HP Way, The - Softcover

Packard, David

3.89

1,465 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0887308171 ISBN 13: 9780887308178

Publisher: HarperPB, 1996

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

From a one-car-garage company to a multibillion-dollar industry, the rise of Hewlett-Packard is an extraordinary tale of vision, innovation and hard work. Conceived in 1939, Hewlett-Packard earned success not only as a result of its engineering know-how and cutting-edge product ideas, but also because of the unique management style it developed -- a way of doing things called "the HP way".

Decades before today's creative management trends, Hewlett-Packard invented such strategies as "walk-around management", "flextime", and "quality cycles". Always sensitive to the needs of its customers and responsive to employee input, Hewlett-Packard earned massive steady growth that far outshone its competitors' vacillating fortunes, even with radically different products from those responsible for its initial boom.

For entrepreneurs and managers alike, the wisdom found in these pages is invaluable if they want their businesses to gain steady growth and consistent success. Transcending the ever-shifting marketplace and management trends, The HP Way offers the hard-won and battle-tested practical experience of a proven and respected leader.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

In a dry fashion, Packard tells the true story of the mighty Hewlett-Packard Company: Two college buddies begin a partnership by producing an audio oscillator in a Palo Alto garage in 1938 and wind up 60 years later with a $25-billion-dollar electronics company on their hands. He wraps the book up tidily with a timeline of the company's development milestones. Packard chalks up success to many things, including government contracts during wartime, but mostly to the company's management outlook ("The HP Way"), which champions openness, honesty, and flexibility throughout the organization. Entrepreneurs and technologists alike will be interested in this journey of an American giant. Packard's tone sometimes veers toward the self-congratulatory, but in this case, it somehow seems justified.

About the Author:

With Bill Hewlett, David Packard was cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Company. In September 1993, he retired as chairman of the board and was named chairman emeritus. He served in that position until his death on March 26, 1996.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.