. This article tells in detail what Strategic Intent is and how it can be implemented in an organization. Keywords: Strategic Intent; Obsession; Planning, Imitation INTRODUCTION Strategic Intent refers to a high level statement of the means by which an organisation achieves its VISION. Today Managers in different organisations are working hard to match the competitive advantage of their global rivals but in order to do the same most of them end up only imitating what their competitors have already implemented. Imitation doesnt really create the Strategic Intent as competitors have already mastered those techniques and have exploited the first mover advantage. Hence mere imitation doesnt lead to competitive revitalization. Strategic Intent drives organisations, individuals and groups to meet the challenge of change in business today. Companies that have become global leaders in past 20 years had ambitions that were out of proportion to their resources and capabilities but they had created and obsession to win it all and this obsession is what may be termed as Strategic Intent. Strategic intent captures the essence of winning, is stable over time, and sets goals that deserve personal effort and commitment. At the same time Strategic Intent has a lot more in it than just an obsession to win it all because there have been companies in past which had an ambitious Strategic Intent but failed to achieve the desired goals. Success finds its beginning in purpose, so its important to clarify ones purpose or intention and then to find out the action in accordance with the intentions. This helps creating the results one wants. Strategic Intent draws on a number of disciplines to personalise the way forward that works for the organisation. Background Strategic Intent as a concept was born in Post-World war II Japan when it dramatically emerged as world leader in economy. Japanese Organizations had set goals for themselves that might have been considered by most of the Western Organizations of that time as highly unrealistic. But with very few resources and highly committed workforce Japan was then able to lay the foundation for 10-15 years of leadership in terms of economy. From Japan only world learnt how to outperform everyone else even when resources are few and challenges aspirations huge. Strategic Intent is not Strategic Planning Mostly people confuse Strategic Intent with Strategic Planning which are in fact poles apart. Strategic Planning may cause competitive decline if not backed with Strategic Intent. Strategic Planning is limited by the availability of resources and capacity and looks for feasibility and viability but on the other hand Strategic Intent focuses on the end and means are left to be flexible. If one does a deep study it becomes clearly evident that Strategic Intent is a long term concept driven by Corporate Challenges as a middle term concept, which in turn is carried forward by Competitive Innovation in short term. Hence at the most basic ground level Strategic Intent is based on the Competitive Innovation to be carried out necessarily. Classification of Strategic Intent If we have to broadly divide Strategic Intent into subdivisions then we may classify it into three parts, namely, Stretch, Leverage and Fit. Stretch stresses on the basic definition of Strategic Intent as to stretch the resources and capabilities to the extent that achievement of end is ensured. Here the basic stands the same as we have discussed since the start that there is always a misfit between the resources and aspirations but equating this out-proportioned equation is what refers to the Stretch. Second is Leverage, which refers to the scenario where resources are leveraged by accelerating the pace of organization learning so as to attain impossible goals. Here key success factors are may, namely, Concentration, Accumulation, Complementing and Conservation and Recovering. And Third is Fit which refers to the case where ideally resources have been made available in such a manner so that high level of Aspirations may still be easily achieved with help of resources available. Attributes of Strategic Intent There are three major attributes of Strategic Intent, namely Sense of Direction, Sense of Discovery and Sense of Destiny. Here the first attribute, Sense of Direction, refers to the Long-Term Market or Competitive Position. For instance, we may consider the case of Canon and Xerox, which are rival organization in the photocopier field for decades now. If we talk of Canon, its long term competitive position, put in simple terms, should be Beat Xerox . Second attribute which is the Sense of Discovery refers to the competitively unique point of view about future. It says that Strategic Intent is differentiated because here in this case the employees are affiliated and they are convinced about the concept of Strategic Intent. For instance, employees of a company are taught about the concept and they are in a position to promise higher personal and professional goals to themselves. Last but not the least attribute is the Sense of Destiny refers to the emotional edge that is involved with the Strategic Intent. This takes Strategic Intent to an all-together new level by including the employees emotions with the organization aspirations. This leads to an all over harmonic progress for everyone. Theories of Strategic Intent Strategic Intent may also be defined as a compelling statement about what you are doing and where you are going. As discussed earlier its really more than a statement; it becomes a core element in the motivational DNA of the organization or individual. Strategic Intent answers the question: What exactly are we trying to accomplish? Yet Strategic Intent is not enough by itself and here is the twist in the entire story. There must be commitment and cooperation. Excellent leaders recognize there are different Styles in their organization. Think of these styles: Forceful, Cooperative, High Structure, Command and Control, High Energy body contact right out of the mosh pit. How can these significantly different styles work together? This is the question that has to be answered by most of the organizations for effective implementation of Strategic Intent. It is important to create an understanding of both, self and others. What does Strategic Intent do Strategic intent encompasses the essence of winning, is highly stable over time, and sets targets that deserve personal effort commitment. It is a vision that explains the desired leadership position of a firm and grounds the goals by which success can be assessed. Moreover, it takes an active management to focus organizational attention at every level in the firm on the essence of achieving the goal. Employees in a firm which are grounded in strategic intent have the same mission of beating the competition, being the best, being the market leader, etc. Strategic intent accomplishes this by setting objectives that require personal efforts throughout the organization and produce a team-commitment to targeted objectives. Strategic intent should be constant over time, should provide short term stability to focus on actions, while allowing longer range of flexibility to take advantage of newer opportunities without sacrificing the strategic intent itself. Managing the Corporate Challenges As discussed earlier, implementing strategic intent needs a firm to stretch capabilities and resources to meet and win corporate challenges. A firm sets its strategic intent to be a market leader soon finds it does not have the resources or capabilities or the capacity to meet its objective. Hence the organization is required to increase learning, to build new advantages, and to become more innovative in the utilization of resources so as to compete against current market leaders and become one in due course. Corporate challenges then stretch the organization to realise and analyse competition and understand their industrys evolution. Such analysis leads to competitive openings and identifies the competitive advantages that are needed for ultimate success. How to Implement Strategic Intent It is a three step process where the first step starts with setting the strategic intent which aims at setting all the three attributes discussed earlier, namely, direction, discovery and destiny, right. This refers to having clarity of what actually the organization intends to be in all respects. Second step is to set the challenges which should be appropriate and communicated to everyone in the organization effectively. For instance, Canon, in order to beat Xerox, had set a challenge as to come up with a Home Copier which is priced at $ 1000. Third and final step is the empowerment of Strategic Intent and here the key is to involve everyone. Downward and upward communication of ideas should be free-flow and everyones opinion should be given considerable importance. Here the term empowerment is used in a vary holistic manner so as to encompass both individuals and organization. Conclusion The crux of entire report is that top management must involve all levels of the organization in acquiring global competitiveness. Managers must have a belief in their capability to succeed in gaining the strategic intent by ensuring consistency in vision up and down the organization. Managers should motivate the organization, should focus attention long enough to vitalize new capabilities, and should have confidence in their own abilities to involve the entire organization in the revitalization versus an incremental change strategy. It is only when the entire organization is involved committed to success can the organization become a global leader. Quatations: Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad defined Strategic Intent as an ambitious and compelling dream that energises and that provides the emotional and intellectual energy for the journey to the fuuture

Crimea: Paradise Divided Essay -- World Civilization

â€Å"Crimean history would suggest that it is folly to think that possession of any place, especially paradise, is anything other than a tenancy (Newman, 2011).Crimea may be compared to paradise, the crowning glory of many an empire, and it is no wonder with its subtropical climate, fertile lands, soft meadows and sprawling coastline. But the very aspects that make an Eden out of the Crimean Peninsula have also been the causes of struggle and conflict. For it may be said that Crimea is a contested land in an identity crisis and is the subject of much debate still today. Divided by conflicting ethnicities, passed through the hands of the ancient Greeks to Ukraine and left battered by three major wars, Crimea truly is the jewel of many crowns (Newman, 2011). The period between 1 B.C. to 1475 set the stage for what was to become Crimea’s legacy. It was the rich resources offered by the peninsula that first attracted the Greeks in 1 B.C. (â€Å"Crimea,† 2011 ). Crimea soon became an important source of wheat for the kingdom (Rubel, 2003). However, the Greeks were unable to maintain a firm hold on the peninsula and were constantly warding off invaders. It became apparent that Crimea was not to stay in the hands of one group for long, a fact that has been the bane of many empires ever since. First the Goths and then the Huns, Slavs and Mongols following in succession invaded Crimea over the next thousand years (Crimea). Each fought to achieve control over what many deemed as paradise. The Romans were not to be left out either. By establishing protectorates and naval bases, they capitalized upon the fact that Crimea was an excellent area to position a navy and created the earliest ancestor to the Black Sea Fleet (Rubel, 2003). N avies were to bec... ...ecked/topic/514064/Russo-Turkish-wars Simonsen, S. (2000). â€Å"You take your oath only once:† Crimea, the black sea fleet, and national identity among russian officers. Nationalities Papers, 28(2), 289. The crimean khanate- a brief history. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.accesscrimea.com/crimean-khanate The transfer of the crimea to the ukraine. (2005, July). Retrieved from http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/crimeatransfer.html TJK. (2004). The tatar khanate of crimea. Retrieved from http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=The_Crimean_Khanate Voyetekhov, B. (1943). Last days of sevastopol. Saturday Evening Post, 215(46), 18-106. Zihni, A. (2010). Pages from the history of the crimea, the ukraine, caucasia, poland and muscovy. Washigton, DC: The International Commitee for Crimea. Retrieved from http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/tevarih20100908.pdf

Dell Computers (a): Field Service for Corporate Clients [Hbs 9-603-067]

Case: Dell Computers (A): Field Service for Corporate Clients [HBS 9-603-067] 1. What are the key challenges DELL should be concerned with as it enters the large scale server market? Support service in server market is more critical than in personal computer market, especially when the server is a large scale one, since a problem in server even for a short time could cause serious problem in the customer’s business. Having realized the importance, competitors such as Hewlett-Packard and IBM reduced their response time to enhance the quality of their support service.Dell also is extraordinarily committed to high-quality service, they proposed the response time as short as four hours. In order to accomplish their guaranteed lead time in highly volatile situation, Dell has two big challenges. (1) They should train number of technicians for a high cost. Support service for servers cannot be mainly depended on call center or service website as Dell did for personal computers. (2) T hey have to keep their inventory higher than desired in their operating philosophy where they believed there is an inverse correlation between the amount of inventory and the quality of information. . Should DELL outsource the four hour service level support or should DELL provide the service with in-house resources? Why or Why not? Dell should provide the service with in-house resource if they are to â€Å"win† in the server market because it has been successful in personal computer market with the strategy of â€Å"Dell direct model†. The computer manufacturer’s strength in personal computer market was to deliver high quality products and services tailored to meet customers’ needs.Potential corporate customers will consider purchasing Dell’s server expecting the same thing for servers. Just like Kapoor was wondering, the customers will not buy their servers, if the quality of Dell’s products and services were worse than its competitorsâ₠¬â„¢. If Dell outsources the support service, the quality of service and products will decrease for two reasons. First, they cannot keep entire control over the support service if they cannot train their own technicians.As the case says they value the experience in customer interaction resulting in high quality of their service. They cannot expect the same thing from another company who would do the service on behalf of Dell. Second, Dell has been able to improve the quality of its products by directly interacting with its clients and using the feedback from support service. If Dell loses the source of information or compromise the quality of information, the company will have difficulty to maintain its reputation in product quality.The information from the in-house support service will also help to keep its server parts inventory lean, given they can better estimate the needs of those parts with more accurate information. Of course the company could reduce training cost by outsourc ing support service. However, the price elasticity in server market is lower than in personal computer market since the potential problem that can be caused by bad support service and product is critically serious. Reliability is more important than the cost or the price they could reduce by outsourcing and compromising the quality of their service and product. . If DELL outsources the service support, then should it use IBM as a vendor to provide the service support? Why or Why not? Dell should not use IBM as a provider of the support service even if it decides to outsource the service. IBM may seem to be an attractive service provider because they are the one who can do the job the best. The company has more than 135,000 specialists in support service as well as long and extensive industry experience. However, IBM is a competitor in server market, the strongest one considering their market share.Even though IBM is willing to provide service to Dell, we cannot be sure that it will provide the same quality of service to Dell’s customers as to their customers. Furthermore, if IBM could interact with Dell’s customer frequently, there always is a chance for them to take the customers from Dell. The service provider could obtain critical information regarding Dell’s product, which could also be a cause for competitive loss for Dell. Again, Dell should not lose its opportunity to directly interact with their customer especially to their worst enemy in order to win in the market.

Colonel General Heinz Guderian in World War II

Colonel General Heinz Guderian in World War II Colonel General Heinz Guderian was German military officer who helped pioneer blitzkrieg warfare using armor and motorized infantry. A veteran of World War I, he elected to remain in the service during the interwar years and published his ideas on mobile warfare as the book Achtung - Panzer!. With the beginning of World War II, Guderian commanded armored formations in the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union. Briefly falling out of favor, he later served as Inspector-General of the Armored Troops and Acting Chief of the General Staff. Guderian ultimately surrendered to American forces on May 10, 1945. Early Life Career The son of a German soldier, Heinz Guderian was born at Kulm, Germany (now Chelmno, Poland) on June 17, 1888. Entering military school in 1901, he continued for six years until joining his fathers unit, Jger Bataillon No. 10, as a cadet. After brief service with this unit, he was dispatched to a military academy at Metz. Graduating in 1908, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and returned to the jgers. In 1911, he met Margarete Goerne and quickly fell in love. Believing his son too young to marry, his father forbade the union and sent him for instruction with the 3rd Telegraph Battalion of the Signal Corps. World War I Returning in 1913, he was permitted to marry Margarete. In the year before World War I, Guderian underwent staff training in Berlin. With the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he found himself working in signals and staff assignments. Though not at the front lines, these postings allowed him to develop his skills in strategic planning and the direction of large-scale battles. Despite his rear area assignments, Guderian sometimes found himself in action and earned the Iron Cross first and second class during the conflict. Though he often clashed with his superiors, Guderian was seen as an officer with great promise. With the war winding down in 1918, he was angered by the German decision to surrender as he believed that the nation should have fought until the end. A captain at the end of the war, Guderian elected to remain in the postwar German Army (Reichswehr) and was given command of a company in the 10th Jger Battalion. Following this assignment, he was shifted to the Truppenamt which served as the armys de facto general staff. Promoted to major in 1927, Guderian was posted to the Truppenamt section for transport. Colonel General Heinz Guderian Rank: Colonel GeneralService: German ArmyNickname(s): Hammering HeinzBorn: June 17 1888 in Kulm, German EmpireDied: May 14, 1954 in Schwangau, West GermanyParents: Friedrich and Clara GuderianSpouse: Margarete GoerneChildren: Heinz (1914-2004), Kurt (1918-1984)Conflicts: World War I, World War IIKnown For: Invasion of Poland, Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa Developing Mobile Warfare In this role, Guderian was able to play a key role in developing and teaching motorized and armored tactics. Extensively studying the works of mobile warfare theorists, such as J.F.C. Fuller, he began to conceive of what would ultimately become the blitzkrieg approach to warfare. Believing that armor should play the key role in any attack, he argued that formations should be mixed and contain motorized infantry to aid and support the tanks. By including support units with the armor, breakthroughs could be quickly exploited and rapid advances sustained. Espousing these theories, Guderian was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1931 and made chief of staff to the Inspectorate of Motorized Troops. A promotion to colonel quickly followed two years later. With German rearmament in 1935, Guderian was given command of the 2nd Panzer Division and received a promotion to major general in 1936. Over the next year, Guderian recorded his ideas on mobile warfare, and those of his compatriots, into the book Achtung - Panzer!. Making a persuasive case for his approach to war, Guderian also introduced a combined arms element as he incorporated air power into his theories. Promoted to lieutenant general on February 4, 1938, Guderian received command of the XVI Army Corps. With the conclusion of the Munich Agreement later that year, his troops led the German occupation of the Sudetenland. Advanced to general in 1939, Guderian was made Chief of Fast Troops with responsibility for recruiting, organizing and training the armys motorized and armored troops. In this position, he was able to shape panzer units to effectively implement his ideas of mobile warfare. As the year passed, Guderian was given command of the XIX Army Corps in preparation for the invasion of Poland. World War II German forces opened World War II on September 1, 1939, when they invaded Poland. Putting his ideas into use, Guderians corps slashed through Poland and he personally oversaw German forces at the Battles of Wizna and Kobryn. With the conclusion of the campaign, Guderian received a large country estate in what became Reichsgau Wartheland. Shifted west, XIX Corps played a key role in the Battle of France in May and June 1940. Driving through the Ardennes, Guderian led a lightning campaign that split the Allied forces. Heinz Guderian during the Battle of France. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-769-0229-12A / Borchert, Erich (Eric) / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Breaking through the Allied lines, his rapid advances constantly kept the Allies off balance as his troops disrupted rear areas and overran headquarters. Though his superiors wished to slow his advance, threats of resignation and requests for reconnaissances in force kept his offensive moving. Driving west, his corps led the race to the sea and reached the English Channel on May 20. Turning south, Guderian aided in the final defeat of France. Promoted to colonel general (generaloberst), Guderian took his command, now dubbed Panzergruppe 2, east in 1941 to participate in Operation Barbarossa. In Russia Attacking the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, German forces made quick gains. Driving east, Guderians troops overwhelmed the Red Army and aided in the capture of Smolensk in early August. Through his troops were preparing for a rapid advance on Moscow, Guderian was angered when Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to turn south toward Kiev. Protesting this order, he quickly lost Hitlers confidence. Ultimately obeying, he aided in the capture of the Ukrainian capital. Returning to his advance on Moscow, Guderian and German forces were halted in front of the city in December. Hienz Guderian during Operation Barbarossa, 1941. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-139-1112-17 / Knobloch, Ludwig / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Later Assignments On December 25, Guderian and several senior German commanders on the Eastern Front were relieved for conducting a strategic retreat against the wishes of Hitler. His relief was facilitated by Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge with whom Guderian had frequently clashed. Departing Russia, Guderian was placed on the reserve list and retired to his estate with his career effectively over. In September 1942, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel requested that Guderian serve as his relief in Africa while he returned to Germany for medical treatment. This request was refused by the German high command with the statement, Guderian is not accepted. With the German defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, Guderian was given new life when Hitler recalled him to serve as Inspector-General of the Armored Troops. In this role, he advocated for the production of more Panzer IVs which were more reliable than the newer Panther and Tiger tanks. Reporting directly to Hitler, he was tasked with overseeing armor strategy, production, and training. On July 21, 1944, a day after the failed attempt on Hitlers life, he was elevated to Army Chief of Staff. After several months of arguments with Hitler over how to defend Germany and fight a two-front war, Guderian was relieved for medical reasons on March 28, 1945. Later Life As the war wound down, Guderian and his staff moved west and surrendered to American forces on May 10. Kept as a prisoner of war until 1948, he was not charged with war crimes at the Nuremburg Trials despite requests from the Soviet and Polish governments. In the years after the war, he aided in the reconstruction of the German Army (Bundeswehr). Heinz Guderian died at Schwangau on May 14, 1954. He was buried at Friedhof Hildesheimer Strasse in Goslar, Germany.

Hemingway as a catalyst essays

Hemingway as a catalyst essays Ernest Hemingway and his works are best described by Maxwell Geismar: His work as a whole has been a sort of literary catalyst which has affected the entire course of American writing, and like a catalyst it has remained untouched by and superior to all the imitations of it (Geismar).Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 and committed suicide in 1961, after publishing over 21 novels and collections of short stories. His unique and persuasive themes in writing have been greatly appreciated, and the characters and plots of some of his writings are directly related to Hemingways life and personal matters. Ernest had a great deal of personal honor; he lived his life without regrets and was not ashamed of the things he did. He took his reality and worked it into his novels and stories, hoping and succeeding in teaching his readers things that he learned in life (Allen). Hemingway was known for incorporating himself into most of his stories whether he subconsciously talked about a character as if it were himself or talked about himself in the first person in the middle of his story. This characteristic of Hemingways writings made them standout; catching peoples attention much more than the conservative writers of his time. Hemingway was an excellent radical example of being an inimitable and personal writer; Such writers as Dashiell Hammett, James Cain, and the entire hard-boiled school of American novelists stem from Hemingways work. Among the new writers, there are talents as varied as Ira Wolfert, and Norman Mailer who show his influence (Geismar). Since Hemingway had such an interesting and eventful life, its no wonder he puts himself in most of his stories. The senseless slaughter that was WWI and his own near death helped form his distinctive style by endowing him with the true modernists distrust of abstract works such as honor and glory ( Beegel). It ...

Affirmative action Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Affirmative action - Dissertation Example As the report declares Affirmative Action is expressed through the formulation of agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which ensures that all forms of discrimination at the workplace are avoided as far as possible. For example, one of the forms of discrimination that exists as the workplace, especially among police officers, is sexual discrimination and harrassment towards members of both sexes. The term harassment is a wide ranging one and is not restricted merely to the coercion into the sexual act. It includes any and all forms of unwanted sexual attention, or sexual coercion, gender sneer or suggestive subtext. Discriminatory behavior could result in verbal and physical abuse of a criminal in an inferior position with a law enforcement officer. This discussion stresses that at the workplace, sexual harassment of women police officers becomes particularly distressing for the victim because of the enforced nature of the contact and the necessity to endure the unpleasantness for the sake of retaining one’s job and the source of one’s daily income. In the United States, harassment is defined simply as a hostile work environment where unwanted are demands are made to directly or indirectly interfere with a person’s employment and interfere with the individual’s performance – affirmative action helps to address these concerns. Affirmative action is even more necessary in the employment of police officers.

Mamikon's Calculus Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mamikon's Calculus - Research Paper Example II. Description of Mamikon’s Approach Mamikon’s method utilized shapes in order to get his points across about the ways that calculus could be approached. According to Pritchard (2003), Mamikon Mnatsakanian came up with a visual method of solving calculus utilizing shapes, which befuddled the Soviets; later on, he got his Ph.D. in physics (pp. 38). Of course, giving students linear and curved objects would be just one way to demonstrate how a calculus problem is set up. According Tom Apostol and Mamikon Mnatsakanian’s article in Haunsperger (2007), â€Å"For centuries mathematicians have been interested in curves that can be constructed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 120). Mamikon’s idea was that if young people—even very young children—could use manipulatables in order to see how shapes can form and change based on volume or linear adjustments, they would be able to innately understand principles that come directly from calculus. In this regard, it is so important to have exposure to complex math problems as early as possible in order to stimulate a child’s mind. This is not to say that very young students should be forming the geometry proofs proving energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. On the contrary, the math that children should work on, in terms of problems, should be guided with visual aids and shapes or drawings that would further explain some complex concepts. III. Three Examples Having the students find a simple derivative would be a good place for them to start in learning more about the world of calculus. According to Alsina and Nelsen (2006), â€Å"In calculus, one [important piece of information] is the area under the graph of a function† (pp. 16). First, they could start of with a very simple equation, like f(x) = x^2. Then, what they could do next is find the derivative. The equation would be f’ (also known as f prime) = 2x. Next, the next step would be having a derivative of 2. And then the integer would become zero, finally. So, this is just one way in which some of the rules of derivatives could be simply explained on the board with graphs and a formula instead of having to go through the rules of the derivatives, which are pretty self-explanatory once you see how it’s done. Graphs help greatly in this regard. According to Larson and Edwards (2008), â€Å"[L]ine segments give a visual perspective of the slopes of the solutions of the differential equation† (pp. 256). The second example that would be given would be more geometry than anything else, and more of an introductory calculus problem. In order to find the hypotenuse of a triangle that the kids would cut out, they would have to take the sin of the angle equal to the opposite over adjacent lengths and then solve the problem. The third project that kids could work on would be to correctly calculate the time that it would take for a fish tank to fill up by taking measurements of the speed of the water, the measurements of the tank, etc. They would then use a calculus formula in order to figure out the answer by plugging in the numbers. This could be used to fill up a fish tank and then add new fish to the tank as a class project. IV. Lesson Plan for Students (With Accommodations for Diverse Learning Styles) Lesson Plan Components for a 5th-Grade Calculus-Focused Math Class Resources. Blackboard or whiteboard, construction paper, fishtank, water, hose, scissors, pens, pencils, colored pencils, and calculus