Hewlett-Packard Case Study Essay Example for Free

Hewlett-Packard Case Study Essay Carly Fiorina was hired in Hewlett-Packard as Chairwoman, CEO and President of Hewlett-Packard in 1999 but before that, she earned recognition being one of the most powerful women in America.   Her career in H-P was a combination of ups and down leaving the company with a lot more controversy. Carly Fiorina’s performance at HP caught the attentions of the people in America and the world. Was CEO Carly Fiorina an example of internal or external succession at H-P and why? Carly Fiorina’s appointment in Hewlett-Packard is an example of external succession because she was not a former H-P employee or member of the board; her expertise and renowned popularity made the H-P Board to hire her service.   Specifically, her achievements at Lucent and ATT impressed the executives of H-P, which at that time was at a point of â€Å"downslide† (Boldman Deal, p. 111), who thought that Fiorina could bring â€Å"drastic action and new leadership to shake things up† (ibid). Describe the changes made at Hewlett-Packard under CEO Fiorina. Carly Fiorina obviously was really smart and an innovator as evident in her achievements in her former companies.   However, her true ability was tested in Hewlett-Packard that left her torn-apart caused by the consequences of the massive scale she imposed on H-P.   She succeeded in some ways and failed in some aspects. Nevertheless, Fiorina made three changes in HP in her six-year term that greatly affected the HP culture according to Craig (2008).   First, she redirected the spending of the company from â€Å"nurturing employees to financial performance† (Craig) that resulted to growth in earnings and revenues during her term.   Secondly, she changed the reward system given to employees from profit-sharing to an incentive program.   The last change she made was restructuring the whole company by merging similar units to one resulting to having only four units from the original 84 units.   Reduction of smaller independent businesses of HP resulted to job losses of many employees but improved the communication and internal transaction of the company. Likewise, the merging of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq caused Fiorina’s strategy brought more negative consequences than positive ones.   Though she got what she expected, but the fact that people were hurt by her aggressive action they all retaliated against her.   Unbelievably, only during her term that HP experienced so many job losses and employee apprehensions. These changes damaged the company as employee dissatisfaction grew further until 2005 and the stock reduced by half while its competitors such as Dell and IBM continued soaring high. What is your opinion of what ultimately happened to her at HP, as illustrated by the second article? Fiorina lost her credibility at HP which was contrary to her previous achievements she made prior to her appointment at HP.   I think she was overwhelmed by the shining glory of her achievements during that time that she promoted herself rather than the company’s future.   She failed to understand what the company really needed; instead she went on her way without fully analyzing what correct actions to take. Basically, she relied to herself totally that she never noticed the cultural forces that raged against her.   She lost her focus as many turned into opposition to her plans; in the first place, she never got to the heart of the problem of HP that she misunderstood many of the remarks and words of expectation she received at the time she was appointed at HP. How would you describe the most recent succession that occurred at H-P? External succession with Fiorina was the first attempt made by the company and I think that experience gave them a great lesson to ponder on because the succession brought chaos to the company, which was opposite to what they expected.   HP was quite stable though some downslides occurred already when Fiorina was hired in 1999.   Fiorina was appointed as chairwoman in order to enhance further its competitiveness in the market but her leadership style did not meet the expected changes that she promised to them. In the first place, HP became irrational by associating the success of Fiorina at ATT and Lucent to Hewlett-Packard.   It failed to see competent and able leaders within the company who could replace the parting person.   Getting the right person for a very sensitive position must be done with care. Monk and Wagner suggested that in line with succession, it is important that a company create a succession plan that â€Å"incorporates every level of the organization† (2008, p. 174). The succession plan will guide the company in cases like Fiorina. Conclusion In the case of Carly Fiorina in HP, it is appropriate to assume that succession must be according to the plan and besides the company must set a ruling regarding succession.   Fiorina could be the right person in HP but the lack of clear vision and orientation of the culture and expectation of the company; she developed her own approaches that only harmed the people in the company.

Essay --

THE GOOD OLE USDA â€Å"United States Drug Addiction† I was laid back puffing on a phat stack of reasoning and sipping on some old memories just passing the time away this morning and decided to tap into my genius. Yeah, it’s me, Maestro; your (resident legal analyst) reporting to you live from the privacy of my own space. For those of you who don’t know, I am a graduate from the â€Å"School of Hard Knocks† with a PHd in Human ology. Let me be the first to inform you that I never made the â€Å"Fiends List†, in school and for the record, I never will. First and foremost, there is absolutely nothing traditional about my flow. So what! If my subject-verb don’t agree at times or my opinion comes from an Afrocentric point of view. â€Å"Can we just get along?† My sky scrapper is immune from media attack. So don’t try to intimidate me with your law—because I hit back. Like most of you, I listen to the news and social media to keep up with current events. Which is why I take my time to perceive each comment I make before I forget. So if what I say hurts you in any way, then indict me. Because as far as I’m...

Alphabet Games Essay

A) The analytical framework I have chosen to use is PEST. Pest stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological and are all factors of a PEST analysis. These are intellectual tools which are created in order to help a researcher to collect, sort, prioritise and interpret a variety of existing data and information about the subject or context that has to be analysed. When changes happen within a business or organisation the company will use a PEST analysis to view each factor in the changing process, in this case we will be looking at the changes of Alphabet Games. Political Factor Political forces include regulatory requirements, legal concerns, and any impact from the current political climate of the country or region where the business operates. The changes in the political factor could effect Alphabet Games considerably as they would have to sell games or consoles at a higher cost if the taxations in the gaming industry increased in order for the company to earn a stable profit. Economic Factors – Any change in the economy that impacts the supply or demand for a company’s products and services fits into this category. Sometimes they have a positive impact, like when a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) increases more than expected. Other times economic forces can hurt a business, like when consumer confidence drops and potential customers spend less and save more.Alphabet Games may need to pay more or less for the resources they need depending on where they purchase these from. As more companies are forming within the industry and all purchasing from the same supplier then the costs may decrease as they will be taking in more money, and this could decrease the price of games and consoles. Social Factors – Social factors are those that reflect the preferences, fads, and trends in society. Media companies are very sensitive to social trends as their business model is to produce content that reflects society’s interests. A social factor which relates to the case study is the force of change within Alphabet Games. Alphabet Games will have to constantly keep up to date with with upcoming and new trends so that they can work towards these. By  checking quantifiable statistics Alphabet Games will be able to see if the community offers a population with the demographic traits necessary to support the business. Technological Factors – Advancement in technology has had a dramatic impact on the business world over the last two centuries, and especially over the last 30 years. Anticipating changes in technology and capitalizing on those changes can become a competitive advantage and so Alphabet Games could be affected by this. Alphabet games will have to be able to change their patterns by creating new games, software and consoles in order to increase sales and marketing. BSWOT Analysis Strengths Close working relationships that exist between the partners Multi-million pound business at the cutting edge of the games development market Custom built facility that houses research, development and production Wide range of corporate and individual customers Extensive experience World known reputation for excellence, quality and innovation They offer software solutions as well as games Passion for software within the company is still as strong as when it established Weaknesses Competition between the small businesses and larger companies Technological enviroment Opportunities Recent growth in demand for flash games Some of their recent clients include NHS, Pepsi, Virgin Media and other small businesses The software can draw potential customers to companies websites providing a competitive marketplace Due to their experience they are a lot faster than most rivalry’s at developing new software Threats The challenge for small companies like Alphabet Games to stay in the market for long term and reap in potential benefits Production costs have tripled in recent years with the introduction of next generation consoles Sales and revenues have increased at a fraction Technology costs have risen which means large investment in staff and equipment CSWOT analysis guidelines In order to carry out an effective SWOT Analysis all information used must be current and relevant to the firm. A SWOT Analysis is a general technique which can be applied across diverse functions and activities used by managers. Using a SWOT Analysis can provide benefits such as a framework for  identifying and analysing strengths, weaknesses, opportunity’s and threats in relation to particular tasks or objectives or a stimulus participation in a group experience as well as many others. Below are a set of guidelines to follow that will enable them to carry out an effective SWOT Analysis. GATHER A TEAM The first step to take when conducting a SWOT analysis is to gather a team who have experience when conducting a SWOT analysis. By gathering a team that have experience they will be able to define the objectives which are relevant and accurate to the firm. PARTICIPATING IN THE SWOT ANALYSIS For best results invite contributors to participate in the swot analysis but by giving them enough time to prepare and conduct their own SWOT in advance. By providing a draft SWOT with brief descriptions of what they think is being seen as strengths, weaknesses, opportunity’s and threats. Once the group has assembled the process and established ground rules should be explained. The process of documenting strengths, weaknesses, opportunity’s and threats should be explained prioritising these lists and using the information as part of the strategic, business marketing plans. Explain that the SWOT process is a cooperative exercise aimed at organisational improvement and not about allocating blame and assure all participations that their input will be respected. Ground rules include – Everyone’s ideas are important Every idea is a good one No-ones idea is better than the other Suggesting an idea does not mean that you will be expected to carry it out if it is respected Except in the case of an emergency, participants commit to remaining on task until completion LIST STENGTHS The group assembled should list their lists of strengths identified before continuing to the workshop. They should be invited to the form in pairs and develop one combined list. The pairs then combine to form fours, and the process is repeated. Set of four then combine to form eight, and then again the process is repeated, each sets of eight then presents its list. The list of strengths is developed incorporating all contributions. The list should then be finalised by asking participants to reword any descriptions or include any additional strengths that may have been considered during the process. LIST WEAKNESSES In order to identify weaknesses a repeat process for strengths should be generated reflecting on the participants contributions. The list will provide a useful indication of growth over a period. When you review the list in a year’s time you may notice that most of the identified weaknesses have disappeared. Even though other weaknesses will be identified, the disappearance of previous ones is an indicator of successful progress. LIST OPPORTUNITIES In order to list the opportunities and threats the process for which was used for strengths and weaknesses should be repeated. The focus now becomes external, as opposed to internal for strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that opportunities and threats are not absolute – one person’s threat can be another’s opportunity, however the same item won’t appear on both lists. ESTABLISH PRIORITIES When the process has been completed there will be four lists developed from everyone’s input. Ideally these lists should be displayed so that participants have an accurate and succinct picture of everyone’s views of  the current situation. The list should then be narrowed down showing top priorities. Clarity of objectives is key to this process as evaluation and elimination will be necessary to cull the wheat from the chaff. With the lists compiled a clear picture should at this stage start to emerge in response to the objectives. CARRY YOUR FINDINGS Make sure that the SWOT analysis is used in subsequent planning. Revisit your findings at suitable time internals to check they are still valid and use lists to identify issues that are crucial to achieving the stated purpose of the business in which the company is involved. It is likely that you will be able to identify specific themes across all four lists. Try to restrict the number of themes if possible.

Black History Question - 1230 Words

Who developed mathematical formulas that could calculate celestial and weather patterns? 2. Who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church? 3. What famous jazz musician is famous for puffing up his cheeks? 4. Who was the first Black woman to drive a U S Postal stagecoach? @5. Name the first Black to win an elected office in the U. S. 6. Booker T. Washington had dinner with what American president? 7. Who were the Kansas City Monarchs? 8. What is Hoppin John? 9. What actor rapper starred in the movie Men In Black? 10. Representative Maxine Waters represents what state? The Black Heritage Trivia Game Section 4 Page 2 Section 4 Page 2 11. What month is Black History celebrated? 12. Thrilla in Manila refers to what†¦show more content†¦Who is the publisher of Black Enterprise magazine? @59. Who played the role of the heavyweight champ Jack Johnson in the movie The Great White Hope? 60. Who was the first African American NBA basketball general manager? @61. The first African American priest and bishop in the United States was? 62. When is Kwanzaa observed? @63. Who wrote the popular book Waiting To Exhale? 64. How many years did Matthew Henson and his group search for the North Pole? The Black Heritage Trivia Game Section 4 Page 7 Section 4 Page 7 65. The abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison published what antislavery newspaper? 66. Where is Florida A M University located? 67. Before it became Morehouse College, what was this famous school named? 68. Name the activist who coined the phrase Black Power. 69. Who was the first Black U.S. Army officer to lead an army division? 70. Who was the first African American woman candidate for President of the United Statesin 1972? 71. Phillipa Schuller, a child prodigy and concert pianist, lost her life while entertaining troops in what war? 72. Morgan and Marvin Smith were award-winning professionals in what occupation? @73. Whom did Jack Johnson defeat to become the first African American boxing champion ofthe world? 74. Writer Zora Neale Hurston was born in what state? 75. Opera singer Marian Anderson made her debut in what opera? The Black Heritage Trivia Game Section 4 Page 8 Section 4 Page 8 @76. The play Lost in the Stars wasShow MoreRelatedThe Film More Than A Month996 Words   |  4 PagesTilghman, Tilghman argues that we should end Black History Month for once and for all. In this film he attempts to demonstrate the truth about BHM and examine what might happen if BHM no longer existed. Tilghman argues that â€Å"Black History is American History†, and he believes that the only solution to this problem is to end BHM and incorporate it all year around. So the question is: should we end Black History Month? This is an extremely controversial question which has been asked all over the worldRead Morerhetocial analyisis essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Black History Month In Hanna Guthrie’s article, â€Å"Black History Month,† the UCI New University writer discusses the racism in America. In order for racism to be abolished, Guthrie accentuates racism is being spread through American Citizens self segregation. Though Hanna Guthrie article presents a clear claim and provides a small amount of factual evidence to support in itself, ultimately Guthrie article is unsuccessful because she fails to provide an adequate amount of logic-based informationRead MoreSummary Of The Of The Village Of Today s World 1084 Words   |  5 PagesNicholas Price Mr. Crotser English 1301 9, June 2016 â€Å"Stranger in the Village of Today’s World† In â€Å"Black Body: Rereading James Baldwin’s â€Å"Stranger in the Village† by Teju Cole he makes the â€Å"Stranger in the Village† by James Baldwin a lot more comprehensive which helps to see the persuasion that Cole is trying to perform. He is persuading us to believe that our world is both similar and different to the world described by Baldwin. Though he proves his assertion with facts and that’s is what IRead MoreWhite People Have Been The Superior Race Essay1288 Words   |  6 PagesWhite people have been the superior race since the very beginning of America. Throughout history white people have owned and ruled almost everything about American culture. Although white people are still the majority and have most of the wealth in America, there is one thing they do not own, the n-word. This one word has caused controversy and conflicts between races in society. The essay â€Å"Why Do They Get to Use the N-word But I Can’t† talks abou t the issue of who can say this word and why are onlyRead MoreBlack History s Diversified Clientele911 Words   |  4 Pages Lost but Not Forgotten Black history has been deleted from American history- discreetly but surely (Pattern #6). Those with the power and ability to include black history into the bigger scheme of reality are too disgusted or too prideful to do so, because the world doesn’t know past Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, or cotton fields. True Black history has been excluded and left unbothered. The intellect W. E. B. Du Bois once said, â€Å"that the past is present; that without what was, nothing is† InRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Black Christ Essay1097 Words   |  5 PagesKelly Brown Douglas, Introduction and Chaps. 3-5, The Black Christ Kelly Brown Douglas begins by posing a series of questions, including, â€Å"Who is the Black Christ?† and â€Å"Is the Black Christ Enough?† (6-7) For Douglas, the Black Christ, â€Å"†¦represents God’s urgent movement in human history to set Black captives free from the demons of White racism† (3). The question of â€Å"Who is the Black Christ?† is addressed in Chapter 3. The question of â€Å"Is the Black Christ enough?† is addressed in Chapters 4 and 5, asRead MoreThe Conflict Of African Diaspora1616 Words   |  7 Pages According to Wendy W. Walters, â€Å"for Phillips the concept of Diaspora refuses to rest on a false binary between home and exile, and his work repeatedly mines the complicated archives of both black and white histories of slavery, exposing their endlessly interrelated natures† (112). Caryl Phillips as a black Briton traces many complex meanings of the terms Diaspora. The term African Diaspora is applied to dislocation of African people to other parts of the world. It is also applied for the descendantsRead More It is Important to have Knowledge of History Essay1099 Words   |  5 PagesIt is Important to have Knowledge of History Though the past may bring a revival and restoration of the misery(Limerick 473), I believe it is necessary to know and study our past. Through this essay I shall explain how knowledge of the past helps improve the quality of future output, satisfy our human thirst for knowledge, and understand certain polices and regulations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even in our everyday life we can see how past knowledge helps to improve the futures outcome. Whether it is improvementRead MoreWhat Was Freedom For African Americans?961 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans the central question on the nation’s agenda. The big question of the time period was, â€Å"what was freedom for African Americans?† (Give me liberty! An American 550) From 1865 to 1900 African Americans, despite being presumed free; blacks quickly realized they were only free from was the whippings, break-ups from their families, and sexual exploitation. (Experience History 457) African Americans were still force to live with the hostility of whites. It has taken blacks a long time to be freedRead MoreEssay on The Existence of Black Holes1308 Words   |  6 PagesThe Existence of Black Holes I have always had an interest in science, especially in the sciences regarding outer space. When I was younger I was always fascinated with rockets, and especially in stars. I have often regretted not pursuing this interest at its infancy. I do remember going to the Planetarium, and studying about a topic that I had seen talked about on television. The topic was black holes, and back then all that they knew was that they were black. The idea of a space in the universe