Assuming the deal goes through to completion, is the old “HP Way” going to be history?
What people call the HP Way is a term that’s interpreted in many different ways. In the early days, the company used to have doughnuts brought in every day. In one of the economic downturns, a decision was made to eliminate the doughnuts–and some people said that decision conflicts with the HP Way. But that has nothing to do with our values. The values of the HP Way are here for the long haul, and Compaq’s value set is very consistent. The behaviors underneath a value set are always going to change. The specific ways we do things have to change because the world changes. People get confused between values and procedures. The rap against the old HP Way was that while it was collegial, it also allowed for deadwood to accumulate. How do you plan to change all that? We will build on the best of HP. If there are some qualities that the Compaq culture has that will be solid enhancements, then clearly those will have to get added. Carly Fiorina is taking the company in new directions. But is
