Organizational Behavior & Communication Paper

People – One of the many things good about Southwest Airlines is that the kinds of people who are heroes of the organization are people who care and go out of their way to help the customers. They’re the ones who are celebrated and held up as shining examples. Additionally, high levels of satisfaction among employees can be attributed to Southwest employee policy. Happy employees can provide high quality service and bring more customers back. To reinforce the culture of hard work, high-energy, fun, local autonomy, and creativity, the company provided continuous education program to employees. If you can help someone out or brighten someone’s day, be it a co-worker or a passenger, you’re doing your job well.

Southwest Airlines’ mission is “dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride and Company Spirit”, thus Southwest proclaims “We are a company of people, not planes. That is what distinguishes us from other airlines and other companies.” Southwest Airlines are successful not because of its strategy but because Southwest focuses and relies heavily on its internal and external business environment, thus the tactics is to focus first on the employee and customers come second. There are stages in which Southwest manages the performance of the effective management of its workforce through the role of leadership, organizational culture and human resource management

Organizational psychology can help determine why employees do not work well with others, cause absenteeism, contribute to employee turnover, and explain why an employee's productivity has dropped or increased. Proactively, organizational psychology can be used to create policies and procedures. Reactively,

Southwest Airline’s mission statement is a demonstration that the company has a strong commitment to its employees. The company affords the same respect to its employees that is provided to its customers. The Southwest mission statement is unique in that it recognizes the importance of its employees within the broader business strategy, which emphasizes superb customer service and operational efficiency. The employees reciprocate the respect, loyalty and trust that Southwest demonstrates. Southwest employees are known for their loyalty, dedication, attitude and innovation. The employees are the distinguishing factor between Southwest airline and the rest of the airline

After baggage the next interaction with a Southwest employee will be with the customer service agents managing the boarding and deplaning of an aircraft. These individuals are great at multi-tasking while maintaining a positive vibe. Some of the duties routinely faced by a boarding agent include balancing the inbound flight, passenger needs and connecting information, along with taking care of the outbound passengers by allowing those with disabilities, small children and military personal a few extra moments to get on the aircraft with ease. The light and easy going manner of the boarding agents keep most passengers from recognizing the amount of stress the agent is likely

The company’s success is founded on two primary goals: providing exemplary customer service and helping its employees do so by giving them the same respect and accommodations. As the aviation transportation landscape has slowly changed, so has Southwest. Whereas they initially focused on “no frills” flying by eliminating frivolous amenities, they have slowly transitioned into a more competitive airline by adopting programs aimed to tailor customer experience. The Southwest of 2014 is different from the Southwest Airlines of the past, but their strategic plans have remained focused on customer service and employee retention.

Southwest Airlines (SWA) is the world’s largest ‘low-cost’ air carrier that is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and operates more than 3,400 domestic flights on a daily basis. The company provides scheduled airline service to 42 states and Puerto Rico, carrying the most domestic passengers of an airline based in the United States [9]. Founded in 1967, and commencing operations in 1971, Southwest Airlines has always had a unique and breakthrough business model which has allowed the airline to maintain its loyal customer base and profitability [2]. Over the years, Southwest has maintained one of the best customer service records, and its safety record is unmatched in the industry [9].

Building the Brand: Southwest Airlines is well known as a Texas-based company that has a human side and a “down-home” attitude. Because of its large size, Southwest Airlines uses a variety of larger promotional methods, such as national advertisements and strong public relations to promote an image of a fun-LUVing brand. But, flight crews are the closest interactions that a customer has with the product, budget flights, which are a simple, undistinguished product. The quirky commercials and cheap flights appeal to a target market that is budget-conscious but still enjoys the fun side of life. The flight crews bridge the gap between the fun, unique commercials and the actual flight experience. By interacting with customers and joking around with passengers, they are able to grow customer allegiance in this market by acting in the same way that the brand has tried to portray itself.

Southwest Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the United States by number of passengers carried each year (Inkpen, 2013). The company had been profitable for decades unlink other major competitors and also was able to weather 2008-09 recession (Inkpen, 2013). At southwest, leadership philosophy is to manage well at good times to prosper through bad times (Inkpen, 2013). The airlines we found by Herb Kelleher and San Antonio in the year 1970. Southwest began flying in year 1971 in three Texas cities with three aircrafts and 25 employees. Its initial focus: Short-haul, point-to-point flights, a fleet of Boeing 737s, low fares and high-frequency flights (Inkpen, 2013). In year 2012, 81% of its passengers booked tickets via

A motivational profile can provide insights into whether a company is doing the right thing or requires improvements. Although nearly every company proclaims its goal is to deliver exceptional service, research confirms that the service quality of many corporations is below consumer expectations. Southwest Airlines has created a competitive advantage through valuing employees’ needs as a strategy that motivates them to provide better customer service (Hallowell, 1996). According to Czaplewski, Ferguson, and Milliman (2001), Southwest Airlines was one of only two companies to place in both the top-10 most admired organizations and best places to work. Even though there are specific steps

In looking at Southwest’s values and norms, it’s helpful to examine how the company’s culture is described by all stakeholders (internal – employees, management; external – investors, customers).

Southwest Airlines’ company strategy consists of competitive moves and business approaches management has developed to attract and please customers, conduct operations, grow the business, and achieve performance objectives (J. Gamble & A. Thompson. 2009. p. 2). In writing to inform the management team of the discussion, we will discuss Southwest’s operating practices, their struggles, cultures and values, and how the airline strategically manages their business to obtain the goals needed to be a successful airline.

Southwest Airlines, founded in 1971, is trademarked as the original low-cost carrier (LCC) airline (Eroglu, 2015). The inspiration to originate a LCC airline was derived from founder Herb Kelleher, who was able to determine that there was a widespread consumer desire to travel by air. However, due to the cost of flying at the time, many were barred from the experience, as it was considered a luxury. As a result, Kelleher set out to construct an airline experience that was more accessible to the average consumer or, the middle class, by providing customizability and low-fares. However, Kelleher recognized that this low-fare, cost cutting airline model could be easily replicated. Therefore, to drive consumer loyalty and to shield Southwest from replication, Kelleher adopted the philosophy of “people first; profits second (“Southwest Airlines,” n.d.).” Consequently, positive employee, employer relations were established thus, driving morale, which provided individualized quality customer service to be delivered; all of which have aided Southwest in achieving consumer brand loyalty and differentiation on an intangible front.

Southwest Airlines lives by their mission and vision statements. The mission statement is “dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit.” Furthermore, the purpose and vision of Southwest is “to connect People to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel” (About Southwest, n.d.). This airline goes above and beyond for its customers. For example, when a family was at the airport for the husband to be deployed, Southwest employees allowed the family to go through security with him, and then let the children board the plane before it took off, so they could give their dad one last hug (Southwest Airlines, 2013). Herb Kelleher, the co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, created the Southwest culture. He incorporated the core principles of management by planning the vision for the company and organizing jobs that allow the airline to meet its goals of exceptional customer service. He led by example and is quoted as saying “If you put your employees first, and you take care of them, then they will take good care of your customers, then your customers will come back…” In addition, when he asked his pilots to take a five-year pay freeze, he also took one (Gzfraud, 2010). Management within Southwest maintains control by utilizing strategic human resources which tie the company’s people into the mission. Employees strive to live up to the mission and vision of Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines is the largest airline measured by number of passengers carried each year within the United States. It is also known as a ‘discount airline’ compared with its large rivals in the industry. Rollin King and Herb Kelleher founded Southwest Airlines on June 18, 1971. Its first flights were from Love Field in Dallas to Houston and San Antonio, short hops with no-frills service and a simple fare structure. The airline began with one simple strategy: “If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make darn sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline.” This approach has been the key to Southwest’s success. Currently,