In 2006, Hewlett-Packard (HP) has admitted that hired outside investigators to spy on members of its board of directors and journalists to disclose the source of several leaks of confidential board discussions. The researchers used techniques including "pretexting" (using a false name in order to access to the records of other phones), which may have been illegal, and almost certainly unethical. This case is used by e-mail, internal reports, minutes of meetings, and published memoirs and interviews to present different views of the leak investigations HP, including its non-executive chairman, CEO, former CEO, board members, managers and researchers. What problems were HP is trying to solve? Is the behavior of the section conform to accepted standards of good corporate governance? Methods of investigation were ethical? What, if anything, if the company and its chairman, Patricia Dunn, have done differently? How could the new HP CEO Mark Hurd, the best effective management and ethical behavior in the future? "Hide
by Anne T. Lawrence, Randall D. Harris, Sally Baack Source: North American Case Research Association (NACRA) 16 pages. Publication Date: January 15, 2008. Prod. #: NA0050-PDF-ENG
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