As the project management triangle states, “do you want something done good, cheap, or fast?. Pick two!” That had been the constraints applied to many businesses until the launch of Southwest airlines in the mid 1960’s. Southwest managed to break free of the management triangle and offer safe (good), low cost (cheap), and timely (fast) air service in Texas and eventually across the United States. From the beginning, the company’s staff and management shared these goals, and developed a foundation on which to build the business. Visionary leaders Rollin King, Herb Kelleher, Colleen Barrett and other early leaders at Southwest, proved that there is no more competitive advantage than a dedicated, loyal work force. Her Kelleher’s transformational leadership style was just what the new airline needed to be successful, and motivate the staff of SWA to do what no other airline had done before: offer cheap, short distance, no frills air service, and make a profit doing it.
We have all heard the phrase, time is money, and for the airline industry this is literally true. Herb Kelleher knew that corporate management needed to be as unobtrusive as possible to allow for the quick turning of planes at the gate. He also realized that an open climate of communication, and decentralized day to day decision making, would motivate employees towards a shared goal of accomplishing this task. Employees viewed themselves as part of the team and by working together they would ultimately produce greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. At Southwest, employees experienced a high degree of work motivation, satisfaction, and performance as defined in McGregor’s theory Y. Employees at SWA were able to perform a variety of skills, and had a degree of au...
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...s a Cooperative Extension agent, I am required to wear many hats throughout the course of the day. One minute requires expertise in family and consumer science subject matter, the next diplomacy with co-workers or administration. But just like Southwest, customer service is at the core of what I do. And as such, Extension has a strong commitment to the community we serve and the staff we work with. Many time Extensions staff can be heard referring to each other at the Extension family. Our culture, while not as quite as cohesive as Southwest, is based on many of the same principles and values.
Works Cited
Conrad, C., Freiberg, J. a. (1997). Nuts! southwest airlines' crazy recipe for business and personal success. new york: broadway books.
Poole, c. a. (2005). strategic organizational communications in a global economy. belmont ca: wadsworth cengage learning.
Unlike most corporations, Southwest has an inverted pyramid structure with employees at the top, a higher priority than any other stakeholder. Customers come second, as Southwest President Colleen Barrett describes it: "If we treat them [employees] right, and give them proactive customer service, they...will in turn assure that our second most important group, [the passengers]...receive the same proactive customer service." (Barrett, Colleen. Interview. Knowledge @ Wharton. Wharton School of Management: 8 Jul 2008. Podcast). Barrett and her colleagues are demonstrating conceptualization, or the ability to distinguish what are their top short and long term goals. They hope to create a continuous wheel of service where employees at the top ensure that passengers below them are always satisfied. To complete the organization pyramid, management is at the bottom. This further embodies the spirit of servant leadership, where the focus is on increased services to others rather then to
Southwest Airlines is one of the biggest United States airlines which prides itself in its low-cost strategy to attract and keep up more clients. On a given day, Southwest Airlines operates over 3,400 flights. It has a more than of 46,000 employees. To reduce maintenance and training costs, Southwest Airlines use only Boeing 737s. As of today the company operates 647 Boeing 737s, which fly to 93 destinations across the US. Southwest Airlines have been able to survive even when faced with stiff competition because of its low cost approach. However, this success has also been attributed to the high level of care and appreciation on its clients and employees.
Southwest Airlines roots can be traced back to Texas in the 1960’s where a company by the name of Air Southwest Co. was created to provide interstate flights in Texas to avoid federal aviation laws. This technique of trying to avoid federal regulation was challenged when 3 other major airlines filed a lawsuit against Air Southwest Co.; later the state of Texas upheld Air Southwest Co. right to fly within the state of Texas and the Supreme Court decided not to review the case. (Southwest Airlines, n.d.) This was a challenging start for Southwest as it was being targeted right off the bat by some of its competitors. The company name was changed in the early 1970’s to Southwest Airlines Co. and a headquarters was established in Dallas, TX. The company’s main focus was interstate flights between the 3 major cities in Texas including Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. (Southwest Airlines, n.d.)
The customer support and customer service functions are more than departments; they are part of an essential strategy for growing your business. In the modern business climate, customers expect answers to their questions immediately. When the right information is available anytime, from anywhere in the world, customers are more likely to have a positive experience, thus customer loyalty will be increased. It is a known fact that the cost to obtain a customer is ten times higher than to maintain and keep existing customers. (Gouran, Dennis, W.E. Wiethoff, & J.A. Doelger. (1994). Mastering communication. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.) Not in Reference Pg.
Even though Southwest offers no-frills, there is still a high degree of customer satisfaction that continuously builds customer loyalty for the company. As mentioned, Southwest offers low prices on their airplane tickets. Also, Southwest is renowned in the airline industry for its short turnaround time on arrivals and departures. And since people's biggest concern nowadays is money and time, having low price airline tickets to cater their traveling needs in a shorter period of time will surely satisfy them. Moreover, aside from the low prices offered, what attracts to customers is Southwest’s way in dealing with them. The employees of the airline treat their customers well and really listen to their needs.
Since 1987, when the Department of Transportation began tracking Customer Satisfaction statistics, Southwest has consistently led the entire airline industry with the lowest ratio of complaints per passengers boarded. Many airlines have tried to copy Southwest’s business model, and the Culture of Southwest is admired and emulated by corporations and organizations in all walks of life. Always the innovator, Southwest pioneered Senior Fares, a same-day air freight delivery service, and Ticketless Travel. Southwest led the way with the first airline web page—southwest.com, DING, the first-ever direct link to Customer’s computer desktops that delivers live updates on the hottest deals, and the first airline corporate blog, Nuts About Southwest. Our Share the Spirit community programs make Southwest the hometown airline of every city we serve.
“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.” William Pollard’s, a 20th century physicist, words show us the power of being proactive, and igniting change to strengthen a company’s productive climate (Sellers, Boone, Harper, 2011). Acme Airlines flight attendants lacked incentive to improve the quality of their work, as a result of distrustful management and overall frustration within the company. Acme took successful steps to rebuild their FA program into a more relationship oriented work environment. Through an understanding of effective leadership, we will use the
Southwest’s philosophy is that a fun attitude provides a balance in the workplace and it encourages employees not to take themselves too seriously. Additionally, Southwest Airlines’ inculcation of servant leadership into their business philosophy has also been attributed to their success as a company. The Robert E. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership describes a servant leader as one who “focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong”. Colleen Barrett, president emeritus of Southwest Airlines, explained that the difference between the Southwest pyramid structure and that of other companies is that most companies have their shareholders at the top of the pyramid but for Southwest, their employee satisfaction and the needs of their customers are the first priorities. Barrett also stated that Southwest’s philosophy is to follow their golden rule which is to “treat people the way you want to be treated”. By putting their employees first and treating employees as a part of the family, Southwest has been able to lead in the airline industry as a company with satisfied employees. (Barrett,
Northwest Airlines is one of the pioneers in the airline transportation industry and is ranked at the fourth largest air carrier in the United States today. The success of the carrier depends on the quality and reliability of the service at a reasonable price. Close competitors force Northwest to innovate their services by increasing efficiency. This essay will try to examine different perspectives in the services needed to successfully complete the company’s objectives. The analysis will explain historical and financial perspectives that may give a better understanding of the current market trend of the organization.
Southwest Airlines is one of the most successful airlines in the United States. There has never been layoffs or strikes in the history of the company, although there were several times when layoffs could have been justified, including the months following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. However, Southwest's Mission statement says “Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.” (Southwest, 1988). The Airline has always believed that their corporate culture is one of the keys to their success. The culture recognizes that employees have emotional intelligence and that their attitudes and morale are key to the teamwork and creative environment.
If the short haul passenger was the backbone of Southwest Airlines success, then their 737s were the lifelines that supported it. By choosing the 737 as the airplane for all of Southwest's flights, the company saved time and resources in training its employees. The crew could be easily substituted for one another due to the extensive training on the 737. Low costs and, therefore, low fares are an enormous competitive advantage, when combined with their high-quality and loyal workforce. A very unique culture was found at Southwest Airlines among all of its employees.
Freiberg, K., & Freiberg, J. (1996). Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success. Austin: Bard Press.
3. What are the key policies, procedures, operating practices, and core values underlying Southwest’s efforts to implement and execute its low-cost/no frills strategy?
Another internal challenge for Southwest Airlines is the conflicting management style and business operation with AirTran. On top of that, the external challenges such as the increase of competitions and gas prices are some of issues f...
It all started in 1971, when Rolling King and Herb Kelleher decided to challenge the existing rut of charging high prices for air travels. They considered the railways and roadways their competitors and decided to offer cheaper travel for smaller routes. The company was incorporated in 1967, apart from initial entry troubles, Southwest has been the only US airline to have earned profits since 1973. The eccentric company’s outlandish way of conducting themselves has been the sole reason for Southwest Airlines to succeed in a highly competitive and packed industry.