Estilo HP: Desafíos y Estrategias
Estilo HP: Desafíos y Estrategias
The founders' values, including honesty, belief in people's value, and customer satisfaction, profoundly influence the current organizational culture. These values ensure the continuation of 'HP Style,' characterized by a management-by-objectives approach and visible leadership practices like management by walking around. These values foster an open and interconnected working environment, emphasizing individual autonomy and team effort .
The 'Open Door' policy supports a flat organizational hierarchy, reducing barriers between management and employees. It facilitates transparent communication and empowes employees to voice opinions without fear of repercussions, promoting trust and collaboration. This policy exemplifies HP's commitment to valuing employees' inputs and maintaining an inclusive work atmosphere .
HP's 'Management by Objectives' stresses goals over tasks, granting employees significant freedom in achieving objectives. This distinguishes it from traditional systems that often prescribe specific tasks to employees. The benefit of HP's approach is that it empowers employees, promoting innovation and ownership of work outcomes, which can lead to improved job satisfaction and productivity .
The HP Style contributes to employee satisfaction by fostering a trusting and open environment where employees can creatively engage with their work. It respects employees' autonomy and builds pride through company stories, enhancing job satisfaction. Changing this style might risk undermining these positive elements, potentially reducing employee satisfaction and altering the organizational ethos that has driven success .
The core problem is whether Hewlett-Packard is losing its unique management style, known as 'HP Style,' which has contributed significantly to its culture and success. Lew Plat, CEO, is exploring if the company should maintain this style or modify it in response to growth and market changes .
Hewlett-Packard's past organizational changes in response to market conditions, particularly in the 1980s, resulted in significant challenges. Although these changes facilitated growth, they demonstrate the potential risk of losing core cultural values or employee satisfaction. Thus, responding to new market conditions might lead to similar pitfalls unless carefully managed .
Hewlett-Packard emphasizes finding individuals who are adaptable and can culturally integrate well, reflecting the company's belief in personal freedom and experiential learning. This aligns with the 'HP Style,' which is based on people's intrinsic motivation to do creative work. The company's hiring premise is for long-term employment, discouraging directorial hires and emphasizing employee growth through experience and decision-making .
HP's '7 S' model comprises Strategy, Structure, Systems, Style, Staff, Skills, and Shared Values. It serves as a holistic framework for examining organizational capabilities. Approaching change through this model ensures all critical aspects of the organization are aligned, which is crucial for sustaining competitive advantage and achieving effective transformation .
'Management by walking around' reflects HP's broader organizational values by ensuring that executives remain connected with the day-to-day operations and employee experiences. This practice highlights transparency, accessibility, and mutual respect within the organization. By maintaining close communication and visibility, it upholds the HP Style's principle of openness and reinforces a participatory company culture .
HP's induction practices, involving the sharing of historical company stories and examples, contribute significantly to cultural continuity by instilling pride and understanding of organizational values in new employees. This method ensures that cultural norms and the HP ethos are passed on informally, helping new hires assimilate and reinforcing the company's unique culture .


