HP Case Study Essay

The company Hewlett Packard (HP) was founded in 1938 by William Hewlett and David Packard, two electrical engineers from the Stanford University. They initially started it in a garage behind Packard’s home in the state of California, manufacturing only electronic instruments at that time. Their first product was a resistance-capacity audio oscillator, an instrument used to test the sound equipment. The biggest customer of that product was Walt Disney Company. In 1940, HP was formed, with the establishment of Hewlett and Packard’s own factory in Palo Alto. By the end of this year, HP’s revenue exceeded $2 million and the company employed 166 employees. During 1950’s HP gained popularity as a producer of innovative measuring and testing equipment of premium quality. HP first acquired the F. L. Moseley Company in 1957, which was the producer of quality graphic recorders. After this, HP started to globalize its Business. In 1959, it opened the first Marketing office in Switzerland and a manufacturing plant in Germany. Realizing the need to sustain the synergy in the organization Hewlett and Packard formulated the values and objectives of the organization, these values and objectives formed the basis of the management style at the company, referred as ‘The HP Way’ nowadays. (Moganty, n. d. ) Thus HP transformed into a democratic organization where every employee has the autonomy to talk to his immediate boss and other employees having different hierarchical positions. The company continued to diversify its business and entered the Asian market in 1963 forming a joint venture with a Japanese firm. In 1968, HP invented the HP 9100 desktop scientific calculator, after that many innovative computing products in the 1970s, hence, till 1980s HP’s business portfolio was filled with a wide array of products and to strengthen its position HP acquired Apollo Computers, which was then the leading manufacturer of workstations. By 1990s HP had 92,000 employees and earned revenues of approximately $13. billion. External Environment With the recession in PC industry of the United States in 1990, HP started to lag behind, and significantly loss a share in innovative products, it was not able to cope with the changing conductions in the industry due to its old fashioned organizational culture. Employees started becoming dissatisfied with the way the company was managed. According to a poll conducted among HP employees, HP lacked in clear directions and was said to have become too product oriented. In order to deal with this situation, HP decided to focus on its computer business and spun off its measuring, testing and medical equipment division into a new company. This was done in early 1999 and a new company named Agilent Technologies Inc. was founded, which only dealt with the devices other than those related to computing. As a consequence, HP was left with only four main divisions; Personal computers, inkjet printers, laser printers and servers. Despite the measures, taken by the company to reduce costs and drafting a new internet strategy, it was believed that what HP actually needs is a change in leadership. So a CEO named Carly Fiorina was hired. Soon after becoming the CEO, she started a mass marketing program for HP, new advertisements were made in which the employees of HP were referred as ‘A fearless collection of inventors,’ many of those advertisements had Fiornia herself. But all of this went in vain, and on the top of it the merger between HP and Compaq Computers Corp. made the conditions even worst for HP. As a consequence, the company’s culture change and new rules were set which were in the favor of the company according to Fiornia. But the laying off of approximately 17,000 HP employees was beyond the level of understanding of all the people. Ever since the merger took place HP was having disappointing earnings which indicated the epic fail of Fiornia’s leadership. HP was facing continuous losses and the estimated sales forecasts also turned out to be lower than what was expected. HP’s share price also fall up to 13% and Fiornia was blamed for all this. According to critics, she was unsuccessful in managing the company well because during her tenure she behaved like a celebrity, travelling in limousine and not communicating with the employees face to face. Fiornia was terminated for not being able to delegate the firm’s strategies. (Paul, 2005) Industry Analysis Based on the Porter’s framework of industry analysis the following results are most likely to occur for HP: Threat of New Entrants Since HP only has two major competitors, Lenovo and Dell, the threat of new entrants is not as a matter of concern for HP now-a-days. Because the products of HP are unique and are innovative and are not easy to copy by the rival companies or any new firm that is trying to enter in the PC industry. Even if the products of HP are copied they would not be as reliable as of HP. Bargaining Power of Suppliers HP believes in providing its customers with products that are of premium quality, and since there are only few suppliers in the computing market, they may have an effective bargaining effect on HP to give them high charges for assembling or providing parts for their computing devices. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Customers are the main priority for any company and so for HP. In order to retain its customers, Hp made a number of efforts. It had provided its customers with innovative and unique products that no one else in the industry provided before. Threat of Substitutes Substitutes are available in the market for HP products, but as discussed earlier, the quality of HP products is much higher. Since, different technologies were introducing at the time of Fiornia’s tenure, HP was not able to keep up with its traditional image of producing innovative computer, so as a result the customers switched to other brands due to which the company started to get in losses. Vyomesh, 2005) Rivalry Dell and Lenovo are major rivals of HP; these companies gained the most when HP was facing different kinds of leadership crisis. When people started switching to these brands, the companies started to make the most of it and increased their prices, while disappointed customers of HP were ready to purchase other brands because HP was not performing up to the mark. (Novelguide, n. d. )

Response Paper: Don Quixote de la Mancha Essay

â€Å"Don Quixote de la Mancha† by Miguel de Cervantes is one of the most recognizable classics in the world of literature. It is a narrative that is being retold in almost every generation that had followed since its publication. Much the success of the story is really undeniable as it had even infused a term to the English language, the term â€Å"quixotic. † It is certainly one of the most unforgettable stories ever written. Here is a quote from the text that I would like to pose a response: â€Å"I shall never be so mad as to make myself a knight-errant for I see well enough that things are not how they used to be in those days, when they say those famous knights rule the world† (Cervantes 161) This line was spoken by the innkeeper in the first part XXXII The tone of this particular quote seems to a response to the main theme of the story. This main theme is Don Quixote’s idea desire to live a life of a knight. The quote implies that to follow an ideal or a dream would be a waste of time. This particular quote stands out because it is one of the few pessimistic statements in the very positive, or shall I say â€Å"quixotic† theme of the narrative. This is the kind of statements that would be uttered by those who forget how to dream. People that would say this kind of words are the type that brings the hopes of other people down. The context is just like when pessimists argued that man cannot go space. The kind of thinking that pessimists have is what makes life look miserable and dull. Fortunately, Miguel de Cervantes had introduced to us Don Quixote—some who would always remind us that it is just alright to dream and seek adventures in life. Work Cited Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote de la Mancha. Harvard University Press. 1842

Two Ultimate Decisions

In the next few years, I would have finished college and would soon need to earn a living to support myself and maybe the family I intend to have. Given this scenario, I will be deciding between two options: whether I would be maintaining my own business or if I would rather be employed by a big company. Having my own business sounds appealing. I would be working at my own hours and at my own pace. I have full control of my time. I can do whatever I would like to do. Nobody can tell me what I should accomplish first and what should I do last. All I have to do is to keep committed in making my business grow and expand. Whatever I do and however I do it, it will all be up to me. I decide if I wanted to start the day early, or if I should stay up late working. I determine my own hours. I pay my own wage. Maintaining a business is going to be a very challenging feat for me. I would be using my intellectual strength and my innate marketing talents to succeed. I can establish my own success. I will thrive because of my own hard work and nobody else’s. My achievements will be because I did so well and I made the right decisions. I will be responsible for whatever happens, and I only have myself to account for. Managing my own business means I could also be helping others. I will have the ability to employ people; and as my business gets bigger, more people will be needed so more people will be hired. I will be able to make a lot of people’s lives better, and I can undoubtedly contribute to the economy at that. Indeed, starting a business proposes to be a good decision at this point. However, the call of being a part of a much bigger company is deafening as well. If I decide to get a job with a corporation bigwig, I can be able to earn easily through the monthly wage they will be paying me. I would be able to utilize all my learning and my stuck knowledge. I will be a part of an institution and would carry its pride as well. I will be able to meet big and influential people; and even become friends with each of them. I will start as a normal employee aiming toward the top position of the company, and this sure mean a real test of wits and endurance. I will be engaging in a friendly and worthwhile competition with my fellow co-workers who are also aspiring to be a top-notch executive like me. And with proper strength and staying power, I believe I will be able to reach it. If I do my job well enough, I will be promoted in just a matter of several months. I will then be the head of my own department. I will be enjoying my job as I enjoy the company of my colleagues which are also my comrades. I can also become a mentor, thus I will be able to share and transfer my knowledge to my apprentices. As I leave my position to one of my subordinates, I will be going up the ladder into the executive world. I will have the ability to become one of the most respected people in the company; and I can do it the shortest time possible. Furthermore, I will make critical company decisions which could change the whole company. I will be instrumental in the company’s failure or success, and that is because I will become the best executive, a senior manager whose opinion is always sought and is well-considered. I will be a very powerful person both in and out of the corporate world. And because I have this ability to become powerful, being rich and famous will soon follow. I will become rich because I will be fully compensated by the company I belong to. And I will become famous because as I become the company’s leader, I would need to attend business conferences as well as business lunches and parties. Right now, working for a top company seems to be a good decision for me too. Considering each of these points, it is equally advantageous holding down a job and managing a business. Although it is possible to do both, I would still need to make a decision, as to which of the two should be my primary career path. Given the points and my own personality, I believe that I will be more productive if I start off as a regular employee in a regular position, and then slowly take myself towards the top, through diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The time that is going to be required to achieve this is going to be less in a company setup. A few years should be enough to hoist myself up the corporate ladder. Being in a part of a corporation does not require that much capital either. I would only need to invest in myself, and that is not going to be too much. The risks involved in a business are also unpredictable. A business is like a gamble, you win some and you lose some. You really cannot accurately forecast the feasibility of your business decision unless the market is virtually stable, and that doesn’t really happen. The market does change, and in a volatile manner at that. If one is in a corporate setup, on the other hand, things are more constant. One knows what he is up against, and being so, one can easily devise strategies as to how to overcome it. The corporate world may have its own share of politics, but that is part of the game. I am considering that just as one of the risks that come with any of my choices. At this point, I believe that my decision will be to work for the corporate bigwigs. Its benefits weigh far too heavy than the benefits of being in the business world.

Burts Bees Essay Example for Free

Burts Bees Essay A while back in 2007, Burts Bee’s was bought out by Clorox for $913 million. In buying Burts Bee’s Clorox is promising to go green. This was Clorox’s start in buying out other green companies to help them achieve their goal in going completely green. Mr. Shavitz and Ms. Quimby the original owners of Burt’s Bees had a huge fall out that began in the late 1990’s which has been going on ever since. (1) The reason that Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 Billion for Burts Bee’s because they see a big opportunity in the market to make their products green. The Burt’s Bess is really into the whole giving back to the community, and always helping. A few events they have done for the community is Urban Gardening when they teamed up with NEEM, to help make Durham, North Carolina greener, and help them plant more community gardens. Another event that they have done is help create green homes in North Carolina. As I was looking on the Burt’s Bees website on their most frequently asked questions someone asked how they can receive donations, and the answer the company gave threw me aback. â€Å"At this time, Burt’s Bees is not currently providing product or financial donations. We remain committed to supporting local community organizations committed to The Greater Good† (2) Personally in reading this I feel like if they want to help create that customer satisfaction, they should be willing to help everyone go green and not just the community. Since the buyout according to Clorox, their natural care products already account for over $6 billion in sales and is growing at a fast rate. The sales are climbing to a yearly rate of around 9%. As for the stalk holder Clorox states, they rose from $1. 69, 2. 8%. to $62. 69. This was a huge boost for the stockholders, and for people who wanted to buy into the stalk. As of 25th 2013, the stalks are at $83. 25. (3) This was also helping Clorox’s public relations by helping them get well known. Clorox does a whole bunch of press releases to help show that they have turned green. They also do press releases when they win an award or do contests for people to enter. When you go on the Clorox website they give you three options to choose from, Press Releases, Media Resources, and Press contacts. Since working together with Burt’s Bee’s, Clorox is also trying to get more involved in the community which they never used to do. On their website they state, â€Å"Clorox knows that it can’t do it alone and actively seeks partners and other affiliations to help us become a more sustainable company. Clorox also cares. In addition to our work to make Clorox a more sustainable company, we strive to make a positive eco impact beyond Clorox. † (4) Clorox donates nearly $1 million dollars to environmental causes. Some of things they do to help the community is they donate products to the Save the Frogs, and Save the California Oaks. They also have their own foundations to help Keep America Beautiful. Burts Bees. (2016, Oct 01).

BRAZIL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BRAZIL - Essay Example Dazzling beaches, lush green forests and ever awake nightlife comes together to make Brazil a magical land. In the following part a brief discussion has been led on the Brazilian Beaches and natural beauty, people, carnival and culture. Rio de Janeiro one of the most beautiful cities of the world might be termed as the crown of Brazilian beauty. Though it stands second to Sao Paulo in terms of population but is the most famous among tourists. Rio lies amidst Guanabara Bay, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches and a lush green mountain range. However the most beautiful Brazilian beach is not in Rio or by the ocean; rather it is deep into the heart of the famous rainforests of Amazon. This beach is known as Alter do Chao. Tourists often call Amazon a green inferno considering the hot and humid climate here. If it is true then the mentioned beach is nothing short of a golden paradise. Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago at the north east coast of Brazil. It is place of clear blue wa ter when one can easily spot turtle, octopus, sharks and many other sea lives. The Brazilian authority strictly maintains the number of tourists to keep the disturbance to the natural habitat at minimal. This might be one of the most important causes that the food chain has remained unaffected here and the sharks therefore can find plenty to eat without targeting the human beings. Praia do Toque is a beach that is a bit isolated from the hue and cries of the day to day life and therefore offers perfect leisure time (McOwan). These are only a few beaches that have been mentioned here apart from these there is many others which by no means any less appealing to the tourists. Apart from beaches the rain forest of Amazon is another attraction in Brazilian tourist Map (Gray). The Brazilian part of the Amazon rain forest displays a diverse eco system and lies in the northern part of the country. At the very centre of the Brazilian part of the Amazon rain forest is the world famous Pantana l. Considering the immense natural diversity and unique eco system of the mentioned place, it has been recognised as the Patrimony of Mankind by UNESCO. With its dense vegetation that is highest in America, Pantanal is the richest and most divers of the eco systems in the world. However, Brazil is not only a country of sand, beaches and forests; it is the home of one of the most spectacular falls of the world. The Iguazu falls located almost at the border of Brazil and Argentina memorises with its immense beauty and perhaps the most alluring natural features of Brazil. (Brazil) Among all the attractions of Brazil perhaps Brazilian people occupies the first place considering their overwhelming warmth, friendliness and intense passion towards enjoying life. Like its natural diversity the people of Brazil are also diversified. The whites and the browns occupy the lion’s share followed by blacks. There are also traces of Asian and Amerindians. The intermarriage between the indige nous people, Portuguese settlers and the African slaves who were brought into Brazil to work in fields reproduced the browns that include Caboclos, Mulattos and Cafuzos. (Brazil and Africa) Most of the country’s population live in and around the urban centres of the country and the urban population displays a higher literacy rate than that of the rural population. Overall the country has a high literacy rate. The people of the country are predominantly catholic, though over that last

Global Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Challenges - Essay Example he last two decades or so and one can see roads being built, businesses getting their offshore hubs within the South Asian country and new organizations opening their offices every now and then, which at the end of the day has really boosted the economic developments within India. Piracy of intellectual property has remained a problem as far as the economic and political ranks are concerned and when the same is compared with the US regimes, one understands that the US authorities have taken giant and firm strides to counter the threat that poses them in the related regards. Considering the case of another nation, Pakistan for instance, the same might not be true when it comes to proper planning and implementation of policies which would plug the gaps as far as piracy of intellectual property is linked. There would be inadequate working methodologies in place and no such genuine force to combat the force that comes from the pirate institutions that are on rampage whilst coming up with their respective products on a day to day basis, thus ruining the economic and political domains present within the country. The seriousness of this issue could be gauged from the fact that US is taking all the corrective measures in order to fill the gap which has been left with the other nations all over the world while the remaining countries have a lot of catching up to do as far as this notion is concerned. Indian economy has not only benefited from the outsourcing regimes but also the US, Japan and European economies with the passage of time. The availability of cheap labor and the required resources within the Indian nation make it a viable option for the US business entrepreneurs and thus they invest heavily within this nation. It means that the manufacturing and economic developments within India are direct proportional with the US developments and thus the returns are manifolds and are shared across a number of different countries, regions and areas for that matter. The

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Business Environment - Essay Example These elements may include leadership and management, clientele, technological factors, rules and regulations of a government, competition, financial planning. In addition, marketing strategies, demand and supply within the area of business, the economic inclinations are other factors that influence the business environment (McNamara 1999). Therefore, the is a distinction in both the purpose and objectives of different types of organizations within any business environment. This determines whether the organization is profit or nonprofit based (McNamara 1999). Profit organizations have the sole purpose of generating profits, such that the amount of money the organization is taking out should be less than the amount of money the organization is taking in (McNamara 1999). In addition, the organization leaders or owners may opt to hold s larger portion of the returns after deducting all the expenses such as salaries and benefits to employees, bills, among others (McNamara 1999). Addition ally, in the profit organizations, the management may choose to cut back on running costs in order to maximize profits. For example, the organization may choose to cut back on personnel in case the management feels that they do not require as much personal or in case they want to incorporate more technological advancements (McNamara 1999). In general, the management has the overall decision making capacity and formulate plans that enable the organization maximize on its returns as it acquires its market share within the economic sector. As a result, marketing strategies become vital for profit organizations as its main goal is to maximize its returns through reaching to a larger clientele (McNamara 1999). Examples of profit organization include Coca Cola, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, among others. On the other hand, the sole purpose of nonprofit organizations is to benefit the society. They are mostly created for specific tasks such as religious, educational, or charitable (Carter 200 8). For the sole purpose of nonprofit organizations is to serve the community, they operate under strict rules and regulations that ban the owners of the organization from taking the profits for their own gain. This means that, nonprofit organizations have laws that allow them to operate some business activities although the proceeds obtained are to benefit the community (McNamara 1999). Therefore, the profits obtained from the business activities is recirculates into the organization in order for it to achieve its mission and objectives for the community (Carter 2008). Therefore, nonprofit organizations not only run some business activities but they obtain their funding from donations from the public or grants from other organizations. The examples of nonprofit organizations include research institutes, foundations, public schools, public universities, museums, public hospitals, professional associations, among others (Justia 2013). Typical real world examples include Red Cross, UN , (Justia 2013). Any organization, whether profit or nonprofit formulated objectives and missions targeting a particular group or clientele. Therefore, any organization has responsibilities to reach their targets. For instance, in case the organization is profit based, then its responsibilities will vary from making sure of the