Category: Hewlett Packard

Introduction

It is common knowledge that Apple Inc. has taken much of the limelight for trending products in the tablet market. The Hp touchpad (web OS) was expected to pose a stiff competition for ipad and other competitors in the market but unfortunately, it failed to do so.

In fact, Apples ipad two stole the limelight after Apple Inc. launched the product in the first quarter of 2011. From this understanding, the Hp touchpad has been a declining product (but so are other tablets with the android operating system). Comparatively, Hps sales are a shadow of the industrys giant, Apple Inc.

As you may know, in January 2010, it was estimated that Apple sold about three million ipads in less than three months (Nine-to-Five 1). In addition, throughout the year 2010, it was reported that Apple sold more than 14 million ipads around the world. Soon after the launch of ipad two, in March 2011, Apple sold more than 15 million tablets (Nine-to-Five 1). The Hp touchpad has only been able to sell a few thousand units.

In fact, it is known that the first launch of the Hp touchpad failed to meet your companys expectations because few retailers reported good sales. Reports show that your company only managed to sell about 25,000 of the 270,000 units produced, thereby leading to the launch of the fire-sale offer, which marked a significant fall in projected profits for your company (Sheldrake 38).

The same reception that your company received in the US was no different for other markets across the world. For instance, in Europe, it was estimated that the Hp touchpad only sold 12,000 units across the continent, after which a lull in sales was reported. In addition, the Australian market did not react any differently because the Hp touch pad was on the shelves for only for days and it barely sold more than 1,200 units (Sheldrake 38).

Due to the poor performance of the Hp touchpad, many people started speculating the reasons for the poor sales performance of the gadget with some experts observing that the lack of Apps and the failure of your company to incorporate a lackluster advertising feature were the main reasons for the poor sales of the gadget (Sheldrake 38).

Some observers also speculated that the $99 fire-sale offer was part of an effort to get rid of your inventory, subject to the poor sales. Due to the above intrigues, Apple currently dominates about 75% of the tablet market in the world (Sheldrake 38).

Not many companies have undergone the experiences your company has had with the Hp touchpad but it is important to highlight that this experience can be used to better the performance of the Hp touchpad for the future. The fire-sale offer is one such experience but its importance will be highlighted in subsequent sections of this letter.

Competition in the tablet market is just one aspect of the tag of war between Hp touchpad and other products in the market because the main goal of these companies is making quality products (Nine-to-Five 1). Apple Inc. already has a strong reputation for making quality products but so does Hp. Going forward; Hp is expected to forge a formidable competition for Apple Inc. and other participants in the tablet market.

For instance, ipad two has been cited as among the highest trending products for UK and US consumers in 2011 (Shopvolution Ltd 1). Hp does not come any close. This trend needs to change. There is still enough room for growth and change because the Hp touchpad has a strong degree of usability considering it spans across business, education, healthcare and consumer sectors (Nine-to-Five 1).

Moreover, recent studies by Sheldrake show that the tablet market is growing with its increased popularity. In America, it is estimated that 19% of adults own a stake of some sort and 10% of the same focus group own tablets (Sheldrake 38).

Among the adult population, it is no secret that there are immense opportunities for growth. For instance, the 10% penetration rate of tablets in the American adult population indicates that about 90% of the market is still open to growth.

The uptake of tablets among the adult population is also steadily growing with recent reports indicating that the adult population owing tablets has increased by 18% over the past few years (Sheldrake 38). The same growth has been witnessed among e book readers but experts note that decreased costs of both gadgets may lead to the increased uptake of tablets and e book readers.

Nonetheless, despite the declining trend of the HP touchpad, it is crucial to point out that the technological world is subject to many uncertainties. This analogy means that there is room for improvement. This view is affirmed by the graph below which shows that Hps touchpad has witnessed increased tablet traffic compared to other android tablets

From the above graph, it is correct to say that, the success of the Hp touchpad needs to be guaranteed (in the future) because there is growing competition in the touch pad market. This competition not only comes from Apple Inc. but also other technological companies such as Google and Sony (Nine-to-Five 1). Furthermore, there are existing concerns regarding the Hp touchpad and webos such as the lack of a social network, the inability to integrate with cloud computing and similar concerns (Nine-to-Five 1).

Since the Hp touchpad does not trend now, it is important to ensure that this market status does not remain the same. This goal can be achieved by adopting a raft of recommendations that will be highlighted in subsequent sections of this letter. I hope that this address will be able to convince the board of directors that the success of Hp touchpad lies in constant innovation and addressing pertinent customer concerns.

Recommendations

The first component of the Hp touchpad that needs reviewing is its stylus. Your company developed the Hp touchpad with very little consideration of its stylus. Perhaps this view (of your company) stems from the commonly held belief that stylus does not have a place in tablet development (Raggi 6).

Though there have been tablets that have been developed with stylus, their success has not been realized because stylus has not been correctly applied (Raggi 6). Hp touchpads applications have a series of poorly developed applications. These applications have significant defects in them because Hp touchpad relies on the capacity touch screen. It is therefore important for your company to consider incorporating stylus into the gadget. This will improve the products usability (Raggi 6).

The second item that your company can do to improve the performance of Hp touchpad is to incorporate a sense of productivity to the gadget. Research shows that consumers want a product that not only provides entertainment but also gives them a sense of productivity (Williams 180).

Your company should especially consider this aspect in the product improvement stage of Hp touchpad because the current economic situation in most countries is not favorable to increased spending. Therefore, many consumers will be more attracted to a gadget that provides them with an economic benefit in the wake of poor economic performance.

The incorporation of the concept of productivity in the Hp touchpad should however be perceived as an improvement to the product because it would be unfair to say that the gadget does not have any productive elements in its application. For instance, the product has a word document-editing feature, and a program for developing presentations but none of these applications provide the productive features realized from conventional computers.

For instance, the lack of a keyboard is a great weakness of the Hp touchpad. Though I would not advise your company to copy another feature from a rival product, for explanation purposes, I would advise your company to develop similar features such as what the asus transformer does for other touch pads.

The asus transformer is proved to increase the productivity of touch pads such as transforming gadget into a notebook computer (Williams 180). Hp can therefore embark on a research and development process to improve the productivity of the gadget. This step eliminates the notion that the Hp touchpad is (almost) a pure consumable product.

It is also important to note that your company can adopt a consumer-friendly price strategy to boost the companys prospects of achieving a high sales target in its future sales. I approve this strategy because it was evident from the fire sale strategy (which your company adopted) that price was a possible barrier to the sales of the hp touchpad.

With a sudden decrease in price, it was seen that the sales of the touchpad skyrocketed and most of the outlets stocking your products sold out in a few days. This event highlights a very important aspect in this analysis  consumers are willing to buy products at a relatively pocket-friendly price.

This event also puts to rest speculations about the quality of your product or its salient features being the main reason the product failed to meet your companys initial sales target. However, this statement should not be misunderstood to mean that your company should not make any product improvements; it only stands to show that there is need for a careful balance between the pricing strategy and the product development strategy of Hps products.

From this understanding, I propose a flexible price strategy that guarantees profitability and commendable sales for your company. It is therefore crucial to ensure that your company carefully watches the market response with the launch of a new hp touchpad. When the uptake of the product is low, it is important to adjust the prices downwards to achieve higher sales.

Hp can also consider using windows eight for its next generation of touch pads because of the immense opportunities windows eight offers. Though there are concerns regarding the use of windows eight on tablets, it is important to note that when the specifications for the HP tablet are considered a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor and a 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel capacitive touch screen display (Sheldrake 38) windows eight would be successfully installed on the hp touchpad.

However, to stay on the safe side, it is crucial for your company to recognize the tremendous potential of building an Hp touchpad that effectively integrates with windows eight operating system. I say this with utmost surety because there is enough cause for concern to question the use of windows eight on existing Hp tablets. Using windows eight on the Hp tablet would be an interesting addition to the gadget because it will improve the user-experience.

There are many reasons to contemplate the use of windows eight operating system on the Hp touchpad. One such reason is that, windows eight is expected to ease the transition between applications in an almost natural manner (Sheldrake 38). In addition, windows eight will aid the increase or decrease of the size of different windows of the tablet (to the side of the screen) such that the user will find it easier to multitask.

The windows eight operating system is also expected to contain JavaScript, which will aid the functioning of program web-based applications to improve the performance of the touchpad. The use of other applications such as advanced browsers will also be easily accommodated in the windows eight operating system (Sheldrake 38). These characteristics will improve the user experience.

Finally, it is important to mention a raft of other recommendations that can improve the uptake of the hp touchpad. Some of these recommendations are minor but indeed, they will contribute to the increased uptake of your product. One such recommendation is the installation of a rear-facing camera. Other tablets in the market have this feature and though it is important for Hp to be unique, it is vital for the company not to lag behind other companies in adding fancy features, which will attract more customers.

The installation of a rear-camera will not be a costly addition to the design of the touchpad and therefore, such a recommendation can be quickly adopted. Another minor addition to the Hp touchpad would be the addition of a powered USB host to facilitate the easy integration of the gadget with other devices such as a camera, PC and the likes.

Similar to the procedure for adding a rear-view camera, the inclusion of a powered USB host is not a costly addition. Finally, it will be important to include a mini HDMI to improve the users experience. These recommendations are minor and they are inexpensive. In fact, these recommendations should be considered before undertaking any previously mentioned additions.

Conclusion

The above recommendations are set to improve the performance of the Hp touchpad because they will solve some of the main inherent weaknesses of the gadget. However, it is in order to affirm that your company has done a good job in delivering a quality product in the market and as noted in this letter, Hp should realize improved success in its touch pad product segment. I hope you will consider some of these recommendations.

Works Cited

Nine-to-Five. Reality Check: Apples Ipad Has No Competition. 2011. Web.

Raggi, Emilio. Beginning Ubuntu Linux: Natty Narwhal Edition. London: Apress, 2011. Print.

Shopvolution Ltd. Top Trending Products of 2011 in the UK. 2011. Web.

Sheldrake, Philip. The Business of Influence: Reframing Marketing and PR for the Digital Age. London: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

Williams, James. Learning HTML5 Game Programming: A Hands-On Guide to Building Online Games Using Canvas, SVG, and WebGL. London: Addison-Wesley Professional, 2011. Print.

Hewlett and Packard (HP) is an American technology company that provides technology services to large enterprises, individual customers, and small and large businesses. It is the leading manufacturer of personal computers and associated accessories in the world.

It has experienced tumultuous times in past years that have affected it adversely. However, it has changed its strategy and is pursuing reinvention strategies and initiatives. It is currently engaging in several projects and initiatives that will steer it back to prosperity in different field away from manufacture of computers. These initiatives include high-impact research, acquisition of Autonomy, a British software company, cloud services, corporate strategic overhaul, and management change.

HP has increased its efforts of doing research in order to find solutions to problems facing the technology industry. As a result, they have established research labs in seven different locations around the globe. The labs will focus research on eight areas that are central to technology.

These include information management, content transformation, cloud, digital commercial print, intelligent infrastructure, analytics, sustainability, and immersive interaction. The main objective of the project is to shift its focus to cloud computing and EaaS, which are key areas of emerging technologies.

HP has also acquired Autonomy, a British software company. The acquisition has brought wrangles in the corporation leading to exit of the chairman, Raymond Lane. The main objective of acquiring the company is to diversify their service delivery to focus mostly on software development and compete with other software development companies. HP intends to exit the personal computer market and explore the more profitable software market. This is in an effort to reinvent the company after many years of failed business operations.

Recently, HP announced its corporate and strategic overhaul plan that had an adverse effect on its share price. The overhaul is intended to push HP into profitable market segments such as software, connectivity, and cloud services.

Their strategy includes doing away with its Webos mobile devices and exiting the PC market that is not as profitable as it was in past decades. Its Webos devices include the Veer Smartphone and the Touchpad tablet. In addition, it is looking for alternatives to its Personal Systems Group (PSG). This might include separating operations of PSG form those of HP.

Another recent HP initiative is exploration of cloud services. HP has devised ways to provide cloud services to enterprises, consumers, and small and medium sized businesses. It has developed customized cloud services for each of the three groups of consumers.

Services offered to each group offers solutions to problems that present challenges in the modern world where technology is an important aspect of achieving goals and objectives. The initiatives main objective is to revamp HPs service business in order to guarantee stability and high profit margins. This is a positive move because cloud services are under high demand and HP could seize the opportunity to reinvent itself.

HP has also elected a new interim chairman, Ralph Whitworth after exit of Raymond Lane. He left after fallout with the corporations top management regarding acquisition of Autonomy Corporation. This move is an effort by the management of the corporation to avoid cases of past wrangles that cost it dearly. The new interim chairman has been serving at HP in the capacity of Board member for approximately two years. Lane said that he stepped down because he did not want to disrupt HPs reinvention efforts.

The new interim chairman is known for reviving failed corporations by introducing change. The election of Whitworth is a move towards adopting leadership that embraces change, a factor that is synonymous with their recent initiatives and corporate overhaul strategy.

It seems that in the electronic age the issue of privacy might seem as one of the greatest topics that bring the attention of the society. Such topic arose after 9/11, and still makes an appearance once a scandal occurs in the media. After all, the right to privacy is protected by constitution, and thus, the significance of such issue cannot be questioned. One of the cases touching on the issue of privacy is directly related to business ethics and corporate responsibility. Patricia Dunn, chairman of the board inn Hewlett Packard (HP) knowing of a leak in the board of directors, hired a firm, which hired another firm, which used controversial methods to find the source of the leak (Kaplan, 2006; Rasch, 2006). The method is pretexting  pretending to be someone else to get information, or simply deceiving (Rasch, 2006). The leaker was identified, the case went public, and subsequently Dunn had to resign, being charged with orchestrating this investigation. Should she have been forced to resign? As a short answer, yes.

First of all, in order to resolve the legal aspect of Dunns involvement, it can be stated that hiring a company with a firm intention to identify the leaker, she had to have an expectation, if not awareness, of the methods such information will be gathered. Thus, the assessment of Dunns actions is taken in the context of her involvement in the practice of pretexting, i.e. the main question is whether her actions is a sufficient cause for her forced resignation.

Taking a deontological approach, Dunn actions were generally embedded in her responsibility to act in the good of a company. However, was the action of forcing Dunns resignation was morally acceptable? Deontology focuses on the action itself, and the will of agents (Kay, 1997). In deontological approach, the action itself is ethical, for many reasons, whether it is the doubtful nature of Dunns techniques which cannot be verified to be complied in all respects with applicable law (Kaplan, 2006), the invasion on privacy, and shattering the reputation of the company. Thus, as an absolute decision, forcing Dunn to resign can be seen ethical, where the act itself is ethical, in response to questionable behavior, and the will of the board can be assumed to be ethical, which is increasing the environment of trust in the board, its privacy expectations, and restoring its functioning.

In a utilitarian sense, in which the options is considered based on greatest utility different options offer, it can be stated that there is no clear opinion here. The maximum benefit and the least harm is evaluated based on two options leave Dunn at her position or force her to resign. The benefits of Dunns resignation in practical terms can be seen through condemning the practices used by Dunn in the future, which in addition to pretexting contained other computer related crimes, such as unauthorized access to a computer, or exceeding the scope of authorization to access a computer (Rasch, 2006). Keeping Dunn at her position might lead to certain harmful effects, such as the possibility of her being charged with criminal offences, a possibility that might be reflected on the reputation of the company and its stock value. Linking the benefits of Dunns actions to the threats of corporate espionage is vague, where despite the loss companies incur from deliberately or inadvertently disclosing confidential or sensitive information (Porter Ii & Griffaton, 2003, p. 69), the practices themselves are related to employees workplace. The actions taken by Dunn are related to the violation of reasonable privacy, which board members were expecting (McArthur, 2001).

Thus, it can be concluded that the decision to force Dunns resignation is acceptable, despite of the intentions she had when tracking the leak. Long term effects such as the reputation of the company, which will be historically associated with the scandal, should be also taken in consideration.

References

Kaplan, D. A. (2006). Suspicions and Spies in Silicon Valley. Newsweek Business. Web.

Kay, C. D. (1997). Notes on DEONTOLOGY. Wofford College.

McArthur, R. L. (2001). Reasonable expectations of privacy. Ethics and Information Technology, 3, 123-128.

Porter Ii, W. G., & Griffaton, M. C. (2003). Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Monitoring the Electronic Workplace. [Article]. Defense Counsel Journal, 70(1), 65.

Rasch, M. (2006). Liar, Liar, and Pretexting. Security Focus. Web.

Introduction

Hewlett-Packard, a global information technologies corporation has been known for its favorable human resource policies appreciated by the majority of employees. This paper will discuss the changes in the human resource management strategies at Hewlett-Packard which resulted in the loss of the HP way, decrease of the employees satisfaction and the increase of the turnover rates and will offer the measures to be imposed for improving the situation.

Summary of the case

Founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard who started their enterprise in a one-car garage, Hewlett-Packard commonly referred to as HP has grown into a global information technology corporation with its headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

The founders developed a number of management concepts, including the participative management, emphasis on the process and trust and openness in the working relations which have been known as the HP way and became the basis for the employees strong satisfaction and the companys successful growth (Beer & von Werssowetz 1985).

After the decades of successful leadership in the market sector, in 1997 and 1998, HP did not meet its business targets due to the intense competition from Dell and the economical crisis in Asia. The changes were required for improving the situation, and a new era in HP started in July 1999, when against the traditional hiring principles of the corporation, an outsider Carly Fiorina was announced as a CEO of the company (Beer et al 2005, p. 8).

Fiorina made significant changes in HP and reconsidered the well-known HP way making it history. Starting from reconsidering the brand image, Carly proceeded to the reorganization of HP into a front-back structure and changing the payment principles by placing more emphasis upon using pay as motivation instead of traditional salary-based pay at HP.

Though the impact of these changes in the strategy upon the overall companys performance is rather controversial, it resulted in significant decrease of the employees satisfaction and commitment and increase of the turnover rates. After the spread of rumors concerning the possible fraud in voting for the acquisition of Compaq, the legacy of acquisition decision was even investigated by the court which approved the acquisition considering the data on misinformation and fraud as not convincing.

In 2003, HP which was previously in the list of the 100 best companies to work for, was not included into his list according to the results of the employees survey which clearly demonstrates the level of their dissatisfaction with the changes fostered by Fiorina.

Reconsidering the management style

Participative management has been considered as one of the most important principles of the HP way. The openness of the working relations allowed the employees to express their considerations concerning the necessary measures o be implemented within the company and making their small contributions to the companys success, feel their involvement into it which enhanced their commitment.

As opposed to the openness in the working relations promoted by the founders of the corporation, Fiorina preferred to eat at her office and rarely wandered around the territory of the organization. Even creating a media ad for the company, she concentrated on self-promotion which caused the employees detachment and increased the rates of the turnover (Beer et al 2005).

However, the strategy was changed after Fiorina was fired by the board members in February 2005. The HR optimization model adopted by Perez de Alonso, the head of the human resource department focused on the cost, productivity and employees involvement as the main variables to be measured for evaluating the companys performance (Davis 2010).

Thus, Fiorinas dismissal due to the decreased business performance at HP clearly demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the management style she adopted compared to the HP way. The inclusion of the metrics of the employees involvements into the performance evaluation model represents the growing recognition of the value of the human resource assets in the companys top management.

Changes in the payment system

The transition from the traditional salary-based payment system towards the payment for the performance patterns was one of the most significant changes implemented by Fiorina. On the one hand, it was conducted in the frames of the program intended to update the companys policies to the generally accepted standards, whereas the pay-for-performance scheme was used at the competitors.

On the other hand, it indicated the shift of the traditional focus on the process, placing it on the results and the achieved targets. Thus, on one of the meetings Fiorina even interrupted a managers report, admitting that nobody was interested in the difficulties he experienced and that if he was not able to meet the targets, she could find somebody who would (Beer et al 2005).

This situation clearly demonstrates that the skillful human resources lacked support and could be underestimated at HP after the loss of the HP way. Not making attempts to retain the valuable human resources, the companys management of that period, on the contrary, contributed to the turnover rates within the corporation.

Regardless of the fact that the monetary compensation can become a valuable motivator for the employees, the excessive emphasis upon meeting the targets and neglecting the working processes can have a negative impact upon the companys performance in general. Serious consideration should be given to the improvement of the training programs and working environment instead of strategy overemphasizing the achievement of business targets which has shown its ineffectiveness.

The principles of corporate clarity

The openness in working relations has been prioritized in HP way, but was lost in the course of the companys reorganization and changes of the HR management principles.

The lawsuit associated with the merger with Compaq coupled with public criticism of the human management and business strategy had a negative impact upon the HP branding as an employer. In that regard, the issues of corporate clarity and openness need to be emphasized for improving the companys reputation and enhancing its attractiveness for the potential employees.

After the cultural shifts caused with the acquisition of Compaq and the management style of Fiorina, the companys business strategy was criticized as unclear, compared to the models adopted by its competitors (Shuvanil & Srikanth 2009).

Thus, though the HP way had to be adapted to the rapidly changing market of the information technologies, some of its principles nurtured by the founders of this global corporation need to be preserved in the companys policies as valuable for improving the employees satisfaction and companys business performance.

Conclusion

In general, it can be concluded that the participative management style, relative flexibility and openness of the working relations fostered by the HP way adopted by the founders of the corporation and nurtured by their followers were significant to the business success of the corporation and need to be adapted to the current realities and included into the companys human resource management strategies.

Reference List

Beer, M. & von Werssowetz, R. (May 1985). Human Resources at Hewlett-Packard. Harvard Business School.

Beer, M., Khurana, R. & Weber, J. (January 2005). Hewlett-Packard: Culture in changing times. Harvard Business School.

Davis, N. (February 2010). The HR optimizer. HR Magazine, 55(2).

Shuvanil & Srikanth, G. (June 2009). Hewlett Packard  Losing the HP way. The Economist.

Part A

Using modern environmental equipment is the consequence of technological progress and the key to ensuring significant ecological safety. In accordance with the case of clean cookstoves submitted by Lawrence and Weber (2017), the application of such facilities is the evidence of competent work on protecting the environmental situation on the planet. Harmful emissions from open stoves not only destroy the ozone layer, which is a global problem, but also create local difficulties, polluting the atmosphere. Lawrence and Weber (2017) describe the situation in Kenya as the example of the dangerous consequences of using such cookstoves and argue that the introduction of innovative equipment may help reduce the risk of contamination. Accordingly, the widespread adoption of this equipment can adjust the climate on the planet.

The complexities of economic development imply a number of problems, including the poverty of certain segments of the population. Lawrence and Weber (2017) note that the lack of innovations and stagnation in this area affects the financial situation of individual regions adversely, which, in turn, slows down natural progress. The case of clean cookstoves proves that the widespread provision of such equipment will improve the current economic situation by reducing heating tariffs.

Moreover, according to Lawrence and Weber (2017), the spread of such stoves may allow establishing democratic prices for them, and many residents will be able to afford the purchase of inexpensive and convenient stoves. Lower costs are directly related to reducing the risk of poverty, which proves the effectiveness of the devices in question.

Part B

The financial strength and competitiveness of any enterprise depends largely on how skillfully its management applies the methods of adaptation to the current interests of the market and introduces appropriate development mechanisms. Based on the experience gained during the growth process, each organization develops an individual strategy that is aimed at increasing consumer interest in the products or services provided.

One of the most significant factors determining the success of a company is its ability to form a sustainable business that can meet the basic types of needs  social, economic, and environmental. Leaders actions coordinated to strengthen the position of their organization in a particular market depend on a number of aspects. The involvement of relevant tactical schemes that allow the company to transform its activities to more sustainable operations affects stakeholders significantly.

As an object of analysis, the well-known company called Hewlett-Packard (HP) will be considered. This corporation is one of the global companies specializing in the manufacture and sale of digital equipment. Implementing sustainable development strategies enables HP to develop its business effectively and engage new customers constantly. This work is aimed at identifying the key aspects that have an effect on the sustainable development of the enterprise, and the consequences of the decisions made. External and internal factors involved in the promotion of the corporation and determining its growth prospects contribute to strengthening HPs position and form the image of the organization as a reliable market participant.

External Forces of Influence

The HP corporation pushed its way to sustainable development by implementing those business strategies that could provide the simplest and, at the same time, clear mechanisms of control over the activity of all the working areas. Management practices aimed at increasing environmental and social responsibilities are the result of a sound market assessment policy and the timely involvement of those tactical steps that may transform the activities of the enterprise. Several external factors adopted by HP are the productive mechanisms of changes that determine both the organizations new priorities and the influence on stakeholders.

The external factor that stimulates the transition to an operational in accordance with the conditions of sustainable development is the adoption of the trends of strategic leadership. Burgelman, McKinney, and Meza (2017) mention the evolution of the industry ecosystem as a transformation system involving the assessment of the companys management capabilities, its social learning process, and key strategic leadership tasks (p. 357).

The successful practice of controlling the key areas of HPs work has allowed corporate leaders to strengthen their marketing position, thereby engaging new customers and investors. Such an approach may be characterized as a modern sustainable method that largely determines the socially-oriented mechanisms of work. Moreover, the solutions involved in borrowing relevant strategies for managing external organizational activities open up prospects for expansion. The clear steps of enhancing past capabilities and moving towards future accomplishments will influence the companys shift to socially responsible business practices.

Another external factor that enables HPs sustainable business practices is collaboration with government agencies to develop financially responsible corporate environmental regulations (Chan et al., 2016, p. 446). Based on the policy of transition to innovative work, the leaders of the corporation have taken steps to strengthen interaction with various boards in order to strengthen responsibility in the field of green production.

As the authors note, HP develops equipment that gives consumers an ability to use such resources as energy and water efficiently (Chan et al., 2016). This, in turn, serves as the evidence of the sound strategies of controlling the external effects of activities. The relevance of environmental practices in relation to the ecological safety of the planet has become the factor that has caused the transition to the new mode of operation.

When any company takes measures to protect the environment and uses those principles of work that are aimed at preserving the climate, it indicates the organizations interest in expanding partnerships and maintaining a good image. Such a movement towards sustainable development is a rather common contemporary practice, and the representatives of HP implement it quite successfully.

Finally, a significant external force adopted by the HP leadership is the strengthening of a technologically competent base through market trends and requirements for efficient and environmentally friendly production. According to Burgelman et al. (2017), radical changes regarding the working policy of the analyzed corporation have affected its production side. The widespread use of innovative equipment that operates on the principle of the least possible harm to the environment has become one of HPs features. Today, when many efforts are made to protect the ecology, the companys leaders show their interest in following these trends and applying not only cost-effective but also socially significant business strategies.

The management of the corporation seeks to justify its interest in the use of harmless components for its products. Thus, the organization supports the current trend of sustainable environmental development. Such a mechanism of work helps to transform from a large market participant to the company with positive goals. The influence of the general interest in protecting the environment has been passed on to HP, and its maintenance of this practice allows speaking about its modern approach to the formation of a business strategy.

Internal Forces of Influence

In addition to the external forces that influence policymaking with respect to Hewlett-Packards sustainable business structure, there are internal factors that also determine specific steps in this direction. The opportunities that the corporation has achieved during its existence in the market have helped it to choose certain growth strategies not only on the basis of competitiveness but also in accordance with other indicators.

Strengthening the power of the brand is largely due to the mechanisms of the companys internal structure and its principles of organizing activities in the conditions of constantly changing consumer needs. Based on the analysis of HPs activities and examples from academic literature, it is possible to identify two main forces that contribute to the analyzed enterprises shift to environmentally and socially responsible business management practices.

One of the mechanisms determining an internal influence on HPs activities has become the organization of work in relation to engaging various means that stimulate growth in all the areas of the corporation. As Burgelman et al. (2017) argue, HPs internal ecology of strategy-making has involved a multitude of strategic actors that committed the companys technical, human, financial, and reputational resources (p. 79). The qualified work of all the team members allows achieving the goals set not only due to competently performed activities but also the reorganization of the dynamics of work in accordance with the current market needs.

In other words, the strategic principle of leadership, which is aimed not at internal changes, has become one of the main tools that shape HPs key success. Burgelman et al. (2017) state that the process of creating internal ecology generates the seeds of new business opportunities, which is particularly important in the context of modern environmental and social practices. Therefore, such structuring of leadership in the company stimulates transformational changes and affects the productivity of the corporation positively, thus creating new perspectives and opportunities for successful sustainable development.

Another internal practice of transforming HPs business into a sustainable mechanism is realized through setting up its supply chains, stimulating interaction with suppliers based on environmental and social mechanisms. Requirements for the organization of this process include tightening control not only over purchased products but also other essential criteria  the reliability of suppliers, their reputation in the market, and other factors. Grimm, Hofstetter, and Sarkis (2016) remark that HP seeks to increase suppliers commitment towards the improvement of social and environmental factors, which is a valuable tool in achieving sustainable partnership quality.

Although the corporation in question has credibility with customers and competitors, its leaders adhere to a risk minimization strategy regarding cooperation with suppliers. This, in turn, makes it possible to exclude any threats related to the violation of the organizations environmental or social aspects and, at the same time, increases the level of the enterprises reputation. Following this mode of operation strengthens HPs equipment base and enables its leadership to build internal interaction only with reliable partners. Therefore, this practice of the regulation of work bears benefits from various standpoints and opens up prospects for quality improvements.

Based on the analysis of internal and external factors that contribute to the transformation of HPs operations and strengthen its sustainable development, it can be noted that the existing practices are the significant mechanisms of corporate activities. All the considered tools allow minimizing risks, increasing the authority of the organization among customers and competitors, as well as ensuring compliance with environmental and social responsibilities. Such benefits offer significant growth prospects and are the example of implementation in other large corporations.

Global Impacts of Sustainable Development Initiatives

Using various initiatives aimed at increasing the growth of the influence of the company under consideration and strengthening its sustainable development is a relevant practice in many large enterprises. Some approaches promoted by HP are trends in modern organizational management systems and involve similar tactical steps. Nevertheless, certain methods cause the greatest resonance and can contribute to changes not only in the local but also the global market. Concerning HP and its business transformation initiatives, the concept of strategic leadership supported by the companys management is a meaningful practice that can be considered an activity principle influencing global business and public interests.

The evidence of the value of this methodology in HP and its importance in the global context as a useful component of sustainable development can be found in academic literature. According to Salim Saji and Ellingstad (2016), a strategic perspective supported by leaders is more important for achieving goals and gaining respect compared to many other approaches. The quality of organizational work in such an environment contributes to maintaining its maximum efficiency, and all the processes performed are carried out in strict accordance with a predetermined plan, which minimizes any risks.

Salim Saji and Ellingstad (2016) also state that the social motivational process promoted in most large enterprises is closely related to the concept of strategic leadership. Consequently, through the implementation of the aforementioned principle of business activity, it is possible to achieve not only internal order, which is an essential task, but also undisputed consumer interest. The latter aspect is much more significant for a distributor. Therefore, the effect of this criterion needs to be considered in more detail.

In case this or that company seeks to operate in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, a number of changes occur both inside and outside such an organization. In the context of HP, providing an innovative approach to work allows the employees of the corporation to focus on key goals, in particular, sales optimization and increasing consumer demand. Client interest in the companys products intensifies when buyers are aware of the strength of the brand and its advantages over other market participants. Accordingly, a sustainable intensification strategy considered by Kuhl (2018) as a mechanism for influencing the target audience makes it possible to support undisputed consumer interest (p. 138).

This effect in the context of the global market is great because, among the diversity of companies involved in the field of computer technology, customers choose specific brands that are known for their strong positions. Consequently, this principle of organizing sustainable development promoted by HP has substantial outcomes and may have a significant impact on global business and its participants due to trust in the products distributed.

Harnessing Technology for Sustainable Development

Throughout its activities in the market, Hewlett-Packard has made quite a significant breakthrough in the formation of its technological base. Based on the principles of sustainable development as one of the main business strategies today, the management of the corporation seeks to equip production with modern mechanisms and tools that not only facilitate all operations but also contribute to the growth of the customer base.

This principle is a natural and logical step towards overcoming a competitive barrier since many large companies attract buyers with new techniques and innovative product designs. An opportunity to offer unique products that differ from others in their high-quality features is the evidence of a successful strategic management policy, and a sustainability principle supported by HP is one of the ways of implementing such an action plan. As relevant and effective technology support programs, methods for recycling old products are promoted, as well as involving the Internet, which is one of the main resources for updating the existing technological base and services.

The principle of recycling old products is one of the priorities in the work of HP that supports the method of environmentally safe production to meet modern quality standards. According to McIntyre and Ortiz (2016), the components of equipment, in particular, inkjet cartridges for 3D printers are subject to increased control. The representatives of the company promote a safe disposal system for old devices and urge consumers to collect used parts. Further, HP employees sort all these materials, create blanks for pressing, and provide 85 % recycled content plastic (RCP) replacement for virgin plastic resin (McIntyre & Ortiz, 2016, p. 322).

Such a system of work not only meets modern standards of environmentally safe production but also contributes to creating additional raw materials, which saves money and allows using waste resources with maximum benefit. This recycling technology is one of the steps towards the formation of the corporations sustainable course of work and serves as the method of engaging people to environmental issues.

The active application of the opportunities offered by the Internet is another characteristic feature of the HP corporation. Noll et al. (2018) call free access to information as catalyst for the sustainable development goals and state that using such technologies contributes to a more successful control over strategic management principles (p. 223). Moreover, those benefits provided by the global network are not limited to the internal changes that the companys management can make after studying relevant trends.

Due to the Internet, HP generates various promotional offers for its potential customers and distributes content that may interest investors, and the corporations leadership encourages its employees to establish business contacts. Noll et al. (2018) also cite the concept of digital literacy and argue that today, a large number of Internet users receive all the information by analyzing feedbacks and comparing facts found on the network. Accordingly, HP strives to ensure a stable background and credibility among the customer community, creating the image of a reliable manufacturer. Therefore, such an active use of the global network contributes to the sustainable development of the company and maintains high interest in its products.

Conclusion

The principles of sustainable development, which are promoted in Hewlett-Packard, allow the corporation to occupy a high position in the ranking of global companies and provide an opportunity to gain the trust of consumers. Both external and internal forces that stimulate the increase of performance indicators help strengthen brand confidence and open up prospects for growth. The development methods that HP adheres to are the valuable mechanisms that may have a significant impact on the working strategy of the company and the business community as a whole. The active use of modern technologies allows the management of the corporation to maintain a consistently high interest in its products and control all the areas of work carefully.

References

Burgelman, R. A., McKinney, W., & Meza, P. E. (2017). Becoming Hewlett Packard: Why strategic leadership matters. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Chan, T. Y., Wong, C. W., Lai, K. H., Lun, V. Y., Ng, C. T., & Ngai, E. W. (2016). Green service: Construct development and measurement validation. Production and Operations Management, 25(3), 432-457. Web.

Grimm, J. H., Hofstetter, J. S., & Sarkis, J. (2016). Exploring sub-suppliers compliance with corporate sustainability standards. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, 1971-1984. Web.

Kuhl, L. (2018). Potential contributions of market-systems development initiatives for building climate resilience. World Development, 108, 131-144. Web.

Lawrence, A., & Weber, J. (2017). Business and society: Stakeholders, ethics, public policy (15th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

McIntyre, K., & Ortiz J. A. (2016). Multinational corporations and the circular economy: How Hewlett Packard scales innovation and technology in its global supply chain. In R. Clift & A. Druckman (Eds.), Taking stock of industrial ecology (pp. 317-330). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Noll, J., Mansour, W. A., Holst, C., Dixit, S., Sukums, F. K., Ngowi, H. A.,& Ngowi, B. (2018). Internet lite for sustainable development. Nordic and Baltic Journal of Information and Communications Technologies, 2018(1), 223-238. Web.

Salim Saji, B., & Ellingstad, P. (2016). Social innovation model for business performance and innovation. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 65(2), 256-274. Web.

Introduction

It is common knowledge that Apple Inc. has taken much of the limelight for trending products in the tablet market. The Hp touchpad (web OS) was expected to pose a stiff competition for ipad and other competitors in the market but unfortunately, it failed to do so.

In fact, Apple’s ipad two stole the limelight after Apple Inc. launched the product in the first quarter of 2011. From this understanding, the Hp touchpad has been a declining product (but so are other tablets with the android operating system). Comparatively, Hp’s sales are a shadow of the industry’s giant, Apple Inc.

As you may know, in January 2010, it was estimated that Apple sold about three million ipads in less than three months (Nine-to-Five 1). In addition, throughout the year 2010, it was reported that Apple sold more than 14 million ipads around the world. Soon after the launch of ipad two, in March 2011, Apple sold more than 15 million tablets (Nine-to-Five 1). The Hp touchpad has only been able to sell a few thousand units.

In fact, it is known that the first launch of the Hp touchpad failed to meet your company’s expectations because few retailers reported good sales. Reports show that your company only managed to sell about 25,000 of the 270,000 units produced, thereby leading to the launch of the fire-sale offer, which marked a significant fall in projected profits for your company (Sheldrake 38).

The same reception that your company received in the US was no different for other markets across the world. For instance, in Europe, it was estimated that the Hp touchpad only sold 12,000 units across the continent, after which a lull in sales was reported. In addition, the Australian market did not react any differently because the Hp touch pad was on the shelves for only for days and it barely sold more than 1,200 units (Sheldrake 38).

Due to the poor performance of the Hp touchpad, many people started speculating the reasons for the poor sales performance of the gadget with some experts observing that the lack of Apps and the failure of your company to incorporate a lackluster advertising feature were the main reasons for the poor sales of the gadget (Sheldrake 38).

Some observers also speculated that the $99 fire-sale offer was part of an effort to get rid of your inventory, subject to the poor sales. Due to the above intrigues, Apple currently dominates about 75% of the tablet market in the world (Sheldrake 38).

Not many companies have undergone the experiences your company has had with the Hp touchpad but it is important to highlight that this experience can be used to better the performance of the Hp touchpad for the future. The fire-sale offer is one such experience but its importance will be highlighted in subsequent sections of this letter.

Competition in the tablet market is just one aspect of the tag of war between Hp touchpad and other products in the market because the main goal of these companies is making quality products (Nine-to-Five 1). Apple Inc. already has a strong reputation for making quality products but so does Hp. Going forward; Hp is expected to forge a formidable competition for Apple Inc. and other participants in the tablet market.

For instance, ipad two has been cited as among the highest trending products for UK and US consumers in 2011 (Shopvolution Ltd 1). Hp does not come any close. This trend needs to change. There is still enough room for growth and change because the Hp touchpad has a strong degree of usability considering it spans across business, education, healthcare and consumer sectors (Nine-to-Five 1).

Moreover, recent studies by Sheldrake show that the tablet market is growing with its increased popularity. In America, it is estimated that 19% of adults own a stake of some sort and 10% of the same focus group own tablets (Sheldrake 38).

Among the adult population, it is no secret that there are immense opportunities for growth. For instance, the 10% penetration rate of tablets in the American adult population indicates that about 90% of the market is still open to growth.

The uptake of tablets among the adult population is also steadily growing with recent reports indicating that the adult population owing tablets has increased by 18% over the past few years (Sheldrake 38). The same growth has been witnessed among e book readers but experts note that decreased costs of both gadgets may lead to the increased uptake of tablets and e book readers.

Nonetheless, despite the declining trend of the HP touchpad, it is crucial to point out that the technological world is subject to many uncertainties. This analogy means that there is room for improvement. This view is affirmed by the graph below which shows that Hp’s touchpad has witnessed increased tablet traffic compared to other android tablets

From the above graph, it is correct to say that, the success of the Hp touchpad needs to be guaranteed (in the future) because there is growing competition in the touch pad market. This competition not only comes from Apple Inc. but also other technological companies such as Google and Sony (Nine-to-Five 1). Furthermore, there are existing concerns regarding the Hp touchpad and webos such as the lack of a social network, the inability to integrate with cloud computing and similar concerns (Nine-to-Five 1).

Since the Hp touchpad does not trend now, it is important to ensure that this market status does not remain the same. This goal can be achieved by adopting a raft of recommendations that will be highlighted in subsequent sections of this letter. I hope that this address will be able to convince the board of directors that the success of Hp touchpad lies in constant innovation and addressing pertinent customer concerns.

Recommendations

The first component of the Hp touchpad that needs reviewing is its stylus. Your company developed the Hp touchpad with very little consideration of its stylus. Perhaps this view (of your company) stems from the commonly held belief that stylus does not have a place in tablet development (Raggi 6).

Though there have been tablets that have been developed with stylus, their success has not been realized because stylus has not been correctly applied (Raggi 6). Hp touchpad’s applications have a series of poorly developed applications. These applications have significant defects in them because Hp touchpad relies on the capacity touch screen. It is therefore important for your company to consider incorporating stylus into the gadget. This will improve the product’s usability (Raggi 6).

The second item that your company can do to improve the performance of Hp touchpad is to incorporate a sense of productivity to the gadget. Research shows that consumers want a product that not only provides entertainment but also gives them a sense of productivity (Williams 180).

Your company should especially consider this aspect in the product improvement stage of Hp touchpad because the current economic situation in most countries is not favorable to increased spending. Therefore, many consumers will be more attracted to a gadget that provides them with an economic benefit in the wake of poor economic performance.

The incorporation of the concept of productivity in the Hp touchpad should however be perceived as an improvement to the product because it would be unfair to say that the gadget does not have any productive elements in its application. For instance, the product has a word document-editing feature, and a program for developing presentations but none of these applications provide the productive features realized from conventional computers.

For instance, the lack of a keyboard is a great weakness of the Hp touchpad. Though I would not advise your company to copy another feature from a rival product, for explanation purposes, I would advise your company to develop similar features such as what the asus transformer does for other touch pads.

The asus transformer is proved to increase the productivity of touch pads such as transforming gadget into a notebook computer (Williams 180). Hp can therefore embark on a research and development process to improve the productivity of the gadget. This step eliminates the notion that the Hp touchpad is (almost) a pure consumable product.

It is also important to note that your company can adopt a consumer-friendly price strategy to boost the company’s prospects of achieving a high sales target in its future sales. I approve this strategy because it was evident from the fire sale strategy (which your company adopted) that price was a possible barrier to the sales of the hp touchpad.

With a sudden decrease in price, it was seen that the sales of the touchpad skyrocketed and most of the outlets stocking your products sold out in a few days. This event highlights a very important aspect in this analysis – consumers are willing to buy products at a relatively pocket-friendly price.

This event also puts to rest speculations about the quality of your product or its salient features being the main reason the product failed to meet your company’s initial sales target. However, this statement should not be misunderstood to mean that your company should not make any product improvements; it only stands to show that there is need for a careful balance between the pricing strategy and the product development strategy of Hp’s products.

From this understanding, I propose a flexible price strategy that guarantees profitability and commendable sales for your company. It is therefore crucial to ensure that your company carefully watches the market response with the launch of a new hp touchpad. When the uptake of the product is low, it is important to adjust the prices downwards to achieve higher sales.

Hp can also consider using windows eight for its next generation of touch pads because of the immense opportunities windows eight offers. Though there are concerns regarding the use of windows eight on tablets, it is important to note that when the specifications for the HP tablet are considered “a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor and a 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel capacitive touch screen display” (Sheldrake 38) windows eight would be successfully installed on the hp touchpad.

However, to stay on the safe side, it is crucial for your company to recognize the tremendous potential of building an Hp touchpad that effectively integrates with windows eight operating system. I say this with utmost surety because there is enough cause for concern to question the use of windows eight on existing Hp tablets. Using windows eight on the Hp tablet would be an interesting addition to the gadget because it will improve the user-experience.

There are many reasons to contemplate the use of windows eight operating system on the Hp touchpad. One such reason is that, windows eight is expected to ease the transition between applications in an almost natural manner (Sheldrake 38). In addition, windows eight will aid the increase or decrease of the size of different windows of the tablet (to the side of the screen) such that the user will find it easier to multitask.

The windows eight operating system is also expected to contain JavaScript, which will aid the functioning of program web-based applications to improve the performance of the touchpad. The use of other applications such as advanced browsers will also be easily accommodated in the windows eight operating system (Sheldrake 38). These characteristics will improve the user experience.

Finally, it is important to mention a raft of other recommendations that can improve the uptake of the hp touchpad. Some of these recommendations are minor but indeed, they will contribute to the increased uptake of your product. One such recommendation is the installation of a rear-facing camera. Other tablets in the market have this feature and though it is important for Hp to be unique, it is vital for the company not to lag behind other companies in adding fancy features, which will attract more customers.

The installation of a rear-camera will not be a costly addition to the design of the touchpad and therefore, such a recommendation can be quickly adopted. Another minor addition to the Hp touchpad would be the addition of a powered USB host to facilitate the easy integration of the gadget with other devices such as a camera, PC and the likes.

Similar to the procedure for adding a rear-view camera, the inclusion of a powered USB host is not a costly addition. Finally, it will be important to include a mini HDMI to improve the user’s experience. These recommendations are minor and they are inexpensive. In fact, these recommendations should be considered before undertaking any previously mentioned additions.

Conclusion

The above recommendations are set to improve the performance of the Hp touchpad because they will solve some of the main inherent weaknesses of the gadget. However, it is in order to affirm that your company has done a good job in delivering a quality product in the market and as noted in this letter, Hp should realize improved success in its touch pad product segment. I hope you will consider some of these recommendations.

Works Cited

Nine-to-Five. Reality Check: Apple’s Ipad Has No Competition. 2011. Web.

Raggi, Emilio. Beginning Ubuntu Linux: Natty Narwhal Edition. London: Apress, 2011. Print.

Shopvolution Ltd. Top Trending Products of 2011 in the UK. 2011. Web.

Sheldrake, Philip. The Business of Influence: Reframing Marketing and PR for the Digital Age. London: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

Williams, James. Learning HTML5 Game Programming: A Hands-On Guide to Building Online Games Using Canvas, SVG, and WebGL. London: Addison-Wesley Professional, 2011. Print.

The HP Accounting case is a discrimination case, which is first heard under the BC Human Rights Tribunal. The party that is discontented with the decision of the Tribunal can apply to the Federal Court for judicial review. The Federal Court plays a supervisory role over the actions of the BC Human Rights Tribunal. Judicial review occurs where an appellant applies to the court for an administrative decision to be reviewed.

The Federal Court may either uphold the decision of the Tribunal or refer the case back to the Tribunal to be heard again. The parties are allowed to appeal the decision of the Federal Court to the Federal Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada is the last court of review (Mullan, 2006).

There are two types of judicial review; substantive judicial review and procedural judicial review. Substantive judicial review refers to the determination of a tribunal decision, either on the grounds that the decision was unreasonable or inaccurate or that the tribunal did not have the jurisdiction to decide the issue in a particular manner.

Procedural review, on the other hand, is based on the grounds that the administrative decision made by the tribunal did not comply with procedural fairness. The court tries to analyze the procedure that the tribunal used to reach its decision or how the tribunal treated the appellant during the hearing.

Procedural fairness encompasses two main areas; the right to a hearing and safeguards against bias. The right to a hearing involves issues related to the conduct of the oral hearing, the right to counsel, disclosure, and notice. The rule against bias covers reasonable apprehension of bias and tribunal impartiality and independence (Mullan, 2006).

The accessibility of judicial review is based on the rule of law. All members of the public have a right to judicial review because the applicable principles of law prohibit provincial legislatures and Parliament from denying this right to any citizen. Thus, any party to an administrative decision has a right to the ruling of the court as to whether the administrative authority was in line with appropriate legal principles.

The courts, however, may not follow the law to the end due to the discretionary authority that they enjoy. The courts aim at ensuring effectiveness by rejecting their discretionary power in certain circumstances.

The circumstances include unreasonable delays in the application for judicial review, unjustifiable, moot or hypothetical issues, and availability of alternative remedies, such as the right to reconsideration and the right to appeal. The appeal courts are guided by the ‘reasonableness simpliciter’ standard, which prohibits the court from overturning a tribunal decision unless it is unreasonable.

The Federal Court Act denies the Federal Court the capacity to carry out a judicial review where a statute provides for the right to appeal. Cases decided in the BC Human Rights Tribunal can be appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal before being reviewed by the Supreme Court (Mullan, 2006).

In conclusion, the avenues of appeal of the BC Human Rights Tribunal decision are effective. The Federal Court analyzes issues in an objective manner to decide the reasonableness of the tribunal’s decision. All citizens are entitled to appeal and review of the tribunal decision, meaning that the Federal Court of Appeal is easily accessible. The courts tend to limit their discretionary powers in certain circumstances to promote effectiveness.

Reference

Mullan, D. J. (2006). Inside and outside Canadian administrative law essays in honour of David Mullan. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

Introduction

The case under study involves a dispute between HP Accounting and Samuels, one of the company’s former employees. Samuels has been laboring from an illness, which has caused her to be in a wheelchair full-time. Though she started working with HP while in a wheelchair, her health has been deteriorating with time. However, this has not affected her dedication and commitment to HP. The company’s manager, Penney wrote a retirement notice to Samuels on grounds of her declining health condition. Samuels felt that Penney had discriminated against her because of her disability and she decided to sue Penney before this Tribunal. The ground for Samuels’ lawsuit is Section 8(1)(a) of the Human Rights Code [RSBC 1996].

Section 8(1)(a) of the Human Rights Code [RSBC 1996] prohibits a person from denying any person or class of persons a facility, service, or accommodation ordinarily available to the public, without any realistic or good faith justification. Section 8(1)(b) further prohibits any person from unjustly discriminating against a person or group of people in relation to a facility, service, or accommodation ordinarily available to the public on any ground including disability.

The question before the Tribunal is whether HP Accounting discriminated against Samuels, contrary to Section 8 of the Code. First, the Tribunal will scrutinize the facts of the case. Since the Applicant and Respondents do not agree on most of the facts, the Tribunal will determine the relevant facts to the case based on the evidence produced. Next, the Tribunal will explore the legal findings and establish the reasoning for its decisions. The next section will be on the potential remedies for both parties. The last part discusses other possible arguments that Samuels could use to sue HP Accounting.

Summary of Facts

The Applicant, Samuels, issued HP Accounting and Penney for discriminating against her on grounds of disability, contrary to Section 8(1) of the Human Rights Code [RSBC 1996]. Samuels claims that she has been using a wheelchair since she started working with HP. She has worked with HP for over 20 years and HP knows about her disability. Samuels claims that she was a valued employee of HP and there are clients that HP retained because of her dedicated services.

Samuels claims that Penney decided to move the buildings of HP to Wharf Street without considering her disability. According to Samuels, Penney wanted the company to relocate to Wharf Street because Penney’s office would have a wonderful ocean view. Samuels asserts that she communicated her disability concerns to Penney but Penney thought she was being excessively dramatic. Thus, Penny gave Samuels an abrupt retirement notice with a salary package of six months. Samuels asserts that Penney humiliated her by communicating her abrupt retirement before all the employees of HP.

Penney alleges that the company was aware of Samuels’ disability and the fact that Samuels was a valued employee of the company. However, the Respondents state that they did not discriminate against Samuels when selecting Wharf Street. Penney claims that he took steps to ensure that Wharf Street would be wheelchair accessible in order to accommodate Samuels.

Penney further asserts that he gave Samuels a retirement notice because she insistently asked for retirement. Samuels wanted to retire because she felt that long drives from her home and Wharf Street would make her neck sore. Penney also claims that the rules of HP did not require him to give Samuels any notice or compensation. Thus, he gave the abrupt notice and compensation package with good intentions.

Factual Findings

Factual findings are a chief focus for any tribunal. Cases involving a mutual agreement on facts by the parties concerned are usually straightforward. However, cases where the parties disagree on the facts usually involve the determination of facts by the tribunal. In this case, the Applicant and Respondent agree on certain facts but disagree on most of the facts.

Both parties agree that Samuels started working with HP when she was laboring from the disability and that Penney was aware of her disability. Both parties also agree that Samuels was a valued employee of HP and that she helped in retaining clients for the company.

Exhibits and documents produced as evidence need to be supported by credible factual evidence for them to be admissible (Fenwick, 2007, p. 55). Exhibit E produced by Samuels is photographs of the outside and inside of Wharf Street demonstrating the inaccessibility of the building. This evidence is helpful as it assists the Tribunal in determining whether HP took reasonable steps to ensure that the building would accommodate Samuels. Exhibit F is an email showing a conversation of Penney and two staff members that he will stop at nothing but the harbor because he has been longing for a water-view office. This evidence is not very reliable because the conversion consists of hearsay, which is not admissible.

Exhibit G is a letter from Penney informing Samuels that because of her declining health, she would have to retire from her position and be given a six months compensation package to help her in her transition. This evidence is reliable because it brings out the clear intention of Penney for causing Samuels’ abrupt retirement. Exhibit H is a letter from the Job Search Professionals showing that Samuels is a good candidate for the job market but finding a job has become very difficult. This evidence is admissible as it shows that the abrupt retirement of Samuels has made her jobless.

The Tribunal considers the fact that Penney had assured Samuels that he would ‘figure out something’ to ensure that Samuels fits into the Wharf Street building. Penney, however, does not agree with Samuels that the retirement was because Penney wanted to have an ocean-view office. The Respondent claims that he had organized for ground floor bathroom facilities for Samuels so that she would not strain at her work.

Penney also claims that Samuels had insisted on various occasions that she wanted to retire because she did not want to go to Wharf Street, which was far from her home, and that she did not want long drives to and from the workplace. The Respondents, however, admit that Samuels informed Penney about her health concerns with regard to the long drives between her place and Wharf Street. This information is reliable because it helps the Tribunal in deciding whether the Respondent Company put into consideration the complaints of the Applicant and acted upon them.

Penney claims that the lease for the original building, 1234 Sannichton Road, where HP conducted its operations since its inception expired. In addition, John Smith of Canada Health Inspections deemed the building unsafe, as indicated in Exhibit A, which outlines the problems with the building. Penney produced Exhibit B as a letter that he wrote to immediately notify the employees and suppliers of HP about the change in the status of the buildings. He advised his staff that the offices of the Respondents would be moving only after discussions with an independent building inspector and the current owner of the building.

Penney produced Exhibit C to show that he made arrangements with ABC Real Estate to acquire a new office that would accommodate a wheelchair. Penney also produced Exhibit D to show his engagement with ZZZ Architects in the assessment and preparation of an accessibility audit. ZZZ Architects also made a recommendation plan for a location that would put into account a facility to accommodate Samuels and other members of the public. Exhibits C and D are reliable in the determination of whether HP and Penney took steps to ensure that the new building would accommodate Samuels’ disability condition.

The Respondent claims that Samuels engaged in two conversations with Penney, in which Samuels showed that she would rather retire than make long drives to Wharf Street. Penney also produced affidavits from three employees who attested that Samuels had intimated with them about her desire to retire. Penney alleges that Samuels kept talking to her colleagues that she felt that Penney was selfish by deciding to move to a location that only suits his needs. Penney went ahead and issued Samuels a retirement letter with a six months’ salary, even though the Respondent Company did not require that notice or compensation be given to employees.

Penney claims that Samuels was the one who cited declining health as the reason for retirement. Penney also claims that he has never discussed the Applicant’s mobility or health issues with other employees. The renovations for the accommodation of Samuels were put on hold because Samuels had retired.

Legal Findings

The argument of the Applicant is based on the provisions of Sections 8(1) and 13(1)(a) of the British Columbia Human Rights Code. Samuels argues that the Respondents’ refusal to select an appropriate office space, or in the alternative, the failure to make necessary accommodations for her wheelchair amounted to discrimination as provided under the Code.

Section 13(a) of the Code protects employees from discrimination on grounds of disability. The section prohibits employers from refusing to employ or refusing to continue employing a person with a disability. Section 13(1)(b) prohibits employers from discriminating against employees in relation to employment or any terms or conditions of employment on the basis of disability or any other ground.

Samuels claims that she has always valued her working relationship with HP and that she would like to continue working. Samuels claims that even if Penney had not forced her to retire, she could not continue working for the Respondent company because 1019 Wharf Street does not accommodate her wheelchair condition.

Section 8 of the Code prohibits a person from denying any person or class of persons any facility, service, or accommodation ordinarily available to the public, without any realistic or good faith explanation. Section 8(1)(b) further prohibits employers from unreasonably discriminating against a person or group of people in relation to a facility, service, or accommodation ordinarily available to the public on any ground including disability.

The Respondents assert that the allegations lodged by Samuels should be dismissed. The Respondents believe that they did not refuse to employ Samuels contrary to Section 13(1)(a) of the Human Rights Code. They also claim that they did not discriminate against Samuels in line with Section 8 of the Code with regard to the denial of accommodation, service, or facility ordinarily available to the public.

According to the Respondents, the Tribunal should dismiss the allegations by Samuels under Section 27(1)(b) and (c) of the Code. The Section provides for a tribunal to dismiss complaints, where the omissions or acts complained of, are not in contravention with the Code, or where there is no reasonable ground that the complaint will succeed.

The success of a complaint under Section 8(1) of the Code is based on a prima facie case of discrimination in relation to amenities. Samuels claims that she has been a long-standing employee of HP and that Penney would have put her in mind while looking for another building. According to Samuels, the words and actions of Penney indicated that he did not care about Samuels’ ability to continue working with the Respondent Company. Samuels claims that the emails of Randy and Rumor are sufficient proof for her assertions. The Tribunal deems the evidence provided by the emails as unreliable in this case because they are mere hearsay.

The Respondents have expert evidence to show that the original building at 1234 Sannichton Road was unsafe and that the lease had expired. There is enough evidence to show that Penney took reasonable steps to ensure that the building would accommodate Samuels’ wheelchair as presented by Exhibits C and D.

Penney sought the advice of building experts to come up with a plan that could address Samuels’ concerns. Samuels admits that when she told Penney about her wheelchair concerns, Penney had assured her that ‘he would figure out something. Penney provided evidence to show the special efforts he had made to add square footage to the new building to provide the Applicant with her own private office. Penney also organized for a private washroom facility for Samuels so that she could easily access it. Penny also planned to set up a parking spot close to the entrance of the building to make it easy for Samuels to park her car.

Penney also indicates that he informed all staff members about the plan to relocate and the reason for relocation. He communicated this information through a formal letter, which was disseminated across the firm. The credibility of Penney’s letter for relocation to the staff is higher than that of Rumor and Randy who claimed that Penney wanted to move the building because of his interest in an ocean-office view. It is clear that Penney had a reasonable and bona fide justification to move the building rather than furthering unreasonable and inappropriate personal interests.

The Respondents directed this Tribunal to the case of McDougall v Superior Building Maintenance (N0. 7) 2008 BCHRT 353. The tribunal held that section 8(1) of the Code should not compel employers into hardship in the bid to accommodate personnel. This stare decisis (Taylor, 2008, p.108) forms an important basis for the decision of this issue before the Tribunal. The facts of this case clearly demonstrate that the steps taken by the Respondents are a sufficient indication of their concerns about Samuels’ disability.

The most credible evidence that Samuels can rely on to establish discrimination on the ground of her disability is Penney’s letter for retirement. The letter indicates that Penney was discontinuing Samuels’ employment because of her declining health condition. Penney claims that he gave the abrupt retirement notice because Samuels had insisted on retiring. The Tribunal does not see any reliable evidence showing that Samuels really wanted to retire.

Remedy

Section 37(2) of the Code provides for the remedies that a Tribunal has the authority to order. According to Section 37(1), the Tribunal should dismiss a complaint that it deems unjustified. Section 37(2) (a) states that where the Tribunal deems a complaint as justified, it should order the party that acted in contravention to the Code to stop the contravention or committing a similar contravention. The Tribunal may declare that the conduct complained of amounts to discrimination as prohibited by the Code.

The Tribunal may also order the party that contravened the Code to take certain steps in reducing the consequences of the discriminatory conduct. The Tribunal may also order the adoption and implementation of an employment equity program or another such program for purposes of ameliorating the situation of a disadvantaged person or class of persons. The Tribunal orders this remedy where it establishes that the party contravened the provisions of the Code.

Section 37 (2) (d) provides for remedies that the Tribunal may direct to a party belonging to the disadvantaged class of which the complaint has been lodged. The Tribunal should avail the denied privilege or opportunity to the injured party. Second, the Tribunal should give an order for the compensation of the injured party, or any wages or salary lost, or expenses sustained as a result of the contravention. The Tribunal may also require the Respondent to pay the injured party for any damages to self-respect, feelings, and dignity.

The Respondents directed the Tribunal to Sections 27(1) (b) and (c) of the Code, which provides for dismissal of a baseless complaint or a complaint that does not have the prospect of succeeding. The Respondents cited the case of Saroya v. Hudson’s Bay Company, 2012 BCHRT 306 (CanLII), where the Tribunal held that it is important to establish that a complaint does not have a reasonable prospect of succeeding before dismissing it. The Respondents are of the view that Samuels’ complaint does not have a reasonable prospect of succeeding and that the Tribunal should dismiss it. In respect of dismissal, the Respondents seek costs as provided under Section 37(4) of the Code.

The Tribunal finds that it was not just for the Respondents to give the Applicant a retirement notice on grounds of her declining health condition. Penney could not give such an abrupt notice to Samuels on the ground that Samuels had jokingly said in a conversation that he would rather retire than go to Wharf Street. Furthermore, mere conversations among employees amount to hearsay because there was no formal communication between Samuels and the Respondent Company.

There is a high prospect of Samuels’ complaint succeeding, meaning that her complaint is justified. Penney also acted unreasonably by seeking accommodation advice from experts but eventually forcing Samuels to retire so that he could stop working on the same.

Where the Tribunal deems a complaint as justified, the remedy provided under Section 37(2) (a) is mandatory. Thus, Samuels should be entitled to a mandatory remedy of reinstatement to her position at HP because Penney gave her an abrupt retirement notice on unjustifiable grounds. The Respondents also need to compensate Samuels the salary and wages, and any expenses incurred while seeking this administrative remedy. In addition, the Respondents should compensate Samuels for the injury caused to her dignity as she experienced humiliation before her colleagues when Penney forced her to retire prematurely.

Other Possible Arguments

Procedural Fairness

The other issue that the parties raised was in relation to the abrupt notice given to Samuels. The parties pointed out that the notice given to Samuels was abrupt. Samuels is very devastated because she did not have any financial savings for retirement and her plan was to work with the Respondent Company for at least another 8 years before considering retirement. The applicant can argue that it was not procedurally fair for Penney to base on an informal conversation with Samuels to give her an abrupt notice for retirement.

Penney claims that the procedures of HP Accounting do not require him to give the employees any notice or compensation. He gave the notice to Samuels without putting into account the effects of such an abrupt notice to Samuels. It is even more devastating that Samuels, who has been a great value to the company, is subject to the company’s unfair procedure.

Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act provides that the administration of authority may be reported by the Ombudsman if found that an act, omission, recommendation, or decision complained of has certain problems. A problem may arise if the act, omission, recommendation, or decision under investigation is associated with the application of unfair, unreasonable, or arbitrary procedures.

Samuels can argue that Penney applied an unfair, unreasonable, or arbitrary procedure in deciding to give her an abrupt notice and six months compensation. Penney, as the owner of HP Accounting, should have rectified the procedures so that they operate in line with the Ombudsman Act. Thus, the Tribunal may order the adoption and implementation of an employment equity program or another such program for purposes of ameliorating the situations of employees who have a lower bargaining power than Penney and HP Accounting.

An Improperly Discriminatory Act, Omission, Decision, or Recommendation

Generally speaking, discrimination refers to the act of making a distinction (Code of Administrative Procedure, 2003). Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act [RSBC 1996] holds administrations of authorities liable for acts, omissions, recommendations, or decisions that are discriminatory or based on discriminatory procedures. From a legal perspective, discrimination refers to the act of inappropriately distinguishing persons or classes of persons in line with their personal attributes, and which puts such persons or classes of persons at a disadvantage.

The general rule is that discrimination is inappropriate if it does not reasonably further the achievement of the general objectives of the legislative or administrative scheme that it serves. Thus, Samuels can lodge a successful argument that Penney’s decision to make Samuels retire on the ground of her disability was in contravention of Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act.

Samuels was a valued employee of HP Accounting. There is sufficient evidence, even by the Respondents, that Samuels was a dedicated employee who promoted the realization of the company’s objectives. Samuels worked with HP for a period of over 20 years, and the company never complained that her disability interfered with her performance. Thus, Penney’s decision to force Samuels’ retirement amounts to improper discrimination, contrary to Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act.

Oppressive Decisions

The Tribunal can also decide on the issue of whether the decision by an administrative authority was oppressive, contrary to Sections 23(1)(a)(ii) and (iii) of the Ombudsman Act. Oppressive conduct refers to conduct that is cruel, unreasonably harsh, or burdensome. Oppression refers to the unjust exercise of power or abuse of discretionary authority. The Tribunal should not determine an oppressive act by its motive but by its effects.

Samuels can argue that the abrupt notice to retire given by Penney was oppressive in the sense that Penney unjustly exercised his power by acting unreasonably harsh to Samuels. Furthermore, the six months compensation package could not cater for the devastation caused to Samuels with the premature retirement. The company’s procedures are oppressive because they do not require employees to receive notice or compensation. The procedures are contrary to the rules of natural justice that provide for the right to adequate notice and the opportunity to be heard. The Tribunal should order HP Accounting and Penney to review the procedures and ensure that they are in line with the rules of natural justice. The Tribunal should also caution Penney to use her discretionary power in an appropriate manner so that he does not occasion unreasonable harshness on the employees.

Irrelevant decision

According to Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act, an irrelevant decision is a decision that is based on extraneous rules, policies, circumstances, or matters. HP’s rule that employees should not receive notice or compensation packages is extraneous. Thus, Penney’s decision to give Samuels an abrupt retirement notice and an unreasonable compensation package are irrelevant. Samuels would still succeed if he sued the Respondents under Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act.

Conclusion

The Canadian Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body that aims at determining discrimination complaints by assessing evidence, listening to representations, and issuing rules in line with a particular issue. The Tribunal aims at fostering transparent, fair, and speedy hearings, and providing well-reasoned, precise, and just decisions for any proceedings falling within its jurisdiction. The case of Samuels and HP Accounting is one such case that falls within the Tribunal’s mandate.

The Tribunal is likely to decide in favor of Samuels. Penney does not properly substantiate his reason for issuing Samuels a premature retirement letter on grounds of her declining health condition. The only reason Penney gives is that Samuels had insisted in several conversations that she would rather retire than go to work at the Wharf Street location. Samuels’ remarks only amount to an opinion, which cannot be used as a ground to give her a retirement notice. Samuels showed the inaccessibility of the building for people with disability using an exhibit. There is enough evidence to show that Penney gave Samuels an unjustified retirement notice and that he is liable for discrimination, contrary to Section 8 of the Code.

Judicial review is a very important aspect of the administration of institutions. The judicial review helps in keeping institutions within the bounds of the legitimate use of power. There are various ways in which an institution may be subjected to judicial review. They include procedural fairness, improperly discriminatory acts, omissions, decisions, or recommendations, irrelevant decisions, and oppressive decisions. Samuels can argue on these grounds to show that Penney abused his power by unjustifiably giving her a premature retirement notice and an unreasonable retirement package. Samuels can alternatively argue using these grounds to seek her reinstatement and damages.

References

Code of Administrative Procedure. (2003). Public Report No. 42 to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Ombudsman British Columbia.

Fenwick, K. (2007). Practice Essentials for Administrative Tribunals. Saskatchewar Ministry of Justice and Attorney General.

McDougall v Superior Building Maintenance (N0. 7) 2008 BCHRT 353.

Saroya v. Hudson’s Bay Company, 2012 BCHRT 306 (CanLII).

The British Columbia Human Rights Code, [RSBC 1996] CAP 201.

The Ombudsman Act, [RSBC 1996] CAP 340.

Taylor, G. (2008). BCCAT Adjudicators Manual. BCCAT. 108

Introduction

Employee orientation is a strategy used by companies to equip new recruits with necessary job requisites. In most cases, employee orientation attempts to familiarize new staff to the company’s culture, operation methods, dress codes and physical surroundings. However, stiff competition in the global market has expanded in scope of orientation to accommodate training sessions.

This essay outlines various training strategies used by the Hewlett Packard (HP) Company as a competitive tool.

HP Orientation Policy

Hewlett Packard is one of the most successful computer companies in the world. The secret behind its success is vested on its ability to invest on highly qualified human resources, as well as its comprehensive training services. At HP, new employees are subjected to a rigorous training session that aims at producing all rounded staff.

Bohlander and Snell (2007) argue that companies should shy away from investing in training since the longer the training session, the more employees are attached to the company, hence increased performance. HP training involves a two phased process: orientation training and development training.

Orientation training helps employees to understand the company’s internal operation framework, production mechanisms, distribution and logistical portfolio and the company’s global marketing strategy. On the other hand, development training equips employees with leadership skills, management skills, standard of excellence training, and result based training sessions.

HP Forms of Training

HP uses two forms of training to new employees: the classroom-based and the online-based training sessions. Classroom-based training session is mainly used to the newly recruited staff while online training is introduced at an advanced stage. The company hires trained lecturers who are well versed with the company’s operations to facilitate the training services. During the training session, new staff takes notes while at times the facilitator uses PowerPoint presentation to enrich his/her presentation.

A typical training session induces questions and in-depth inquiry of the company’s internal operation and strategic policy. These sessions are highly interactive, such that the tutor allows new recruits to ask questions, seek clarifications and project their personal opinion. Fallon and McConnell (2007) contend that employee orientation mentors employees to potential managers and enhances on-the-job employees’ conduct.

Conversely, HP uses online training to new employee as well as existing employees as a means of enriching the classroom-based training. The ability to conduct an online training unifies the global with similar skills dispositions. Online training provides continuous sessions that are rich in development of employees skills.

For instance, the sessions allow employee to improve their management competencies, inter-personal and communication skills (HP Global Citizenship Report, 2011). Moreover, the online training provides in-depth scope and real life situation that cannot be exhausted during the classroom trainings. While the online training is fairly economical, its ability to reach a huge number of people makes it reliable and more convenient.

Effectiveness of Orientation and Training to HP Employees

Orientation and training used by the HP Company is very effective since it provides employees with the right skills, attitude and love for the company. While orientation helps employees to understand the company operations, training furnishes employees with appropriate skills to achieve in their respective capacities.

The training has been identified as one of the most by which employees are nurtured to become competent managers while training emphasizes on ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions, orientation deals with ‘why’ questions. Thus, both orientation and training molds a holistic person in performance and leadership competencies.

Conclusion

Human resource is an invaluable resource in any company. However, this resource is the most sensitive and it requires sensitive care, tender approach and proper guidance. Each company is compelled to invest in new staff due to growth or retirement of senior staffs.

In order to exploit their full potential, the human resource manager has a role: to provide adequate orientation and training facilities to the new staff. The enormous success and continuity that has characterized HP company is attributed to the new orientation and training policy (HP Global Citizenship Report, 2011). From the onset, employees are equipped with the company’s culture, leadership and strategic plan.

References List

Bohlander G. W., and Snell, S., (2007). Managing Human Resources. Mason: Thompson Learning Publishers.

Fallon, L. F., and McConnell, C.R., (2010). Human Resource Management in Health Care: Principles and Practice. Sandbury (MA): Jones and Barlett Publishers.

HP Global Citizenship Report (2011). Learning Development. Retrieved from https://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/global-citizenship/index.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Hewlett and Packard (HP) is an American technology company that provides technology services to large enterprises, individual customers, and small and large businesses. It is the leading manufacturer of personal computers and associated accessories in the world.

It has experienced tumultuous times in past years that have affected it adversely. However, it has changed its strategy and is pursuing reinvention strategies and initiatives. It is currently engaging in several projects and initiatives that will steer it back to prosperity in different field away from manufacture of computers. These initiatives include high-impact research, acquisition of Autonomy, a British software company, cloud services, corporate strategic overhaul, and management change.

HP has increased its efforts of doing research in order to find solutions to problems facing the technology industry. As a result, they have established research labs in seven different locations around the globe. The labs will focus research on eight areas that are central to technology.

These include information management, content transformation, cloud, digital commercial print, intelligent infrastructure, analytics, sustainability, and immersive interaction. The main objective of the project is to shift its focus to cloud computing and EaaS, which are key areas of emerging technologies.

HP has also acquired Autonomy, a British software company. The acquisition has brought wrangles in the corporation leading to exit of the chairman, Raymond Lane. The main objective of acquiring the company is to diversify their service delivery to focus mostly on software development and compete with other software development companies. HP intends to exit the personal computer market and explore the more profitable software market. This is in an effort to reinvent the company after many years of failed business operations.

Recently, HP announced its corporate and strategic overhaul plan that had an adverse effect on its share price. The overhaul is intended to push HP into profitable market segments such as software, connectivity, and cloud services.

Their strategy includes doing away with its Webos mobile devices and exiting the PC market that is not as profitable as it was in past decades. Its Webos devices include the Veer Smartphone and the Touchpad tablet. In addition, it is looking for alternatives to its Personal Systems Group (PSG). This might include separating operations of PSG form those of HP.

Another recent HP initiative is exploration of cloud services. HP has devised ways to provide cloud services to enterprises, consumers, and small and medium sized businesses. It has developed customized cloud services for each of the three groups of consumers.

Services offered to each group offers solutions to problems that present challenges in the modern world where technology is an important aspect of achieving goals and objectives. The initiative’s main objective is to revamp HP’s service business in order to guarantee stability and high profit margins. This is a positive move because cloud services are under high demand and HP could seize the opportunity to reinvent itself.

HP has also elected a new interim chairman, Ralph Whitworth after exit of Raymond Lane. He left after fallout with the corporation’s top management regarding acquisition of Autonomy Corporation. This move is an effort by the management of the corporation to avoid cases of past wrangles that cost it dearly. The new interim chairman has been serving at HP in the capacity of Board member for approximately two years. Lane said that he stepped down because he did not want to disrupt HP’s reinvention efforts.

The new interim chairman is known for reviving failed corporations by introducing change. The election of Whitworth is a move towards adopting leadership that embraces change, a factor that is synonymous with their recent initiatives and corporate overhaul strategy.