This happens when a once good companies changes in a crap hardware company.
Canon all the way !

This is horrible. I just get bummed when layoffs like this happen.

Consolidation and the focus on Shareholder Value above all else is one of the more depressing things about our dog-eat-dog, bottom-line form of capitalism.

I believe in the principle of free enterprise, but man, this sort of stuff just feels like a kick in the gut.

All those families losing their livelihood. I wonder how many of these jobs will be exported overseas.

Man, this is just sad. :(

Yup, that lousy "Shareholder Value".

After all, how dare those lousy abstract 'theys' who are not even considered as people by the erudite 'all too human workers', and who have invested and capitalized the company with their money expect that their established and communicated goals be met? After all, its only their money that makes the company possible.

Spoken like someone who is all too clueless as to how business actually works - and who has rendered other real people whose investment enables the company to exist into nothing more than an abstraction.

Another without a clue who I am sure brings much value to the weekend lawn service at which he is employed. ...Time for you to hit your parents up for a raise in your entitlement called an allowance.

Still a bummer...

Yup, other's blindly placing blame and depersonalizing real people is so mature and instructive.

You know, what really gets old is listening to so the same cliched blame of others who are characterized as cold uncaring oblivious non-entities who simply victimize the poor downtrodden who have voluntarily entered into a contract and suddenly are owed that which was never stated nor negotiated. Not once has anyone here whined and blamed the public for not buying the services and goods sufficient to create a demand such that duplicated jobs remain a viable commodity! Nor has anyone discussed methods where on can proactively plan for and deal with such potential market developments. Of course, why that when it is so easy to repeatedly complain about amorphous 'theys' as they absolve themselves of all responsibility.

This assumption of the responsibilities that are imposed upon firms are too often made by the same folks who repeatedly absolve themselves of responsibility and assume the role of poor victims who are seemingly continually screwed in the same manner gets a but old after a few hundred repeated posts - be it by mean companies or due to their knowingly and illegally copying and sharing files without appropriate compensation.

But then the notion that some actually assume responsibility for becoming a producer instead of a passive self-entitled consumer and actively taking an interest in their life and welfare is anathema to such an all too pervasive mindset.

And regardless of your experience, or the apparant lack of it, its time someone figured out that companies are not charities that owe employees more than what is agreed to under the terms of employment, And it is time employees not only understand that their assumptions are erroneous and fantastic, but that they actually start to assume some responsibility for addressing such eventualities instead of merely whining that others have failed to do so.

Hostility? Hardly! Reality is a harsh mistress, and perhaps its time a few spend a bit more time becoming aware of that then and taking caree of their own business than they do playing Guitar Hero or World of Warcraft.

Unfortunate events are a part of life, and the failure to take care of one's own responsibilities and business involves anticipating and preparing for events which may not always be good news. Its not all instant gratification and entitlement.

I have no idea who anyone is, and quite frankly, it is inconsequential. I address the IDEAS and assumptions presented. I don't care if it is the Pope or the reincarnation of Stalin (although that would be a rather significant news story slightly larger than anything else we have dealt with here!). We don't post personal profiles for exactly that reason. So your touchy feely desire to forma circle, hold hands and sing Kumbayah is admirable but just a little misplaced.

The fact is the majority of stories concern technical developments withihn the context of the business market. And yet so many respond emotionally and at base fanboy levels irrespective of the technological and market development context.

You might be better served to encourage a bit more of that! Of course that might actually result in a bit more understanding of market drivers and subsequently actually contribute to folks' understanding and their ability to better anticipate, react and contribute to market developments within their own spheres of influence. ...There... by typing very quickly I [ialmost[/i] managed to type that without laughing.

This is what happens in mergers/buyouts. You cannot have multiple people doing the samething and usually the companying being acquired take the hit. It's sad, but a fact of business.

Correct.

And I love the talk of some about screwing people. Yup, duplicating cost centers and management structures and everything else down the line makes complete sense in their minds!
Whereas the advantages of a more efficient more highly capable company is precisely the elimination of such redundancy.

But for some, the primary purpose of a business is to provide employee benefits whereas the orientation of competitively making and marketing a product or service efficiently and effectively is simply an inconvenient afterthought.

I am surprised that such caring and knowledgeable(sic) folks who do all of the complaining about uncaring businesses don't start their own benevolent business community and show us all how it should be done instead of spending so much time whining? Hmmmm? But then, that would require some of them to get off their centers of imaginative management concepts and actually DO something...

Wow, I decided to Support HP in our purchasing and also purchased their Stock years ago in the bad days, and when they see success they turn around and screw the people who helped them get there. Maybe I should buy a Lenovo, what is the difference anymore?

I am sure they don't do this out of spite and would be very interested in hearing about your business strategy to enable them to hire just about anyone out there while at the same time staying profitable by offering products and services at competitive rates to generate share holder value...

Unfortunately, you are very right. And that's where lies the problem. Publicly traded company are all about making money. They make money, they make bundle of money, but they always have to meet that mark that is set for them by Wall Street. Who cares about the people. Capitalism 101.

Good or bad ?

How quaint and ridiculous your assignation of "Wall Street" as who sets performance goals at the expense of real people.

What cereal box did you learn about business from? And with such an understanding, you present a very appropriate place to start cutting jobs at YOUR place of employment - and you are employed? Right?

The fact is the performance metrics are established by people too! You see, the shareholders have ponied up and risked THEIR money with the stated assumption that the purpose of the entity is to make a profit. They are certainly entitled to their interests being protected first and foremost as they have invested in the entity.

Employees, like it or not are employed to generate a profit. If they do not perform up to the expected standards, THEY are the ones who most deserve to be let go! The company exists to serve the stated mission and purpose established by the shareholders - and not to simply keep the employees happy if those metrics and goals are not reached.

But isn't it so easy and typical of the minions of self-entitled think only of the imagined rights and slights against those who are specifically hired to achieve a particular goal, while those who make the entire entity possible by virtue of their invested capital are treated as meaningless 'things' whose interests are anything but legitimate.

And therein lies most of the problems with the companies who need to cut their staffs - if the 'dedicated' employees don't even have a clue as to their fundamental purpose and the mission of the company.

The problem is that so many who whine about the mechanisms are actually looking for a charity where they are rewarded in increasing amounts regardless of their performance.