Product details

This case examines the business communication issues surrounding the Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Compaq merger. The article focuses on the way in which HP communicated with key groups throughout the merger. On 5 September 2001, Hewlett-Packard announced its agreement to buy Compaq in an all-stock transaction valued at $25 billion. Considering the deal''s size and the poor history of tech mergers, the deal was, from the start, a long shot. Spearheaded by HP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Carly Fiorina, the largest deal in tech sector history was initially met with skepticism by many investors and employees of the two companies. However, the deal''s greatest opposition came when heirs of HP''s founders joined forces in their opposition to the merger. Their disapproval of the deal threatened the actual purchase from even taking place, in addition to threatening the success and future of Fiorina herself. This case has been peer reviewed by the editorial board of Education Review of Business Communication - ERBC.