A Manager’s Dilemma: Putting It
into Practice

Conflict or Just Good Client Relations?

In 2003, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and
Compaq were pursuing one of the largest high-tech mergers in
history. Walter Hewlett, son of the company’s founder and an HP
director, commenced a proxy contest to oppose the merger. On the
day the stockholders were to vote, Deutsche Asset Management, a
division of Deutsche Bank, suddenly changed most of its votes from
opposing the merger to approving it. The investment giant’s sudden
turnaround accounted for 17 million HP shares, nearly 1% of the
company’s stock. What Walter Hewlett did not know at the time was
that HP’s directors, who were in favor of the merger, had secretly
hired Deutsche Bank and agreed to pay it $1 million to advise HP
concerning the merger. Deutsche Bank was to receive another $1
million on the successful completion of the merger. The merger was
approved by a margin of roughly 2% of the company’s stock.Was
Deutsche Bank’s conduct legal? Ethical?

Read A Manager’s Dilemma: Putting It Into Practice- Conflict or
Just Good Client Relations near the end of Chapter 19 – Forms of
Business Organization. In light of the revelations of Wells Fargo
and its pressure on employees to sign up customers to new accounts,
credit cards, insurance, et cetera; you are the Senior Vice
President and relationship officer in the banking division of
Deutsche Bank responsible for the HP account and learn of the HP
Board’s request to Deutsche Asset Management Division of the bank.
Write a one [1] paragraph of what you would do, knowing that the
lending relationship with Deutsche is at risk if the merger does
not go through and post to Course Discussion
Board