Charlie Chaplin Essays - American Comedy Films, Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in Walworth, London, and lived a Dickensian childhood, shared with his brother, Sydney, that included extreme poverty, workhouses and seeing his mother's mental decline put her into an institution. Both his parents, though separated when he was very young, were music hall artists, his father quite famously so. But it was his mother Charlie idolized and was inspired by during his visits backstage while she performed, to take up such a career for himself. He achieved his ambition when he joined a dancing troop, the Eight Lancashire Lads, and this eventually led onto parts in Sherlock Holmes and Casey's Court Circus. Sydney, meanwhile, had joined the famous Fred Karno Company and quickly became a leading player and writer therein. He managed to get Charlie involved, and he too became a Karno star. For both boys, Karno was almost a college of comedy for them, and the period had a huge impact on Charlie especially. In 1910 Charlie toured the U.S. with the Karno group and returned for another in 1912. It was on this tour that he was head hunted by Mack Sennett and his Keystone Film Company, and Charlie was thus introduced into the medium of film. His first film, in 1914, was aptly titled Making A Living, and it was directed by Henry Lehrman. He starred in many of his Keystones along side Mabel Normand, who also directed three of his films, but it wasn't until Twenty Minutes of Love that he had a taste of directing himself, and this quickly became the only way he worked. His success was such that he was able to move from one company to another, each time into a better deal. In 1915, after thirty-five films, he moved to Essanay, and it was here he really found his feet, not to mention his longest serving leading lady, Edna Purviance. Notable films during this period include The Champion, The Tramp and The Bank. In 1916 he moved to Lone Star Mutual, with even greater control and financial rewards. Here he made the definitive Chaplin short comedies, The Rink, Easy Street, The Cure and The Immigrant. First National were next, and it was here he constructed his full length masterpiece, The Kid. Shorter comedies of note at this time included Sunnyside and The Idle Class. Along with his great friend, Douglas Fairbanks, as well as Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith, Chaplin formed United Artists in 1919. He made his first film for them in 1923, the Edna Purviance vehicle, A Woman of Paris, perhaps the least known of his films, but it was followed by the Chaplin classics - The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights and Modern Times. It wasn't until 1940 that he made his first talkie, The Great Dictator, to be followed by the more refined Monsieur Verdoux and Limelight, a look back to the music hall world of his youth. Limelight (1952) was the last film he made in America. McCarthyite political maneuverings effectively ejected him from the country and he wasn't to return until 1972, when he received a special Academy Award. In the meantime, though heartily welcomed back to Britain, he moved to Switzerland with his wife, Oona O' Neill, and their children. He made two more films, A King In New York (1957, with Dawn Addams) and A Countess From Hong Kong (1967, with Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando) and spent his final years writing music for his films and enjoying his family life before he died, at 4 A.M. on Christmas Day in 1977. Bibliography Robinson, David. Charlie Chaplin: The Art of Comedy (1995) Mitchell, Glenn. The Chaplin Encyclopedia (1997) Karney, Robyn and Cross, Robin. The Life and Times of Charlie Chaplin (1992) Gifford, Denis. The Comic Art of Charlie Chaplin (1989) McCabe, John. Charlie Chaplin (1978) Payne, Robert. The Great Charlie (1957)

Love and revenge in Wuthering heights essays

Love and revenge in Wuthering heights essays In the novel, Whuthering Heights, Emily Bronte has created one of the most controversial novel in the 19th century. Bronte has written a novel that contains many views of complex ideas. Revenge and love revenge are examples of such. The main theme of revenge is protared through the character of Heathcliff. Heathcliff is also part of the theme of love accompanied by that of Cathy. The other half of the love theme is shown throught the actions of Hearton and Catherine. The intertwineing of the ideas of revenge and love prove to give Heathcliff a distored vision of love and Cathy a need for such a love that only Heathcliff can give to her. Where as Catherine and Hearton, the second generation, learn from the experiences of the earlier generation that lived at Wuthering Heights. The first memories Heathcliff has of life at Wuthering Heights is that of being unequal. Hindley showed no other act to him but cruelty. Hindleys brutality, tyranny, and murderous violence far outdo anything of which Heathcliff can be cused on the evidence (Langman 143). The theme of revenge grows from the treatment Heathcliff recieves from is Hindley. His prime motivation is love , or to be more precise the lack of love. He decides to persecute Heathcliff , because he feels this later has usurped his position in his father s love. He refuses to allow the curate to continue Heathcliffs education and forces the still very young boy to work as a farm-hand. Here is one of the first exaples of idea of revenge when Heathcliff says: "I dont care how long I wait , if I can only doe it , at last (Bronte 47). Heathcliffs violence and cruelty are by contrast are not random and irresponsible, they are a willed. He has certain goals- power, money, a triumph over the circumstances and agents of his former humiliation- and he uses force and deceit to reach them (Langman 143). The event that was crucial in dri...

Critically Discuss the Suitability, Feasibility and Acceptability of Essay

Critically Discuss the Suitability, Feasibility and Acceptability of the International Strategy of Amazon.com Organisation - Essay Example Amazon.Com has been one of the initial companies to sell goods over the web. The company was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, and launched to the worldwide market in 1995. Initially, the company started as an online bookstore and then rapidly broadened into different divisions such as Video Home System tapes and DVDs, music CDs, software, video games, electronic goods, toys, furniture and clothing as well as food items. Amazon considers its existence as entirely customer-centric business, which is focused on their company statement or the value of the organisation. The organisational value of Amazon is guided by certain leadership principles. These principles include customer obsession which intends to consider at the centre-stage for each and every customer who visit their online retail site. Furthermore, the company’s ownership is also a valuable component for its progression for the long-term. The organisational values also consider sustaining utmost standards of the offering s and to hire as well as develop the best possible talents within the organisation. (Amazon. Com Inc., 2012). The main objective of this report is to analyse the international strategic plans of Amazon and to discuss the appropriateness, practicability as well as the adequacy of international strategies implemented by Amazon. The Strategy of Amazon in the International Business The notion of business strategy is concerned with the marketing of products and/or services as well as it also involves decision making about economic aspects, human resource strategies, manufacturing and operations along with certain other business components. The main purpose of a strategic business plan in an organisation is to set the direction of the business and to provide the company a set structure so that the products or the services it provides can meet the selected business objectives or the goals of the organisation (Open Office, 2004). The e-marketing plan provides a wide road map for the success of an e-business organisation such as Amazon. It is necessary to create a spontaneo us overview of a good market plan which ensures a complete understanding of the e-business model. E-business model describes the architecture of information delivery along with its available products and services as well as the complete picture of sources of revenues (Embellix Software, 2000). Marketing management is a very necessary aspect because the business of Amazon operates in hostile and altering multifarious environment. The ability of a business to achieve profitable sales is impacted by a large number of environmental factors. Marketing plan is useful in a business which assists to recognise a source of competitive advantage, enables to commit to a strategy, get the resources needed to invest in the business, as well as to measure the performance of the business in a particular environment (Serrat, 2008). There are certain strategic levels which are needed to be analysed for understanding the international strategy of Amazon and their appropriateness, practicability and ad equacy. Market Development Level With regard to the corporate objectives of an organisation, marketing planning provides an important framework. In relation to marketing planning, market development plays a crucial part in an organisation’s international strategy (Embellix Software, 2000). In this context, for market development, Amazon has acquired a specific growth prospect, advantages and cost effectiveness through their e-tailing

Auditors independence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Auditors independence - Essay Example Auditor independence is a term which truly umbrellas many different matters, and which thus must be understood fully and thoroughly in order to be understood properly altogether. Basically, in order to understand the meaning of auditor independence you must first understand the fact that basically the professional independence of auditors has truly been held responsible for that of the many corporate collapses and financial debacles that have taken place worldwide, and that this explains the essentiality of understanding the importance of the independence factor in the auditing sector. Independence is generally understood to refer to a mental state of objectivity and lack of bias. They are totally opposed against the new ruling and voiced many of the same concerns that were seen from other CPA's. He expressed concern that the regulation of the new rule cannot be sufficient by itself. It's also necessary that public investors-the users of financial reports-perceive that the numbers ar e right. These are basically and for some places entirely restricted because they give the appearance that when auditors provide these services to audit clients they are acting as an advocate for the audit client. Brown goes on then to even further illustrate this point by showing that in Canada we are looking at the SEC's proposal closely and extensively and "will formulate our regulatory response partly on your experience. It is truly and absolutely a key factor that the audit committee identifies independence violations, because they are on the front line and are closest to the action. The creation of these principles was due to increasing concern that auditors were not remaining totally independent when performing the audit. Other times the consulting professionals will have little or no interaction with auditors especially in large firms. If firms miss their earnings expectations even by a slim margin the result is an immediate decrease in stock prices. Furthermore, the last no n-audit service that is restricted to audit clients is expert services. The initial concept of auditor independence, which arose during the 19th century, was based on the premise, primarily British in origin, that a principal duty of professional accountants and auditors was the oversight of absentee investments in the existing and former colonies of the British Empire. During this period, a relatively small number of accounting firms could perform audits for a relatively large number of entities. Professional accountants and auditors could render reports on the financial performance of different entities and could work for different investor groups. The concept of auditor independence during this era did not conceive of auditors as advocates for audited entities; British investors explicitly forbade auditors from investing or working in the businesses that they audited. At the same time, as long as auditors maintained their primary loyalty to the investors back home, the scope of professional a

Reactivity of Metals with Water and Acid Essay Example for Free

Reactivity of Metals with Water and Acid Essay Introduction This report discusses an experiment to study the relationship of the physical and chemical properties of elements in groups and periods to the atomic structure of the elements. The objective of the experiment is to observe what happens when seven metals (magnesium, calcium, iron, lead, copper, aluminum, and zinc) are placed in water and/or hydrochloric acid. The hypothesis is that not all metals will react with the water and/or hydrochloric acid. This report presents the experiment’s procedures, results, analysis and questions. Purpose To observe relationships between the reactivity of elements and their location on the periodic table. Materials Part A: Reactivity of Metals in Water 1. 2. chemical safety goggles 3. 250 mL beaker 4. test tube (18 mm x 150 mm) 5. test-tube rack 6. scoopula 7. spark lighter 8. Bunsen burner clamped to a retort stand 9. test-tube clamp 10. pH paper 11. paper towel 12. small samples of 1. calcium, Ca(s) 2. magnesium, Mg(s) 3. copper, Cu(s) 1. wooden splint Part B: Reactivity of Metals in Hydrochloric Acid 1. 2. chemical safety goggles 3. 20 mL graduated cylinder 4. 4 test tubes (18 mm x 150 mm) 5. test-tube rack 6. scoopula 7. small samples of 1. magnesium, Mg(s) 2. iron, Fe(s) 3. zinc, Zn(s) 4. aluminum, AI(s) 1. dilute hydrochloric acid (0.5 mol/L) 2. spark lighter 3. Bunsen burner clamped to a retort stand 4. paper towel 5. wooden splint 6. masking tape or test-tube stopper Procedure Part A: Reactivity of Metals in Water The materials were selected and brought to the station. Safety protocol was followed and safety glasses were worn throughout the experiment. The appropriate data tables were drawn in which to record the data observations. The beaker was filled with approximately 250 mL of tap water. The water was tested with pH paper and the results were recorded. On a folded piece of paper towel, the professor placed a small piece of calcium (Ca). Observations of physical properties were recorded. A test tube filled with tap water was placed, mouth down, into the beaker (figure 1) and the calcium was placed in the beaker(amendment: the original procedure asked to select a metal that produced a gas to collect the gas after first attempting the procedure. To avoid wasting time, the gas [if there was] was collected on the first and only attempt). The reaction was observed and recorded. After the reaction was complete, the water was tested with pH paper. This procedure was repeated using samples of magnesium and copper. All results were recorded. The test tube was extracted from the beaker and without flipping it, was placed mouth down in the test tube rack. Using a spark lighter, the Bunsen burner was lit and a wooden splint was lit from the flame. The burner was turned off. Using a test tube clamp, the test tube was lifted and with it’s opening at the bottom; the burning splint was inserted into the mouth. Observations were recorded. The splint was extinguished with water from the tap and all waste was disposed of. Part B: Reactivity of Metals in Hydrochloric Acid The materials were selected and brought to the station. Safety protocol was followed and safety glasses were worn throughout the experiment. The appropriate data tables were drawn in which to record the data observations. A graduated cylinder was filled with approximately 20.0 mL of dilute hydrochloric acid. 5.0 mL were poured into four clean test tubes, which were then placed on the test tube rack. On a folded piece of paper towel, the professor placed small quantities of magnesium, iron, zinc, and aluminum. The physical properties of each of the metals were recorded. One at a time, each of the metals was carefully dropped into a different test tube of hydrochloric acid. Reactions were observed for a 20 minute period (amendment: because of the lack of time, reactions were only observed for five minutes) and observations were recorded. Masking tape was used to lightly cover the test tube in order to collect gas from the elements that bubbled in the acid. After the reactions were complete, a wooden splint was lit using a Bunsen burner and the masking tape was removed. The glowing splint was held just inside the mouth of the test tube. Observations were recorded and the waste was disposed of. Observations Part A: Reactivity of Metals in Water Element Calcium Magnesium Copper Physical properties Solid, silver, metallic, soft Long, thin, solid, smooth, malleable, silver, shiny Thin, solid, malleable, bronze in colour, shiny Reaction Upon putting the calcium in water, it bubbled and released gas. The water in the test tube was displaced when it was held above the calcium while it was reacting pH before reaction: 7 pH after reaction: 8/9 There was no reaction when the magnesium was placed in the water, therefore no gas. There was no reaction when the copper was placed in the water, therefore no gas. Part B: Reactivity of Metals in Hydrochloric Acid Element Zinc Iron Aluminum Magnesium Physical properties Solid, shiny, silver in colour Rusty, small individual solid flakes, dull Powder, grey/silver Long, thin, solid, smooth, malleable, silver, shiny Reaction Slow reaction, but it eventually started to bubble. Very slow reaction. Few bubbles were produced. Though there was no observed reaction from the aluminum and the hydrochloric acid, further research shows that it does react. It releases heat and the water evaporates. Upon putting the magnesium in the hydrochloric acid, it quickly started to bubble and fizz. Throughout the observation, it also releasedlots of heat. Analysis The objective of the experiment was to observe what happens when seven metals are placed in water and/or hydrochloric acid. Calcium, magnesium, and copper were all placed in water and of the three, only the calcium reacted. Zinc, iron, aluminum, and magnesium were placed in the hydrochloric acid. There was a reaction in every test tube, but the magnesium showed the greatest reaction with iron being the least reactive to the acid. Even though the metals may be in the same period, how it reacts to the water or hydrochloric acid depends on the type of metal. Error(s) When the lit splint was held just above the mouth of the test tube with the magnesium, there was no reaction, unlike the high-pitched popping sounds emitted by other groups’ experiments. Perhaps this is because the masking tape was removed from the mouth of the test tube minutes before the wooden splint was lit, giving the collected gas enough time to diffuse. A reason for the zinc and aluminum not reacting with the hydrochloric acid could have involved dirty glassware or the lack of time allowed for observation. Conclusion The purpose of this lab was to explore the patterns in reactivity in the periodic table. Through careful observation and planning during this experiment, the hypothesiswas deemed successful. Not all metals react with water and hydrochloric acid. Questions 1. Rank the elements tested in Part A from least reactive to most reactive. 1. From the elements tested in Part A, calcium reacted the most with water (it produced hydrogen), while both copper and magnesium did not have a reaction. 1. Sort the elements that you tested into groups. State the apparent order of reactivity as one proceeds down a group. Does reactivity increase or decrease? 1. Group 2 (alkaline earth metal): magnesium, calcium Group 8: iron Group 11 (coinage metal?): copper Group 12: zinc Group 13: aluminum For the metals, the reactivity increases as one proceeds down the group. This is because it is easier for electrons to be given farther down the periodic table. 1. Sort the elements that you tested into periods. State the apparent order of reactivity as one proceeds across a period. Does reactivity increase or decrease? 1. Period 3: magnesium, aluminum Period 4: calcium, iron, copper, zinc For the metals, the reactivity decreased as one moves from left to right across periods, because it is easier for electrons to be taken away farther to the left of the periodic table. 1. Is the solution that is produced when a metal reacts with water acidic or basic? 1. The solution that is produced when a metal reacts with water is basic, because the pH increased. 1. Based on your gas test observation in Step 16, what gas is produced? 1. Based on the gas test observation in Step 16, hydrogen gas is produced. This can be determined by the ‘squeaky pop’ sound that is heard when the lit wooden splint is placed at the mouth of the test tube. 1. Rank the elements tested in Part B from least reactive to most reactive. 1. In part B, copper would be the least reactive, because there was little-to-no reaction with it and the hydrochloric acid. Iron is the second least reactive, as its reaction was slow but there were a few observed bubbles. Zinc would be the second most reactive and magnesium the most reactive, with a quick reaction and the plenty of heat that was released. 1. Does the reactivity increase or decrease as one moves across a period of elements? 1. As one moves across the periodic table from left to right, for the metals, the reactivity decreases, this is because the farther to the left, the easier it is for electrons to be given or taken away. But for the non-metals, the reactivity increases(excluding the nobles gases), because the farther right, the higher the electronegativity, resulting in a greater exchange of electron. 1. Based on your gas test results, what is the gas produced in these reactions (Steps 16 and 25)? 1. Based on the gas test results and the similar ‘squeaky pop’ sound the elements emitted, the gas produced from the magnesium and hydrochloric acid reaction and also the calcium and water reaction is hydrogen gas. 1. Does the reactivity increase or decrease as one moves down a group of elements? 1. As one moves down a group of elements on the periodic table, for the metals, the reactivity increases, this is because the farther down, the easier it is for electrons to be given or taken away. But for the non-metals the reactivity decreases as one goes down because the farther up, the higher the electronegativity, resulting in a greater exchange of electron. 1. Evaluate this investigation. Did the design enable you to collect enough evidence to answer the questions? How could it have been improved? Would your suggested improvements raise any safety concerns? 1. The design was decent, but it did provide all the evidence needed to answer all the questions; a few of the questions required further research. I think the investigation could have been improved by writing clearer instructions and being more descriptive to avoid confusion. Also, students should be able to experiment with different metals to help them expand their understanding of the reactivity of metals in water and hydrochloric acid (this may raise a few safety concerns). 1. Predict what might happen if you were to drop a piece of potassium (or lithium) into a beaker of water. 1. Because potassium is an alkaline metal (lithium as well), it is extremely reactive. I predict that dropping it in water would cause it to react quickly and intensely, and produce hydrogen gas. 1. Connect the trends observed in Parts A and B to atomic radius, ionization energy, and electron affinity. Write a paragraph to explain the trends. 1. The elements moving from left to right across a period, the atomic radius decreases, as does the ionization energy(the nucleus of the atom gains protons).The atomic radius increases moving down a group, but the ionization energy decreases moving down a group (gains protons and new energy shells of electrons).And opposite to the ionization energy, electron affinities increase from left to right across a period. Electron affinities change little moving down a group, becoming slightly more positive.

Challenges Faced By The Nomura Securities

Challenges Faced By The Nomura Securities Nomura Securities was founded in 1925 by Tokushichi Nomura II and it was the first Japanese securities company to establish an office outside Japan in 1927. Nomura Securities Co. Ltd is a subsidiary of Nomura Holdings. Inc, a Japanese financial holding company. Nomura Securities is the leading Brokerage house and Investment bank in Japan and performs equity and fixed-income trading, underwriting of stock and bond issues, MA advisory services. Until October 2008, most of Nomuras operations were mainly restricted within Japan and having made a number of unsuccessful attempts to expand into other key markets, the acquisition of Lehman proved to be a watershed deal. In order to expand its operations globally Nomura took over the Asian, European and Middle Eastern (EMEA) operations of Lehman brothers, an American investment bank after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Barclays took over Lehman brothers North American Operations. The acquisition of Lehman Brothers is expected to help Nom ura reach its goal of becoming one of the top five independent successful global investment banks. Before the acquisition of the Lehman businesses Nomura had an 18,000 strong workforce although a large part were based out of Japan, and greater than 90 % of its revenue from its local operations. After the acquisition, it retained over 8,000 former Lehman staff which meant Nomura had a difficult task in hand to integrate two very different corporate cultures. The union was termed as marriage of Tokyo and Wall street.'(FT.com, 2008) This was the first time when such a union had been attempted in the investment banking arena. The firm is still in its cultural transitional phase and its trying its best to overcome its teething problems. 1.2 Operations Nomuras operations are divided into three regions:- Asia-Pacific including Japan and India- Regional headquarter is in Hong Kong. Its operations are spread across 12 countries in the region. Americas- Regional headquarter is in New York. It operates from 6 strategically located offices in North and South America. Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Regional headquarter is in London. The operations are spread across 18 countries in the region. The banks global headquarters is in Tokyo, Japan. All of Nomuras business lines are coordinated globally and the regional heads report to their Tokyo-based business heads. Source: http://www.nomuraholdings.com/investor/summary/financial/data/2009_2q_leh.pdf http://www.nomuraholdings.com/investor/library/ar/2009/pdf/ar_all.pdf 1. 2 Vision Its long term vision is to become the top independent global investment bank. Source: http://www.nomura.com/europe/about_nomura/index.shtml Expansion of operations could render a firms organisational structure to become more complex as decision making takes more time. In order to make the decision making process faster and effective Nomura decided to reaffirm its matrix management style of organisation. Nomuras approach to decision making is quite centralised. Centralization means that the responsibility of making decisions is limited to those at the top of the organisations hierarchy. (Gordon, Pg 403)Decision making at Nomura is top down which consists of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on the top followed by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and then five CEOs for each of its business division. The CEOs of business divisions are responsible for all the decision making of their division taking into consideration the management values adopted by the Nomura group as a whole. All these heads are based in Japan. To oversee the companys European operations theres also a European Regional Head. 2.1 Matrix Structure Matrix structure is an integration of a Functional and a Market Oriented structure. Functional structure groups people according to their skill set. It allows division of labour as specialisation which makes the organisation more effective. On the other hand in a Market Oriented structure employees are grouped according to product, project, client or geographical area. A Matrix structure team has two heads i.e. one being the functional head and other a regional head. Matrix structure helps in flexibility of employees as per the changing needs of the organisation. It also aids in prompt decision making and brings about diversity in skills and ideas. At Nomura, employees are grouped according to their expertise in various functional lines as well as relative experience in client servicing. The Lehman acquisition although brought in strong operational diversity and better branding the resultant organisational structure was mammoth and complex an HR nightmare possibly. Nomuras post-Lehman operational structure looks more diversified both from a product offering as well as a geographical stand-point; Nomura has three reportable geographic segments with a stronger talent pool and a broader franchise i.e. Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). It has appointed CEOs every business division stationed in Tokyo with every region having a regional head as well as a regional divisional head. 3. Organisation Culture Organisation Culture is defined as a set of shared values and beliefs that interact with an organizations people, structure, and systems to produce behavioural norms. (Harvey Brown, Pg 69) Every organisation has a unique culture. Nomura traditionally has been a conservative investor and largely risk-averse which seemed poles apart from the usual wall-street philosophy. The distinctions between Nomuras Japanese and American Corporate cultures are cited below: Employment Tenure- Employees in Japan are more likely married to their firms with most firms expecting to retain talent through long-term employment schemes. American firms, on the other hand have their eyes firmly set on profitability and return. Promotions- In Japan promotions are based on age and seniority whereas in America promotions are based more on performance. Payroll- Japanese Companies usually pay their employees a fixed salary with low or very little bonus whereas American firms have fixed salaries and employee bonuses are decided according to their performance. Decision Making- In Japanese companies decision making is top down whereas in American style companies managers have more delegation and authority. Therefore decision making in American firms is prompt. Attitude towards risk- Japanese are risk averse whereas Americans are more aggressive. Work Culture- Japanese work culture is very stiff in terms of dress code and punctuality to work whereas American culture is more flexible. Nomura hired 8,000 former Lehman employees. In order to keep the Lehman operations running Nomura had an uphill task of retaining Lehmans employees which meant it needed to change its organisation culture. Source: http://globalization.suite101.com/article.cfm/japanese_corporate_culture 4. SWOT Analysis Strengths- Lehman had a strong position in Europe and it had well developed IT and RD platforms. It possessed high velocity trade machines. Lehman was very active and was one of the best in the markets aided by a very skilled work force which gave Lehman a competitive edge. 95% of Lehmans employees accepted job offers given by Nomura. It is imperative for Nomura to effectively utilize the skill set and knowledge base in order to enhance its business prospects and also achieve economies of scale by resource integration. Weakness- Nomura needed to protect its human capital resulting in high employee costs right at the outset very much in line with Lehman tradition of keeping up higher pay outs. Nomura also needed to build its client franchise from scratch given its lack of presence in the EMEA region and also battle a growing reluctance from clients to trade with a relatively fresh and un-proven broker-dealer. It also initially suffered the baggage of the Lehman bankruptcy, which made it extremely difficult to convince clients and regulators as well as to its viability as a solvent counterparty. Opportunities- One could say that the recent credit crisis provided Nomura with a unique prospect of re-inventing itself. Additionally Nomuras traditional Asian advantage enabled it to push its franchise far more aggressively having added talent from Lehman. Nomura currently has a sound platform to launch a strong client-focussed business. Joint operations will create synergies and generate higher revenues as Nomura can be cost effective in running combined operations. It has a diverse set of services as well as workforce which can help them specialise in niche markets as well as create innovative products in investment banking. Threats- Market conditions are currently volatile across Europe while recovery in the Americas has been painfully gradual. Nomura continues to sustain high operational costs. Although Nomura is desperately trying to mould itself into a global player the inherent cultural clash remains, which could de-motivating for the employees. Source: http://n.ethz.ch/student/rebibr/projects/Lehman-Nomura.pdf 5. Organisational Change Organisations have to change in order to stay competitive. Changes in an organisations environment in terms of competition, new clients and diversity in workforce force an organisation to make changes to its culture. However these changes are significant to Nomuras goal to become a world-class investment bank. Organisational change represents any alteration to existing cultural fabric of an organisation. It happens when a company is growing and going through evolution in terms strategy. Nomura is adopting a behavioural approach to change i.e. its a planned change and it improves communication, group behaviour, leadership skills, and power relations by changing employees knowledge, skills, interactions and attitudes as well as the organisational culture.'(Gordon, Pg.460) The Organisational change was done in four Phases:- Create Synergies Promote efficiency Start Joint Operations Ex- Lehman staff Join Nomura PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Phase 1-Retain Lehman employees in order to smoothly run the acquired business. Phase 2- Integrate infrastructure as Nomura took over Lehmans Information Technology (IT) platform and Global Services in India. Phase 3- Making sure that the combined infrastructure and Operations are running efficiently. Phase 4- Joint operations will create synergies and generate high revenues. Source: http://www.nomuraholdings.com/investor/summary/financial/data/2009_2q_leh.pdf 5.1Changes in Nomura Compensation Structure- Nomura is seeking to follow Lehmans compensation structure of paying high performance bonus of its employees in line with global investment banking standards. Although Nomuras old employees were given a choice to choose Lehmans compensation structure of low basic pay and high performance bonuses. Over half of their old staff chose the Western compensation system which is very different from the traditional Japanese pay structure. Job Security- Earlier Nomuras employees had a better job security although compensation levels were average and very different from the Wall Street philosophy. With the current structure the employees would be offered performance-based bonuses and higher total compensation although the job security would be relatively absent. Complex Matrix- It has adopted a complex Matrix type of organisation structure to achieve flexibility and prompt decision making. Decision Making- Regional and Divisional managers are given more delegation. Traditionally decisions were taken in groups. Managerial Changes- Traditionally most of the senior managerial positions were handled by Japanese but recently three non Japanese Managing Directors have been appointed who are ex Lehman staff. Changes in Job Scope- In the past positions were decided according to age and seniority and now more emphasis is based on the skill set of the employees and their performance. The takeover of Lehman by Nomura looks like a reverse takeover as Nomura is trying to follow Lehmans Organisation cultures rather than super-imposing its own culture. This is because it realises the value of the ex Lehman staff as they can give them a competitive edge over other investment banks. Therefore its making sure that the ex Lehman staff is satisfied working at Nomura so that they can perform well and stay in the job. Another reason for adopting these changes could be that in the past Nomura had made some failed attempts to expand its business operations outside Japan. 5.2 The Change Process The change process of Nomura could be explained with the help of Kurt Lewin Model. The model describes the change process in three stages which are as follows:- 1. Unfreezing- Creating awareness of a need for change and create the right environment for change. Giving old Nomuras employees an option to change their compensation structure is a method of unfreezing as its older employees realise that their counterparts from Lehman will be earning higher. This could have put pressure on Nomuras employees to perform according to Lehmans expectations and thus forcing them to change to the new culture. 2. Change- Making the change. In Nomura this was done through changing its management structure, educating employees and motivating them to work together as a team. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nomura, Mr. Takumi Shibata acknowledged that there were cultural differences in integrating the two companies but they were focused to work as one team, one firm. 3. Refreezing- A firm has to cement the change and make it its organisation culture. In Nomuras case, they are still undergoing change as the takeover took place only a year and half back. However the progress so far achieved has been no less spectacular given the hard line differences and size of operation. Source: http://www.mansis.com/freeze.htm Nomura Annual Report 2009 6. Organisational Development Techniques Organization development is a system-wide application of behavioural science knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving an organizations effectiveness.(Cummings and Worley, Pg 2) Nomura believes in upgrading the skills of its employees through its employee development programmes. This is done so that an employees potential could be maximised at work. Employees are given authority to demonstrate their skills, abilities and they are evaluated on the basis of their performance. In order to enrich the careers of its employees Nomura initiated comprehensive education and training programmes. In 2006, it launched a Happy career and life project which aimed to help its employees maximise their potential. Nomura initiated training in global business etiquette in seven of its offices worldwide including Japan so that the employees could understand the differences in culture and background. This was done to increase responsiveness among its employees so that they understand the importance of building relationship with customers and fellow employees. In 2008, Nomura established Diversity and Inclusion offices in Europe and Asia Pacific. Diversity and inclusion is about respecting human rights and offering equal opportunities within organizations regardless of gender, age, race, faith, or values and harnessing peoples talent.'(Nomura Holdings Website) This programme was introduced to unleash employee potential and capitalize on value. Under this Nomuras Human Resource department will analyse the HR processes such as promotion, recruitment and performance management so that their diverse workforce is well managed. In order to prevent discrimination based on age, race and gender Nomura orga nised 29 training sessions and over 14,000 employees attended the training. Nomura has also created support systems for its female employees in terms of proving more childcare leave and offering assistance with the day care expenses of infants. Source: http://www.nomuraholdings.com/csr/stakeholder/employee/diversity.html http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2010/04/investment-bank-nomura-launches- multi-strand-equality-strategy.htm 7. Conclusion Nomuras long term aim is to become a World class investment bank. After the acquisition, Nomura has achieved market gains in Asia (excluding Japan) and Europe. They are aggressively building business in the US market. Nomuras revenue from markets outside Japan has increased significantly after the acquisition of Lehman Brothers operations in Europe and Asia. Net revenue from its Asia and Europe divisions surpassed Japan in two of the four quarters for the first time. Clearly the integration has benefited Nomura as its revenue from its overseas operations has increased significantly. The Acquisition has generated immense synergies and its helping Nomura to achieve its goal of becoming a World Class Investment Bank. The two firms complement each other in terms of products, geographical locations and customers. Till now the acquisition has proved to be a good one but in the long run Nomura will have to address to a lot of challenges in terms of culture while maintaining balance between American and Japanese culture to keep its new as well as its old employees satisfied. It was easy for Nomura to retain ex Lehman employees as when the takeover took place as the market conditions were bad but once the market conditions stabilise employees might look for greener pastures. Therefore, Nomura has to a task of retaining its employees in the long run as employees are its biggest assets. Source:http://www.financeasia.com/News/174347,nomuras-emergence-as-a-global-investment-bank.aspx?refresh=on 8. Recommendations Most of the success stories on Wall Street have been of firms following a singular cultural philosophy across their businesses. Although the sweeping changes at Nomura have been largely well received by its employees, the company is a long way from realising its potential in the market-place. It needs to inculcate the performance-based compensation spirit amongst its Japanese employees while at the same time relying on Japanese practical wisdom of conservatism. Also behavioural changes in terms of better group dynamics, equal-opportunities irrespective of race, sex and age should be inculcated given the largely male dominated Japanese society. Nomura should take the culture change slowly as it has to keep its employees in Japan in high spirits. They might feel less motivated and think that new employees are more important to the company. Rather than the top management deciding how to change the organisation culture the decision should be taken collectively involving all its employees. Nomura should not get too carried away by the increase in revenues in overseas markets. It has to make sure that the upward trend in revenue generation continues without any holdups. Nomura should not get too Americanized in terms of risk adverse attitude. American banking approach allows managers to take risks which can be very disastrous. It should follow a mixture of Japanese risk averse and American risk adverse attitude in other to run the operations successfully without any turbulence in these volatile economic conditions. Lastly, there should be team building activities in which new and old employees should play an active part. Both old and new employees should work together as a team in order to make Nomura a successful global investment bank.

School Bells

The elementary years of my life were the most stress free and enjoyable time of my life. I remember back when I was in elementary school, after school I would go to my backyard to catch frogs in the lake backyard. My best friend, Steven, and I would also go to the park and play in the playground. Life was too good during the earlier years. No conflicts, just scrapped knees. This was the time I also first learned how to ride my back. It was the most rewarding day I can remember. At first, I believed I could never learn to ride a bike. But with the assistance of my dad it was all possible. I remember the moment so clearly, my dad letting go of me. I pedaled feeling as if I was flying. The only problem was that I did not learn how to stop yet. What happened later is not as lovely. Ms. Fazio the best fifth grade teacher anyone can ask for. I also remember going to Islands of Adventure towards the end of my fifth grade year. Mrs. Fazio and I rode in the front of a roller coaster, I believe the ride was called Dueling Dragon. I just remember Ms.  Fazio screaming through the whole ride. The day overall was amazing. But sadly bygones are just bygones. Now I have to worry about college, homework, work, and my future. I miss having to worry about scraped knees and getting my agenda signed. Life was good during the elementary days. Come home watch television, eat cookies, and go out feeling as though nothing can go wrong. Running around during recess and playing tag. Times sadly have sadly changed. Now I am just left with these nostalgic feelings.