Southwest Airlines Organizational Behavior Culture
SWA Organizational Behavior Culture
Southwest Airlines’ Success through Organization Culture
Kristin Philip
Abstract
This paper, "Southwest Airlines’ Success through Organization Culture" gives an account of the development of the organizational culture of Southwest Airlines. The paper starts with the background of Southwest and its development over the years. The paper explains the unique culture of Southwest, and how it has helped Southwest Airlines to face challenges. The paper also describes how Southwest Airlines responded to the situation arising out of the September 11 terrorist attacks which dealt a severe blow to the airline industry. Southwest Airlines’ response to the crisis was shaped by its organizational culture, which laid emphasis on taking care of employees and building relationships. The influence of the leadership of Southwest on its culture is also explained. More than 40 years ago, Rollin King and Herbert Kelleher got together and decided to start a different kind of airline. They began with one simple notion: If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline. The success of Southwest Airlines has proved that they were right. Southwest Airlines was originally incorporated to serve three cities in Texas, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967. These cities were growing rapidly and were also too far apart for travelers to commute conveniently by rail or road. With other carriers pricing their tickets unaffordable, high for most Texans, Southwest sensed an attractive business opportunity. Some of the incumbent airlines of the time, United Airways and Continental Airlines to name a couple, initiated legal action, and thus began a three-year legal battle to keep Air Southwest on the ground. Air Southwest eventually prevailed in the Texas Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld
Southwest Airlines’ Success through Organization Culture
Kristin Philip
Abstract
This paper, "Southwest Airlines’ Success through Organization Culture" gives an account of the development of the organizational culture of Southwest Airlines. The paper starts with the background of Southwest and its development over the years. The paper explains the unique culture of Southwest, and how it has helped Southwest Airlines to face challenges. The paper also describes how Southwest Airlines responded to the situation arising out of the September 11 terrorist attacks which dealt a severe blow to the airline industry. Southwest Airlines’ response to the crisis was shaped by its organizational culture, which laid emphasis on taking care of employees and building relationships. The influence of the leadership of Southwest on its culture is also explained. More than 40 years ago, Rollin King and Herbert Kelleher got together and decided to start a different kind of airline. They began with one simple notion: If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline. The success of Southwest Airlines has proved that they were right. Southwest Airlines was originally incorporated to serve three cities in Texas, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967. These cities were growing rapidly and were also too far apart for travelers to commute conveniently by rail or road. With other carriers pricing their tickets unaffordable, high for most Texans, Southwest sensed an attractive business opportunity. Some of the incumbent airlines of the time, United Airways and Continental Airlines to name a couple, initiated legal action, and thus began a three-year legal battle to keep Air Southwest on the ground. Air Southwest eventually prevailed in the Texas Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld
References: Gittell, J. 2005. The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance. New York, NY. McGraw Hill. Hallowell, R. (1996). Southwest Airlines: A Case Study Linking Employee Needs Satisfaction and Organizational Capabilities to Competitive Advantage. Human Resource Management, 35(4), 513-534. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills, Best Practices. (Fourth Edition). New York, New York: McGraw- Hill/Irwin. Quick, J. (1992). Crafting an Organizational Culture: Herb 's Hand at Southwest Airlines. Organizational Dynamics, 21(2), 45-56. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html. Retrieved on March 19, 2010