Thursday, November 28, 2019

Diamond Bank Plc Culture And Its Impact On The Success Of Set Strategies

Introduction Modern organizations are characterized by the use of dynamic technological developments, intensified by the existence of competition and self-enhancing values. Organizations can only retain their competitive edge by changing their operating systems in such a way that they can meet the wants of the business environment (Anderson, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Diamond Bank Plc Culture And Its Impact On The Success Of Set Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strategies that improve learning and knowledge in an organization should be implemented. Existing cultures and prevailing organizational cultures play a crucial role in ensuring the success of a company (Armstrong, 2009). According to Becker Baloff (1969), the need to place cultures on a psychological platform establishes both the procedural and declarative knowledge in an organization. Organizational cultural diversity i s evident in various companies as they try to stay away from external competition. An organization’s culture ensures uniqueness from other competitors and this drives organizations towards adopting a strong brand image (Goulding, Mulcahy, Chambers, 2005). The culture of an organization affects both its economic performance and continuity. For instance, an organization with a dedicated and strong team built through visionary leaders ends up with more financially successful years on a long-term basis (Barrow Mosley, 2005). Organizational structures also facilitate the success of new products and encourage innovation as well as change. Becker Baloff (1969) explain that managing organizational culture is crucial if the organization is to realize its potential (Borysowich, 2008). Fairfield-Sonn (2001), however, states that culture just gives direction to staff members on what they believe, what should be done and how it should be done. AIM This paper will discuss in detail the need to support organizational cultures that relate to the goals and objective of an organization, in this case, Diamond bank Plc. This will be in comparison to other companies that have incorporated the framework and will be able to determine a successful business terrain. The paper will give a detailed view of Diamond bank Plc. A critical study will assess the extent to which ‘culture’ can make a significant contribution to the company’s strategies and success. This will involve the use of relevant theories and examples to support the arguments made. The paper will finally discuss the advantages that accrue to the bank as a result of deploying a change in culture.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overview Of Diamond Bank Plc Diamond bank Plc embraces a result-oriented culture to ensure that customers receive a range of products and services wi th international standards. The bank deploys a team of experienced professionals who offer banking solutions and make key business solutions (DiamondBank, 2012). The fact that Diamond bank Plc has a well developed cultural web makes it a perfect sample to analyze especially in terms of organizational culture. The bank started operating on March 21, 1991, when Dr. Pascal Gabriel Dozie along with his wife Chinyere envisioned the bank as a financial institution that would bring competence in Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the world as a whole (Becker Baloff, 1969). Diamond bank Plc provides Retail Banking, Corporate banking, and Public sector to its customers. The bank offers loans to the community through corporate social responsibility to ensure continued support. The management structure is hierarchical, the board members at the top and the rest falling under them (Benedict†, 2005). This means that the culture adopted in its communication flaws down the leadership line. Deal ing with other companies is inevitable since these calls for interaction with other institutions (Belch, 2008). Introduction To The Cultural Web Corporate culture is a strategic investment that ensures highly driven business activities. Diamond bank Plc needs to develop success in its economy and this comes with an extensive corporate change. Approaching a change requires putting into consideration the relevant cultural themes that ensure communication in an organization without ignorance (Benedict, 2005). The cultural web is a tool designed to help managers with the challenge that comes with cultural change. Developed by Gerry Johnson (2002), the tool is applied by many companies including KPMG, Shell and Castrol. Cultural change is a process that should be undertaken slowly to ensure that all the salient aspects are checked, and appropriate information provided before bringing the new change. The webs design matches the spider’s web where the centre is the paradigm or the m ain idea for the organization, acting as a centrifugal force aimed at weaving cultural themes together. Information in the middle is crucial and holds the external information in terms of priority levels. The web brings about the concept of change as most employees feel comfortable with normal occurrences (Yukl, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Diamond Bank Plc Culture And Its Impact On The Success Of Set Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Expressions can be considered cultural to an organization after cultural artifacts have been performed. Selecting a process includes incorporating the aspects that require change. It is necessary to facilitate a clear understanding of the analytical process with which members of the organization can relate to once the culture has been incorporated. The cultural web is a device that ensures a practical aspect of the themes with essential elements being placed on anthropology. This can be well understood with a diagram of the cultural web as shown below. Source: Johnson Scholes, 2002 Analysis Of Diamond Bank Plc Using The Cultural Web Diamond bank Plc uses a result-oriented culture aimed at providing its employees with factors that they can make sense of both internally and externally. It is indispensable for the company since it makes complex situations understandable and creates a basis on the success of the company through providing a competitive advantage since ones culture is difficult to imitate (Wilson, 2005). It is also difficult for the company as new ideas may disrupt with the success of the organization. The aim of the cultural web is to have a clear corporate strategy for the bank which makes it possible for it to reach and surpass its goals (Winkler, 2010). Mapping the culture into the organization comes as an advantage in bringing out the factors taken for granted can be an essential approach for the bank to determ ine the rarely questioned aspects. If the bank discovers that no one shows interest in the aspects taken for granted, then changing this might just be difficult (Haviland, Prins, McBride, Walrath, 2010).Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mapping cultural aspects enables the bank to see where barriers to change exist and how it will affect their overall strategy. A map in place ensures basic examinations on the changes that need to occur to deliver a strategy and how the management can manage the ideas to development. Diamond uses the cultural web with the aim to generate managers’ perceptions. The setting varies but the approach is done in groups, usually of managers from different departments. The groups go ahead to determine the strategic issues facing the bank. It is vital for the participants to understand the significance of cultural web as well as how it will aid in implementation of the identified strategies. The sessions start with reviewing the concepts and how they will link with strategies of the organization. The bank then goes to details to explain elements of the cultural web, which are stories, symbols, rituals and routines, paradigm, power structures, control systems and organizational structu res. A paradigm in the cultural web refers to assumptions about the organization taken for granted. Routine is the day-to-day running of the organization in the line of conducting business and the way they do things. Rituals in relation to the organization refer to programs that have to be undertaken such as training, promotion and assessment or evaluation. Stories include information told to each other as members, new employees and even outsiders. Symbolic aspects include logos, titles, offices and cars. This may also involve the language used in the organization. Control systems refer to the principal activities that bring recognition such as the reward systems and measurements. Power structure will outline the managerial approach of the company and its relevance in maintaining strong culture. In the meantime, members are asked to note down the examples of each aspect, relevant in their organization. This comes as easy as they can easily identify situations relating to symbols, ro utines, and stories. Paradigm for the bank is a difficult concept to grasp as it is an assumption and not considered a problem. Group work applies for the bank as it brings out individual views where managers summarize. A discussion is made to the degree to which this information is relevant to the objective changes. Similarities will be seen, meaning that managers may be using the same method to ensure the running of information in their departments. The main aim in this segregation is usually to come up with aspects of the organization that are paramount and not impress everyone. As managers of Diamond bank Plc, the aim is to have what is necessary considered first in coming up with solutions. Diamond bank Plc is well informed that paradigm is a difficult task and ensures that managers do not substitute any notion of strategy for paradigm. It is normal for managers to discuss what the organization should take for granted. Managers discuss what it should not rather than giving an a nalysis of what is taken for granted. It is pertinent to note that understanding the difference between these elements is extremely beneficial. Listing values rather than the assumptions often occurs. The management of Diamond bank Plc takes note that what is taken for granted may be sincere and straightforward. For instance, the bank tends to take for granted the importance of professional, business service provision, and this is not a surprise. The main point is that the management may be much embedded, and they should be as it is extremely difficult to apply the change. Hence, it is essential for the management to look for the obvious information that would rarely touch their eyes. Dealing with the issue of paradigm involves constructing a catalogue of constructs. This is helpful as the catalogue may reveal remarkably few constructions that are taken for granted. The important aspect of the cultural web as used in the bank in the analysis is during the interpretation. On consider ation of various views achieved, the individual groups or departments exchange their findings and discuss their significance. The facilitator ensures that the discussion remains between the managers as they have a better view of the organization compared to him/her. The concepts discussed are then incorporated into the web element with each placed in order of priority. Importance of the cultural web to Diamond bank Plc The web brings to light the analysis of the organization as a whole. It will give an analysis of how the organization links to heritage, uniformity and for how long this has been in perspective. This information is likely to be linked to the results in the form of revenue generated. The bank quickly tells if their culture affects the generated incomes with respect to the way of running the business. This information is generated from a diverse platform. The use of the Internet and surveying lists could reveal information that may be used as supporting data. This is, h owever, applicable especially if the information is from a viable source. Diamond bank Plc uses the Diamond bank cultural web to discover compatible strategies. The culture in place will likely to manage the strategy instead of the managers. Developing and holding a culture that tends to run the strategies may become a hindrance for the organization, as it may not give information on the proper needs or resources that the company requires as a successful. It is necessary for Diamond bank Plc to find out if the culture they hold is departmental and functional. This may mean that functionalism is not preserved and legitimized by professional, ethical ways protected by departmental heads. It is logical that the same departmental groups that were involved in making sure that the move is maintained end up revealing or providing information that is not relevant to the study of the culture (Yukl, 2000). Culture tends according to the organization’s web are to be preserved meaning th at previous employees in the organization are likely to hold on to ways of doing business. It becomes difficult for the new staff to be incorporated to the new culture if their mentors act differently. The web ensures that the changes that the bank approves are incorporated to the latter. It may prove to be a difficult task for the bank to change culture kept by the organization for long periods. The most common reason is that the changes are usually taken for granted. Change in culture is not one of the things that people question. A change in salary or downsizing brings about many questions compared to the change of culture (Marshall, 2010). This is because it might not affect them. To ensure that this is not present in the bank, the management makes sure that any circumstances revealed that show reluctance in adhering to the culture placed is dealt with immediately. Just to ensure that the culture does not seem like a rule that they have to follow, the whole organization comes up with this on a consensus basis (Canton, 2007). Individuals and groups tend to be associated with organizations with functional, organizational structures. This is because they are likely to preserve their base. Diamond bank Plc knows this well and ensures that it accomplishes it perfectly. The bank depends on individuals and groups for the running of their business. To this respect, the bank ensures that these groups find trust in them as a strong and stable organization. Dominant routines and persistent trends with clear, hierarchical or authority and similar stories ensure that the bank brings out the best management for the success of everyone. Surveying of departmental structures and determining the influence bestowed on individual employees is beneficial as it brings out the need to create viable and strong communication lines. Formal committees for decision making and control over sized budgets come with the need for the company to use the cultural web. It helps in sourcing f or information as earlier stated and makes sure that only the vital appears in the top of the list (Parsons, 2008). It is common for senior personnel to get privileges in certain areas such as through getting parking places and other minor services. The junior personnel get fewer privileges. To deal with this misconception Diamond bank Plc ensures that importance and focus are kept on the achieving their responsibilities (Altshuller Altov, 2000). It is also notable that the cultural web incorporated the immediate and relevant external environment. Local and international government authorities affect the decisions of the company and are an important element to the bank. The web incorporates them as they are likely to impose terms of conducting business that may affect the culture held by the bank. This move is to ensure that they work with the conditions placed by the regulating factors (Haviland, Prins, McBride, Walrath, 2010). In many organizations, aspects of the cultural web a re associated with power. In Diamond bank Plc, departmental heads solve this problem by ensuring that the standing terms are done in professional networks. This is essential in ensuring that the laid daily strategies are met. The web is likely to prompt decisions regarding the nature of the organization. This will be in terms of its everyday reality and how that reality changes. Changing the culture will become an indispensable move, in changing the overall strategy formulation in the company. â€Å"Coping with daily routines comes as an important move as it gives valuable envisage in a strategy compared to the focusing of local needs and co-operation with other departments† (Haviland, Prins, McBride, Walrath, 2010). All these issues are respected, and its discussion plays a pivotal role by helping the managers to sensitize on the recognition of cultural aspects of the organization (Singh, 2004). The cultural web can be essential in a more organized environment of the bank. Specific way of problems, and changing techniques that can be applied to ensure that the move does not only bring sudden change are analyzed, but is well embedded into the operations of the bank. Diamond bank Plc has a larger number of employees to go around and ensure that they are at par with the culture being placed. It is crucial for them to have a clear analysis of the needs of the employees through their managers and provide relevant but meaningful solutions to problems that may arise as a result of the cultural web (Mckenna, 2010). The web aids Diamond bank Plc in dealing with the identification of blockages that hinder change. The cultural web is significant for the bank since it comes up with sort exhibits that make it difficult to deliver strategies. The bank is also able to identify some wide blockages as to why this could be the problem. Preservations of standards by departmental heads are soon embodies in the formality not only by the committees but also to address issu ed such as the dress code that will be taken up by the staff (Parsons, 2008). Critical Analysis Of Culture And How It Affects The Strategies Implemented Cultural themes are central to any organization especially in a busy environment. In institution that deals with large number of individuals and groups, they require a careful check. Johnson (2000) came up with the cultural web to emphasis both authors place on the assumptions and values that organizational leaders and their management teams hold as producing paradigm traps that constrain their expressive capacities. The paradigm is likely to be traps that are expressed as cultural expressions. As argued by Johnson (2000), paradigms are prominent in an organization hence Diamond bank Plc should understand the need to have interdependency. This is important, as it will define the outcome of the strategies placed at the beginning of each financial year. Diamond bank Plc should notice that the web is just a cultural, diagnostic tool an d that the themes of the company come to explicate the running of the business. It is a useful tool because it is constituted by seven other cultural manifestation of how themes show themselves in various departments and management teams allocated (Khosrowpour, 2000). The bank can benefit from the web by having and describing an underlying paradigm embedded for the sole reason of organizing its members (Kern, 2001). The bank has a clear analysis on each cultural function of the themes. The analytical question that the bank should have while ensuring that the needs of the employees are meet in terms of the cultural changes that need to take place are as follows. The cultural manifestations in relation to the organizational structures are described as the formal and informal leadership relationships available in the organization (Benedict†, 2005). So, in this case, Diamond bank Plc should ask how structures, formal and informal, are placed. It is also noteworthy, while looking a t the control systems, the administrative on the important aspects of the organization. Under this theme, Diamond bank Plc should look at the closely monitored or controlled issues and why this is so. Rituals and routines are inevitable in the bank as they establish the protocol of carrying out things. For proper summary, the management questions the important beliefs held in the company, and this will portray the organization (Goulding, Mulcahy, Chambers, 2005). Stories in reference to information delivered to existing and new members of the organization should provide detailed information on the culture. The management of Diamond bank Plc should be asking for the stories to be told, and how the stories will reflect on the core beliefs of the organization (Anderson, 2007). Symbols defined above will signify the meaning grasped with immediate appearance. It is to this respect that act to censor and control the behavior of these symbols should be questioned. Power structures are mai nly linked to the top management (Campbell, 2009). It is vital for the bank to find out the present assumption related to leadership and the top beliefs related to the culture that the bank holds. Paradigm, being the most neglected but holding the most valuable information on assumptions of management should be addressed with importance. Diamond bank Plc should ensure that dominant cultural assumptions are underpinned (Borysowich, 2008). Conclusion Running a successful banking institution like Diamond bank Plc, it requires competence, experience and understanding that the culture held by the institution is likely to produce an equal or similar output on the company’s image. Customer loyalty highly relies on the culture that an organization holds and portrays. Research carried out on the banking industry shows that the sector achieves substantial benefits from the customer loyalty. To ensure that all these factors are maintained, the management has a decisive role to play in e nsuring that the process of changing the culture does not end up becoming a problem to the external environment. If bank managers take every aspect in isolation and analyzing its impact on the business, one will realize that the complexity arising from cultural change is minimal. Changing the reasoning of about 500 managers and ensuring that it falls on the same line like that of their subordinates may not be easy. It is, therefore, clear that the use of the cultural web that incorporates the company’s strategies makes all the company’s processes simple. For instance, the need for Diamond bank Plc to be able to deal with commercial ideologies may be a big task to handle but is made easier through the introduction of the cultural web. The cultural web is, thus, indispensable since it plays a vital role in ensuring that future cultural changes made are easily achieved in the long run. Deploying and maintaining a culture is a necessary process in making sure that the grow th of a company is maintained. References Altshuller, G., Altov, H. (2000). The theory of inventive problem solving. New York: John Wiley Sons. Anderson, N. (2007). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. London: Sage Publications. Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Barrow, S., Mosley, R. (2005). The employer brand: bringing the best of brand management to people at work. New York: John Wiley Sons. Becker, S. W., Baloff, N. (1969). Organization Structure and Complex Problem Solving.  Web. Belch, G. (2008). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communication Perspective. Sydney: McGraw-Hill Australia. Benedict†, R. (2005). Patterns of culture. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Borysowich, C. (2008). Developing Project Staffing Plans. Web. Campbell, G. M. (2009). Communications skills for project managers. Newark: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Canton, L. G. (2007). Eme rgency management:concepts and strategies for effective programs. Hoboken: Wiley-Interscience. Diamond Bank. (2012). Diamond bank Plc. Web. Fairfield-Sonn, J. W. (2001). Corporate culture and the quality organization. WestPort: Greenwood Publishing Group. Goethe, J. W. (2011). Communication and Leadership. Web. Goulding, P., Mulcahy, J., Chambers, B. (2005).  Protecting The Business:Good Faith, Competition And Confidentiality. London: Oxford University Press. Grensing-Pophal, L. (2000). H. R. Book: Human Resource Management for Small Business. Sydney: Self Counsel Press. Haviland, W. A., Prins, H. E., McBride, B., Walrath, D. (2010). Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. New Jersey: Cengage Learning. Johnson, G., Scholes, K. (2002 ). Exploring Corporate Strategy (6th ed). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Kern, R. (2001). S.U.R.E.-fire direct response marketing: generating business-to-business sales leads for bottom-line success. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Khosrowpour, M. (2000). Managing web-enabled technologies in organizations: a global perspective. New York: Idea Group Inc (IGI). Marshall, L. C. (2010). Business Administration. Oxford: BiblioLife. Mckenna, B. (2010). Job insecurity the new normal: CLC. Web. Parsons, C. C. (2008). Business Administration. New York: Gibb Press. Singh, S. (2004). Market orientation, corporate culture and business performance. New Jersey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Thanasankit, T. (2003). E-commerce and cultural values. New York: Idea Group Inc. Wilson, J. P. (2005). Human resource development: learning training for individuals organizations. Oxford: Kogan Page Publishers. Wilton, N. (2010). Introduction to Human Resource Management. London: Sage Publications. Winkler, I. (2010). Contemporary Leadership Theories: Enhancing the Understanding of the Complexity, Subjectivity and Dynamic of Leadership. New York: Springer. Yukl, G. (2000). Leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology,. 33-48 This critical writing on Diamond Bank Plc Culture And Its Impact On The Success Of Set Strategies was written and submitted by user Brianna Snyder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

8 of the best apps for college students

8 of the best apps for college students College can be very stressful- especially if you’re on your own for the first time. There’s suddenly so much you have to figure out that you never had to worry about before. But you can make things much easier on yourself with the help of your smartphone and a few app downloads. Here are 10 of the best apps out there for navigating your college experience with confidence.1. Amazon MobileMaybe you don’t have a car. Or maybe your college town might not be the shopping mecca you envisioned. Or, let’s be honest, maybe you’re just lazy. Bottom line: you food, supplies, books, and toiletries- and you need it all delivered to your door. The Amazon app is free and lets you browse for and buy just about anything you could need. Bonus points if you sign up for Prime Student and get free two-day shipping and other perks.2. MintLearn how to manage your money like the grownup you’ve become. Mint is a free app that lets you view all of your finances and ba nk accounts in one easy place. Separate by category to see where your cash is going, and use that knowledge to create a budget that works for your life.3. iHomework 2You have papers, readings, and tests coming at you from every direction, with no parent breathing down your back to get things done. Keep track of all of your assignments, exam schedules, and coursework with this app, which helps you map out everything school-related. You can even set yourself notification alarms for upcoming deadlines.4. Google DriveNever get stuck away from your main desk without your files again. Take notes in class, then access your notes from another computer at anytime. Write your paper at home, and then pull it up on your friend’s laptop. Never worry about not having everything you need handy and stored in the Cloud again. Google Drive free and sign-up is automatic if you use your Gmail account.5. TodoistNeed a good to-do list app that isn’t too overwhelming and just lists all your tasks in one handy place? Track everything going on in your life, school-related and beyond- even doctor’s appointments or bills you need to pay. Why write your tasks on a board in your room when you can carry it in your pocket to reference all day?6. DropboxHere’s another app that will ensure you never are more than a click away from important documents. Save things in Dropbox, and they’re accessible from any device- even your phone. Don’t lose important data or documents again.7. FeedlyOverwhelmed by all the news you’re getting from multiple sources and apps? Use Feedly to aggregate the publications, blogs, YouTube channels, and other sites you follow, so you can see at a glance what’s new and keep up with news and updates from your favorite sites.8. EasyBibNo idea how to format your works cited list? Never fear. EasyBib will give you the right citation for whatever book you’re quoting from and it will tailor it for whatever citatio n style you need.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Do Chinese Firms need to adopt the Anglo-American Model and Can they Essay

Do Chinese Firms need to adopt the Anglo-American Model and Can they adopt it - Essay Example With these elements in place, it becomes easier to state that the Anglo-American model would be successful and implemented rather flawlessly. However, Chinese state-owned firms complicate the process of adopting the Anglo-American model due to Communist influence in Board representation and the manifesto of Communist ideology that is directly opposite to the liberal business and social policies that are entrenched in the Anglo-American model. Government influence in business strategy development, alongside Communist influence at the highest levels of governance, complicate the process of adopting the Western governance model. All situations considered, there is ample research support that the Anglo-American model would be relevant in the privately-owned enterprises in China. The question as to whether it should be adopted is addressed based on the structure of the capital market in China, its securities market, and the nature of the relationship between firms in the country and the r ole of stakeholders as decision-makers in a variety of Chinese industries. Do Chinese firms need to adopt the Anglo-American Model and can they adopt it? Introduction The Anglo-American model of corporate governance is founded on several principles and ideologies. ... The second principle is protectionism, as a primary goal, of corporate constituencies, made up of shareholders, creditors and employees. The Anglo-American corporate governance model establishes the ethical expectations and legally-binding regulations to protect the rights of ownership. This is accomplished with legislation enacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other Congressional legalities that ensure the development of Standing Committees, such as in areas of auditing or compensation and nomination committees. The Chinese corporate governance model, both in state-owned and privately-owned institutions, is not completely dissimilar to the Anglo-American model, whereby legal expectations for duty of care over protecting the shareholder and other institutional investors are the primary goals of corporate leadership. This essay describes the comparative aspects of the Chinese versus the Anglo-American system of corporate governance, offering support for the ability of Chinese firms to adopt many of the principles associated with Anglo-American governance. There is ample evidence that Chinese firms can adopt the Anglo-American model due to a variety of national reforms that give more autonomy and control to businesses in the country. The Anglo-American Model The Anglo-American Model of corporate governance was adopted under the principles and ideologies of a capitalistic and free market economy. This type of system is a holistic economic system whereby methods of production, industry and trade maintain control by private business ownership where profitability for the corporation are primary objectives (Durlauf and Blume 2008). The free market economy is one where demand and supply are segregated from governmental control and authority, whereby

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Strategic Magagement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Magagement - Essay Example The company that is going to be discussed is Apple—most notably because Apple just did appoint a new CEO. Steve Jobs is now no longer the CEO. Instead that post will be taken over by Tim Cook, who was second-in-command. This is the implementation plan for Apple that emphasizes each of the eight components of strategy execution, which will be described in depth herein. Apple’s strategic business unit (SBU) could probably be best defined by its various technologies (the MacBook, iPod, and iPhone)—so we will focus on those elements for right now in terms of what will work as a strategy versus what won’t. Every manager has an active role. Every manager at Apple will continue to have the most of the same levels of responsibility that he or she was managing before the change of the CEO. Some responsibilities, however, may shift in terms of what is expected of each manager. Some managers at the Apple Genius Bars, for example, may have to relinquish control to higher-ups, and also do some work of the incoming recruits—thus having to be more adaptable to any new company policy. There is no proven â€Å"formula† for implementing particular types of strategies. Apple does not claim to have any corner on the market when it comes to product development, per se; rather, Apple has an ingenuity that defies definition. To say that there is no proven formula for success is partially untrue. There are certain guidelines which help make sure that a product line will have success, and that is what will be discussed more in-depth in the next section. there are definitely guidelines within the Apple corporation about how to implement new business strategies. Apple culture dictates that, although there are set guidelines, but no one need be so strictly adherent about the policies that it overrides creativity within the corporation. There are usually several ways to proceed that are capable

Monday, November 18, 2019

BarChris Construction Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BarChris Construction - Case Study Example The misappropriated entries included current assets having a 15% overstatement of $609,689; 42% understatement in contingent liabilities amounting to $618,853; gross profit overstatement of $230,755; $519,810 worth of sales’ overstatement; undisclosed loans to officers totaling to $386,615; and an overstatement in backlog of orders among other figures. Auditing involves the application of accounting principles as they relate to costs and revenues. Following the sale and leaseback cases, the judge’s argument that the gain on the debentures was improper is misleading since this approach is accepted in GAAP. Although the customers who acquired the leaseback properties incurred overwhelming arrears on their discounted notes, it is not considered a reasonable standard for auditors to concern themselves with the effects of business strategies of the companies they audit. Hence, as earlier stated, the auditors’ responsibility is to access, point, question, and report on accounting activities and not on investment or business strategies associated with the gains (United States District Court, 1968). The case of Berardi places himself at the center of blame for the problems associated with BarChart’s accounting misappropriations. The merits of blaming Berardi for the problems facing BarChris include his inability to dedicate more time to review the results of the S-1 review, the hiring of an inexperienced accountant, and concealing of information such as loans to officers. In order to rectify these causes of the primary problems, Berardi could have hired a qualified accountant, should have dedicated more time to review accounts, and conducted regular internal audits (United States District Court, 1968). United States District Court. (1968). Escott v. Barchris Construction Corporation 283 F. Supp. 643 (S.D.N.Y. 1968). Accessed online on February

Friday, November 15, 2019

Creating an E-Health System

Creating an E-Health System Infrastructure of the E-Health ABSTRACT This project is based on the e-health which provides medical advice, latest news on diseases general information, registration of patient, patient records maintaining ,telephone helpline, health news by e-mail, patient health observation, list of hospitals searching for particular hospital and doctor, before and after comparisons, providing health demos. Providing tips for health and food. The main aim is to provide full detail information and support regarding any disease to patient. It is the medium between a doctor and a patient. The main goal of the project is to give User friendly features. It is a web application which shows and helps patients to collect most of the information about Hospitality and Medical Services. It can used by the patients to view the list of doctors available in their cities and take appointments of doctors with the help of this site. The site will include different articles from famous doctors through e-mail facility. There will be online help for and counseling etc†¦ patients through e-mail facility. It is maintained by an administrator. User accounts for patients. The data is well protected for personal use and makes the data processing very fast. Receive emails from doctors and specialists about diseases, preventive measures and general awareness. User should be able to search the records for doctors, patients and related medication information, tips for the health and diet along with the user record. Unique platform to maintain transparency and accuracy along with formatted order with proper maintenance of data records. Health information technology plays an important role in supporting decision making, health care delivery system , and management of health services. Many socio-technical factors affect physicians adoption and implementation of health information systems. Place to post ads. As it is a web-enabled project low cost and time of project deployment and maintenance. Chapter 1 1. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT In the present e health is maintained through the storing the information into a single system and then using the search engines to search the data which user wants to. In the current scenario maintaining the search engines and maintaining the data costs a lot and can be feasible if data is in huge volumes. It cannot be feasible for small volumes of data. Data management is enough and it will be a best feasible solution if the data is stored in records and fetched through the simple forms. It will provides medical advice, latest news on diseases general information, registration of patient, patient records maintaining ,telephone helpline, health news by e-mail, patient health observation, list of hospitals searching for particular hospital and doctor, before and after comparisons, providing health demos. Providing tips for health and food. It is the medium between a doctor and a patient. The main goal of the project is to give User friendly features. It is a web application which shows and helps patients to collect most of the information about Hospitality and Medical Services. It can be used by the patients to view the list of doctors available in their cities and take appointments of doctors with the help of this site. The site will include different articles from famous doctors through e-mail facility. In current system displays pages in continuously but it is very lengthy and very difficult to the user to search what he needed for user easiness here we provide + a nd buttons before that heading if he want to see items on that particular pages he can click + button and see the sub items. Finally we will provide 3 dropdown links problem name, hospital name, doctor name and by selecting them we want to give e-mail confirmation regarding appointment. And the patient information also viewed by the doctor and telephone number is used for tele-medication. Objectives:- Objectives of this project is to provide the simple web based forms to User with simple interactive forms to maintain transparency, accuracy and simply effective in maintaining the data over recent past years. Here user can register, enter patient related data along with the options to maintain or update the user own records where all those records can be maintained in the database. User can be able to search the records for doctors, patients and related medication information, tips for the health and diet along with the user record. There is no or unique platform to maintain transparency and accuracy along with formatted order with proper maintenance of data records. Data management is very conventional and complicated manner. No existing mechanism to handle this situation in the present market. Just this causing wasting unnecessarily time and cost. In the present e health is maintained through the storing the information into a single system and then using the search engines to search the data which user wants to. In the current scenario maintaining the search engines and maintaining the data costs a lot and can be feasible if data is in huge volumes. It cannot be feasible for small volumes of data. Data management is enough and it will be a best feasible solution if the data is stored in records and fetched through the simple forms. As I am using small forms and a simple data base, following SDLC phases. Before this in the primary research I have done with gathering overall objective of my research topic E health. As a secondary research I have collected the sample data to use, creating the functional flows, best ways to implement this. Chapter 2 EXISTING SYSTEM Existing system refers to the system that is being followed till now. Presently all the health functionalities or services are completed manually. That is if a patient want to consult a doctor he can visit their till his chance called or call-up and take appointment in office hours. To know any general information about any epidemics or diseases that causes panic among the people if not rightly informed on right time. This makes the person very difficult. Out Patient and In Patient tickets are distributed directly. The main disadvantage is that there will be lot of difficulty for the patient. So, all these procedures will be a time consuming one. Draw backs of existing system: Difficult for patients Time consuming. To avoid all these limitations and make the working more accurately the system needs to be online. PROPOSED SYSTEM The aim of proposed system is to develop a system of improved facilities. The proposed system can overcome all the limitations of the existing system. The system provides data accuracy and save disc space. The existing system has several disadvantages and many more difficulties to work well. The proposed system tries to eliminate or reduce these difficulties up to some extent. The proposed system will help the user to consume time. The system requires very low system resources and the system will work only in internet connection. In the existing system displays pages in continuously but it is very lengthy and very difficult to the user to search what he needed for user easiness here this application will provide + and buttons before that heading if he want to see items on that particular pages he can click + button and see the sub-items in Treeview form. In existing system/site he shows time that is not updated continuously but in our application we have implemented timely updates for every second. Finally we have provided 3 dropdown links problem name, hospital name, doctor name and by selecting them system will to give e mail confirmation regarding appointment. And the patient information also viewed by the doctor and telephone number is used for tele-medication. Advantages of Proposed System : The system is very simple in design and to implement. The system requires very low system resources and the system will work in almost all configurations. It has got following features This website will provide online help for patients and counseling / advices for specialists. This website helps all the users to view the list of doctors available in their cities User is provided the option of monitoring the records that he enter earlier and also he can see the required records with the multiplicity of options provided by him. From each part of the project the user is provided with the links all the way through framing so that he can go from one option of the project to other as per the necessity. This is bound to be easy and very friendly as per the user is concerned. That is, we can say that the project is user friendly which is one of the major concerns of any good project. This website will help take appointments of doctors for the users. In the existing system displays pages in continuously but it is very lengthy and very difficult to the user to search what he needed for user easiness here this application will provide + and buttons before that heading if he want to see items on that particular pages he can click + button and see the sub-items in Treeview form. Chapter 3 3. FEASIBILITY STUDY Feasibility study is about the viability of a system. The proposed system has to be examined for its technical, economical and operational feasibility. This system for posting news and working the website was inspected with all these aspects in mind. 3.1.1 Technical Feasibility It is the process of assessing the development internet websites ability to construct a proposed system. Test is made to see whether reliable hardware and software, technical resources capable of meeting the needs of a proposed system can be acquired or developed by webpage in the required time. In this process, since Dot.Net is used for developing the simple internet application, its seemed to be very feasible. While accessing the technical feasibility, the various issues that are considered are system performance, system interfaces, development processes, risks, failure immunity and security. This system is proven to be technically feasible. 3.1.2 Economic Feasibility It is a process of identifying the airfare search benefits with a development project. This project is found to be economically feasible since security is the need of the time. The search benefit analysis is made considering the intricacies such as time to considerations, get more details, effectiveness, and maintainable design. 3.1.3 Operational Feasibility Operational feasibility study is a must, because it ensures that the project implemented in the web pages works the feasibility should be high. The operational feasibility of this project is very high as it automates document control and web interface, which is easy and friendly for the user to use it. 3.2. SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT 3.2.1 HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Processor : Pentium-IV or higher Hard Memory : 20GB or higher Monitor : 1024 * 768 Resolutions Ram : 1GB 3.2.2 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Front End : ASP.Net Back End : Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Operating System : Windows XP Language : C#.Net Framework : .Net 2.0 3.2.3 CLIENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Browsers : IE 7 or above, Firefox 2 or above Flash Player : 8 or above Monitor Resolution : 1024*768 Resolution 3.3 ASP. NET ASP.NET it is a part of the .NET Framework and also a new platform from Microsoft for creating applications that are highly distributed across the Internet. Highly distributed means the components of the application, as well as the data, may reside anywhere on the Internet rather than all being contained inside the one software program somewhere. Each part of an application can be referred and accessed by using a standard procedure. ASP.NET is the part that provides the features easily tie up all this capability together for coherent web-based applications. It is a programming framework, but there is a primary difference between this and traditional ASP it uses Common Language Runtime (CLR) capable of running compiled code on a web server to deploy powerful wed-based applications. ASP.NET still use HTTP to communicate to the browser and back, but it can brings added functionality that makes the communication process much richer. If any files have the appropriate extension or contain code then the server routes those files to ASP.NET for processing prior to sending them out to the client. The script or code is then processed and the appropriate content is generated for transmission back to the browser/client because the processing takes place before the results are delivered to the user and also all manner of functionality can be built-in such as database access, component usage and the ordinary programmatic functionality available with scripting languages. ASP.NET applications can be coded by using the plain text edited such as notepad, although this is not the most proficient method to use. Developing of all the other resources that might be required for a particular ASP.NET application, particularly for the user interface, may involve range of particular tools including image-editing programs and HTML editors. 1. ASP.NET also enables you to separate HTML design from the data retrieval mechanism. Therefore changing the HTML deign does not affect the program that retrieve data from the databases. Similarly, server-side scripting ensures that changing data sources does not require a change in HTML documents. 2. ASP.NET has a number of advance features that help you develop robust web applications. The advance features of ASP.NET are based on the .NET Framework. 3.3.1 ASP.NET in .NET Framework ASP.NET, which is the .NET version of ASP, is built on Microsoft .NET Framework. Microsoft introduced the .NET Framework to help developers create globally distributed software with Internet functionality and interoperability.ASP.NET application include WEB Forms, configuration files and XML, web service files. ASP.NET has a number of advance features that help you develop robust web applications. The advance features of ASP.NET are based on the .NET Framework. 3.3.2 FEATURES OF ASP.NET 1. Compiled Code Code written in ASP.NET is compiled and not interpreted. It makes ASP.NET applications much faster to execute than other server- side scripts that are interpreted such as scripts written in a previous ASP. 2. Enriched Tool Support The ASP.NET Framework is provided with a rich toolbox and designer in VS.NET IDE.Some of the features of this powerful tools are drag-and-drop server controls and automatic deployment. 3. Power and Flexibility The ASP.NET applications are based on the Common Language Runtime (CLR). 4. Simplicity ASP.NET enables you to build user interfaces that separates application logic from the presentation content. In addition, CLR simplify the application development by using managed code services, such as garbage collection and automatic reference counting. 5. Manageability The ASP.NET allow you to manage Web applications by storing the configuration information in an XML file . You can also open the XML file in the visual Studio .NET IDE. 6. Scalability ASP.NET has been designed with scalability and it has some features that helps you to improve performance in a multiprocessor environment. 7. Security ASP.NET has a options for implementing security and restricting the user access to a web application. All these options are cond within the same configuration file. 3.3.3 ASP.NET Architecture ASP.NET is based on the fundamental architecture of the .NET Framework. Visual Studio provides a standardized way to combine the various features of this Architecture. Architechture of Asp.Net Architecture is explained form bottom to top in the following discussion. At the bottom of the Architecture is Common Language Runtime(CLR) .NET Framework CLR resides on the top of the operating system services. The common language runtime masses and executes the code that targets the runtime. This code called as managed code. The runtime gives an example that is ability for cross language integration. .NET Framework provides set of class libraries. These classes include in base classes, like input ,output and networking classes . The ADO.NET is Microsofts ActiveX Data Object (ADO) model for .NET Framework. The 4th layer of the framework consists two types of applications they are Windows application model and in parallel Web application model. The Web application model presents ASP.NET it includes Web services and Web forms. ASP.NET comes with built-in control Web Forms which are responsible for generating the user interface(UI). One of the important themes of .NET is association and interoperability between different programming languages. In order to achieve this certain rules must be laid and all the languages must be following these rules. In other words we dont have languages to running around their own extensions and their own new data types. CLS is the collection of the rules and constraints that every language (that seeks to achieve .NET compatibility) should follow. In general the CLR and the .NET Frameworks are designed in such a way that the code has been written in one language we cannot badly used by another language. Hence ASP.NET can be coded in any of the .NET compatible languages whether it is VB.NET, C#(C SHARP), Managed C++ or JavaScript.NET. 3.4 C#.Net C# (C-Sharp) is one of the object-oriented programming languages developed by Microsoft. C# is a modern, object-oriented language it enables programmers to quickly build a wide range of applications for the new Microsoft .NET. Which provides tools and services that are fully exploited in both computing and communications? C# original called codename is Cool† being released as a beta in 2000. After that Microsoft released different version of language including the latest release of C# 2.0. Some of the basic features of the C# programming language they are namespaces, type-safe variables, multi-dimensional arrays, jagged arrays, operator overloading, indexers, delegates, versioning, attributes and overriding. C# also have two types of parameters they are pass by reference and pass by value and also have xml based documentation with some special comment tags, Integration with COM components are developed using Visual Studio 2005. 3.4.1 FEATURES OF C# v There are no pointers used in C#. v In C# Unsafe operations are not allowed like direct memory manipulation. v In C# we dont use â€Å":† or -> operators. v C# based on the current trend it is very powerful and simple for construct robust applications. v C# includes built in support to turn any component into a web service that can be invoked over the Internet from any application running on any platform. v C# supports encapsulation, polymorphism and interfaces. v In C# we cannot convert double to a Boolean. v C# supports the COM and windows based applications. 3.4.2 SQL Server SQL Structured query language. 3.4.2.1 INTRODUCTION TO SQL SERVER: To create a database that determines the name of the user (who creates the database) and database size. Then all file groups are used to store it and retrieve it. Before creating a database we must follow these steps: * Take Permission to create a database defaults to members of the system administrator and Database Creator has some fixed server roles, although they can grant permissions to other users. * User who creates their own database becomes owner of the database. * We can create maximum of 32,767 databases on a server. * Name of the database must be follows rules for identifiers. Three types of files are used to store a database:  · Primary files Primary files contain the startup information for the database. It can also used for stores the data. one primary file allocated to one database.  · Secondary files Secondary files hold all the data that data is not fit into the primary data file. In Databases primary file cannot hold all the data in that situation we use secondary file. Some databases have large data files so we need to use secondary files or some databases may use secondary files on separate disk drives to spread the data into multiple disks.  · Transaction log Log files are used to hold the log information and to recover the database. Each database contains one log file although there may be more than one log file. Minimum size the log file is 512 kilobytes (KB). It specifies a maximum size to which the file is permitted to grow. This prevents the file is growing data is added until the disk space is exhausted. To specify a maximum size of file we used to write MAXSIZE parameter. CREATING DATABASE PLAN: The first step of the database creation is creating a plan that serves both guide to be used for database implementation and functional specification for the database after that it has been implemented. Detailed database design is dictated by the complexity and size of the database application as well as the user population. Database can vary nature and complexity as well as planning of application. Single person can easily design and use a database or it can be large or complex for example, bank can handle many of transactions at a time. In planning database we use these basic steps: 1. First we need to gather all information. 2. Objects identified. 3. Object model. 4. Types of information for objects. 5. Relationships between the objects. 3.5 SYSTEM DESIGN 3.5.1 DATABASE DESIGN Database is a collection of interrelated data that data we stored with minimum redundancy to serve for many users quickly and competently. General objective of database design is to make the data access easy, inexpensive and flexible to the user. Database design is used to define and then specify the structure of business used in the client/server system. A business object is nothing but information that is visible to the users of the system. The database must be normalized one. Data Normalization The entities along with their attributes can be stored in many different ways into a set of tables. The methods of arranging these attributes are called normal forms. The theory behind the arrangement of attributes into table is known as normalization theory. It helps in, * Minimization of duplication data. * Providing flexibility to support different functional requirements. * Enabling the model to be translated to database design. All relations in a relational database are required to satisfy the following condition, every value in a relation each attribute value is atomic so far as system is concerned. Advantages of normalization are: * Helps in reduction in the complexity of maintaining data integrity by removing the redundant data. * It reduces inconsistency of data First normal form: * Eliminate the repeating fields. * Creates a row for each occurrence of a repeated field * Allows exploitation of column functions Second Normal Form: The second normal form has the characteristics of the first normal form and all the attributes must fully be dependent on the primary key. Input Design: Input design is process of converting the user-oriented inputs to the computer-based format. Goal of the designing input data is to make automation as easy and easily finds errors as possible. Provides good input design for the application easy data input and selected features are adopted. There is some basic requirements of the input design such as user friendliness, consistent format and give right message for interactive dialogue and it also helps the user at right time are also considered for development of the project. Following points are consider while designing the input: * Data to input? * Medium to use? * How data is arranged or coded? * Input provides dialogue to the users. * To detect the errors we need validation for data items and transactions. * when Methods for performing input validation and steps to follow when errors occur. Minimize the number of input actions required from user. This can be accomplished by using the mouse to select from predefined set of inputs. In application the user can select the options by using the mouse. The user is allowed to choose priority, mode of transport using predefined set of values. Maintain consistency between information display and data input. The visual characteristics of the display (e.g. text size, color etc) should be carried over to the input domain. In this project the status information are represented by different colors. Allow the user to customize input. An expert user might decide to create customer commands or dispense with some types of warning messages and action verification. Output Design: When designing output, systems analyst must accomplish the following: * Determine what information to present * Decide whether to display, print the information and select the output medium * Arrange the presentation of information in an acceptable format * Decide how to distribute the output to intended recipient Accomplishing the general activities listed above will require specific decisions, such as whether to use preprinted forms when preparing reports and documents, how many line to plan on printed page, or whether to user graphics and color. The output design is specified on layout forms, sheets that describe the location characteristics (such as length and type), and format of the column headings and pagination Table Name: Login This table stores the details about the login .User login table contains the fields username and password. Field Name Data Type Description User Name Text User Name Password Text User Name Table Name: Admin Registration This table stores the details about the admin .Admin registration table contains the fields username and password. Field Name Data Type Description User Name Text User Name Password Text User Name Table Name: User Registration This table stores the details about the user registration. The User Registration table contains the fields. Field Name Data Type Description Name Text User Name Age Integer Age Gender Text Gender Address Text Address Phone no Long Phone Number User Name Long User Name Password Long Password Table Name: Doctor Registration This table stores the details about the doctor registration. The Doctor Registration table contains the fields. Field Name Data Type Description Dr name Text Doctor Name Gender Text Gender Dept Text Department Consultation time Integer Consultation Time Address Text Address Contact no Long Contact Number Emergency no Long Emergency Number Consult fee Long Consultation fees Date Date/Time Date Consultation day Text Consultation Day Tot pat Double Total Patient 3.6 DATA FLOW DIAGRAM: Data flow oriented techniques advocate that the major data items handled by a system must be first identified and then the processing required on these data items to produce the desired outputs should be determined. The DFD (also called as bubble chart) is a simple graphical formalism that can be used to represent a system in terms of input data to the system, various processing carried out on these data, and the output generated by the system. It was introduced by De Macro (1978), Gene and Sarson (1979).The primitive symbols used for constructing DFDs are: Symbols used in DFD: A circle represents a process. A rectangle represents external entity A square defines source of the system data. An arrow will identify the dataflow. Double line with one end closed indicates data store 3.6.1CONTEXT DIAGRAM: 3.6.1.1Level 1 DFD Administrator: 3.6.1.2 Level 1 DFD User 3.6.1.3 Level 2 DFD User: 3.6.1.4 Level 2 DFD Admin: 3.8 SYSTEM TESTING: Testing is a process to show the correctness of the program. Testing is needed to show completeness, t improve the quality of the software and to provide the maintenance aid. Some testing standards are therefore necessary reduce the testing costs and operation time. Testing software extends throughout the coding phase and it signify the ultimate review of the design ,configuration and coding. Based on the way the software reacts to these testing, we can decide whether the configuration that has been built is study or not. All components of an application are tested, as the failure to do so many results in a series of bugs after the software is put to use. Testing involves * Unit testing * Integration testing * Acceptance testing The first level of test is unit testing. The purpose of unit testing is to ensure that each program is fully tested. The second step is integration testing. In this individual program units or programs are integrated and tested as a complete system to ensure that the software requirements are met. Acceptance Testing involves planning and the execution of various types of tests in order to demonstrate that the implemented software system satisfies the requirements. Finally our project meets the requirements after going through all the levels of testing. Chapter 4 4.IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE 4.1System Implementation: Implementation includes all those activities that take place to convert from the old system to the new system. The new system may be totally new, replacing an existing system. Proper implementation is essential to provide a reliable system to meet the organization requirements. Sometimes successful implementation may not guarantee any improvement in the organization using the new system. The implementation phase includes the following tasks: * Careful planning. * Investigation of the system and constraints. * Design of methods to achive the change over phase. * Training of staff in the change over phase. * Evaluation of change over. The method of implementation and time scale to be adapted is found out initially.Next,the system is tested properly and at the same time the users were trained in the new environment. In Infrastructure of the E-Health implementation process is successfully implemented the system by satisfying all the aspects of the user. All the procedure are designed to minimise the users resistance to change and make a attitude for f

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Terror of the Middle Passage :: Slavery

A popular literature has painted this part of the slave experience as uniquely evil and inherently more inhuman that any of the others horrors of the slave life(Klein 130). Slaves were taken from their homes and was forcibly traded.One cannot, of course, mention the Middle Passage without eliciting the horrors of tightly packed men, women and children chained together, to keep them from rebelling, or from choosing the suicidal fate of jumping overboard. The mortality of captives in Africa, therefore, included not only losses among those headed for export at the Atlantic coast but the additional losses among those destined for export to Orient among those captured and transported to serve African masters(Engerman and Inkori 117). The death that the slaves went through while they were being shipped was crucial and insane. It shows how the Middle Passage was the most terrifying journey for the slaves. The terror of the slaves in the manner in which they was carried and the mortality tha t they suffered, proves how the slaves was treated ruthlessly during the Middle Passage. Klein indicates the slavers carried 1.6 slaves per registered ship’s ton, with 5 to 7 square feet of deck area given to each slave. Most of the ships were outfitted with partial decks and platforms in the space below, the main deck and above the second or between the deck (Klein 132).The ships were different lengths and could hold only a certain amount of weight. The Brooks weighed 300 tons, and it held about 609 slaves. This arrangement gives a deck estimate at over 3,000 square feet, which provided an average of just under 7 square feet per slave. The LaVigilante is shown at 240 tons with 347 slaves and probably marks the lowest bound estimate with a deck area that results in 5.6 square feet per slave(Klein 133). Most slaves were crammed in into their designed spaces like loaves of bread on a shelf, with an average of six to seven square feet and rarely more than two or three feet of head space (Postma 23). Many slaves who, were in their nakedness, crouched on the lower ba ck. Men slaves were generally shackled two by two , making movement extremely difficult, and small groups were strung together by longer chains to take them to the upper deck for meals and fresh air. Women and children were generally confined to a separate deck space or in cabins and allowed greater mobility(Postma 23).