Hewllet-packard co Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hewllet-packard co - Research Paper Example Hewlett-Packard was created in 1939 by two Stanford University students, Bill Hewlett and David Packard (Beer 2). The company came to be recognized for both its management practices and its innovative and reliable electronic goods (Beer 2). Its corporate culture and management techniques came to be known as the â€Å"HP way† (Beer 2). The HP way was progressive and focused on profits more than on growth in revenues, team-work, open-door management practices, high levels of employment, egalitarian pay structures, and flexible working schedules (Beer 2). These practices were a reflection of the values of the founders who placed importance on both profits and people (Beer 2). During its first four decades, Hewlett-Packard mainly sold test and measurement equipment, and it was during this time that the HP way developed (Beer 2). These test and measurement equipment products were based on cutting-edge technology which HP had developed, and could be sold at high profit margins (Beer 2). Hewlett-Packards clients were mainly engineers or other people from the technology industry who purchased these products for business applications (Beer 2). The first major transformation in Hewlett-Packards business came during the 1970s when the company launched computer and printer products, initially for business applications, and later for home use (Beer 2). The company struggled initially in the computer business, as the building of microcomputers and the development of UNIX machines demanded different skills to those required in the instruments business (Beer 2). The computer business needed large initial research and development investments, and required different co mpany divisions such as chips, software and peripherals, to work in tandem, which was a change from the decentralized model which had succeeded in the instruments business (Beer 2). For this