...Explain how different leadership styles would affect group communication in your chosen organization. Southwest Airlines was the perfect choice to research because this company is not as affected by economic downturns as other companies seem to experience. The founders of Southwest Airlines Rollin King and Herb Kelleher had a clear vision of what their organization should be and is reflected in the company mission. “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit.” ("The Mission Of Southwest Airlines", n.d.). In order to accomplish their vision, both King and Kelleher adopted a charismatic leadership style. To their credit after 40 years Southwest Airlines has made a mark in the industry and is still going strong. The leadership style within this company is to maintain an open line of communication from the bottom up. This is a major change from the status quo of communication from the top down. In order for Southwest Airlines to be successful, King and Kelleher had all the key characteristics of charismatic leadership. They were both able to articulate their vision and express the importance that their vision would have for the future of the company. King and Kelleher took great risks and experience personal sacrifice in order to achieve their vision for a great company. In order to reach their goals, King and Kelleher felt a great sensitivity...
Words: 999 - Pages: 4
...outhwest Airlines: Leadership Matters Leadership styles affect the way organizations function and interact with employees, consumers, and business partners. Leaders develop a style of communicating based many times on experience. Southwest Airlines, a leader in the airline industry has enjoyed unparalleled success due to its business plan and dynamic leadership. For Southwest Airlines, senior management places great emphasis on employees realizing satisfied employees are pivotal to the success the organization has and will continue to experience. Effective leaders are critical to advancing the vision and mission of the organization. Southwest Airlines continues to make strides in the airline industry based the strategic vision of management. Southwest’s mission to provide excellent customer service delivered in with warmth, friendliness and pride is the mantra of the organization. Leadership comes with a price and those tasked with leading must be able to balance both the mission of the organization and the needs of employees. Unlike other organizations Southwest Airlines, due to the multi-faceted leadership style has a very low rate of negative attrition. Factors impacting attrition within organization can most time be attributed to the way organizations are managed. Having weathered the many ups and downs in the airline industry, Southwest Airlines has remained committed to employees and the core values of its visionary leadership Organizational...
Words: 260 - Pages: 2
...Introduction to Southwest Airlines 3 1.1 Overview 3 1.1.1 History 3 1.1.2 Southwest Airlines’ offerings 4 1.2 Reasons for choosing Southwest Airlines as a case study on HR practices 5 2 Literature review 5 2.1 HR strategies 5 2.2 Training and development 7 2.3 Compensation 8 2.3.1 Financial compensation 8 2.3.2 Non-financial compensation 10 3 Human resource practices in Southwest Airlines 11 3.1 Human resource strategies in Southwest Airlines 11 3.1.1 Southwest Airlines Strategies 11 3.1.2 Role of HR Strategies in implementing Southwest Airlines’ strategies 12 3.1.3 Southwest Airlines human resources strategies and tactics 14 3.2 Training and development in Southwest Airlines 20 3.2.1 Southwest offer the employees the freedom to learn and grow 20 3.2.2 Safety and security training and outreach 21 3.2.3 Environmental and sustainability training 22 3.2.4 Diversity and inclusion education and outreach 23 3.2.5 University for people - leadership 23 3.3 Southwest Airlines’ Compensation and Benefits for People 27 3.3.1 The Freedom to Travel 28 3.3.2 The Freedom to create Financial Security 29 3.3.3 The Freedom to pursue Great Health 30 3.3.4 The Freedom to Learn and Grow 32 3.3.5 The Freedom to Work and Have Fun 33 3.3.6 Employee Recognition Programs 34 3.3.7 Distributed Leadership 35 CONCLUSION 37 REFERENCE 38 Introduction to Southwest Airlines Overview History Southwest Air was founded...
Words: 9022 - Pages: 37
...University Southwest Airlines Case Study Analysis MBA 6143: Entrepreneurial Leadership August 17, 2012 Abstract This paper analyzes Southwest Airlines Case Study. Southwest Airlines was originally incorporated to serve three cities in Texas as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Leadership at Southwest Airlines plays a paramount role in the success of the company. Before its role is discussed in detail though, a definition of leadership will provide a foundation for the rest of this analysis. The paper explains the Southwest Airlines company history, background of the company, the role of leadership at Southwest Airlines, how culture is displayed at the company, competitive dimensions, leadership practices of CEO, recasting the role of the CEO, and 21st century entrepreneurial leader. Keywords: 21st century entrepreneurial leader, Southwest Airlines, Leadership, CEO Company History Southwest Airlines was originally incorporated to serve three cities in Texas as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. According to frequently-cited story, King described the concept to Kelleher over dinner by drawing on a paper napkin a triangle symbolizing the routes (Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio). Some of the incumbent airlines of the time (Braniff, Aloha Airlines, United Airlines, Trans-Texas, and Continental Airlines) initiated...
Words: 4445 - Pages: 18
...Southwest Airlines: Leading Success Stephanie Pena Communication for Accountants/ COM530 July 14, 2014 Brent Smith Southwest Airlines: Leading Success Leadership, motivation, and workforce commitment are key building blocks within an organization. In a successful organization, these building blocks are connected and held together with the effectiveness of communication. Organizations develop their respective cultures through communication among leadership and with all employees, regarding their mission, values, and goals (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Leaders, both formal and informal, use communication within an organization as a means to motivate others, and to develop loyal and trustworthy employees. Such an organization is Southwest Airlines, whose company culture has been characterized over the years as having unique leadership and communications style. The style of leadership that exists within the organization sets the tone for the types of communication that are not only effective but are also motivational to its workforce. Analysis of Leadership Leadership is broadly defined as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of vision or set of goals (Robbins & Judge, 2011). While no two people will lead in exactly the same manner, early research conducted by psychologist Kurt Lewin states that there are three basic leadership styles. The basic styles of leadership are (1) authoritarian, (2) participative and (3) delegative leadership (Cherry, 2014)...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...The Southwest Way: Leadership, Power, and Motivation When Herb Kelleher and Rollin King founded Southwest Airlines in 1971, their mission stated the “dedication of the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit” (Smith, 2012). With that mission in mind, Herb Keller and Rollin King managed to make Southwest the only profitable airline in the United States (Smith, 2012). Southwest’s mission is not the only reason why the airline continues to grow. Without the way, Herb Kelleher former CEO of Southwest, had developed a particular leadership style, power base, and a set way the organization motivates its’ work force, the company would not be as successful as it is today. Leadership is “the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals” (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 377). When examining Kelleher’s leadership, he possesses two different leadership styles which both have similar characteristics. The first leadership style that Kelleher posses is a transformational leadership style. A transformational leader is a “leader who inspires followers to transcend their own self-interests and who are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on followers” (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p 391). Transformational leaders tend to communicate high expectations, promote intelligence, and give personal attention by coaching. The second leadership style Kelleher possesses...
Words: 1582 - Pages: 7
...Southwest Airlines is one of the most successful companies today. It has a strong and positive workplace culture that promotes open communication, teamwork, and excellent customer service. Its mission statement states that the company is “committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. 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 Airlines, 1988). In his greeting on the company’s website, Gary Kelly, Chairman, President, and CEO of the organization writes that this is what differentiates Southwest from other airlines, and is the major reason for his company’s success. He states that Southwest is defined by its culture, not by its business plan; therefore the attention to the culture must always be maintained (Kelly, 2011). He then continues (2011), “Strong culture is the responsibility of every employee, no matter his or her work title. Culture needs support from Leadership and the Frontline Employees. Without both, it will surely wither” (para. 2). The culture at Southwest Airlines is maintained by “system wide Culture Committee, which comprises representatives from each major work location. They meet quarterly to share ideas on how to keep [the] Culture vibrant...
Words: 972 - Pages: 4
...People make Southwest Airlines one of the world’s most admired companies. As our greatest asset, our People create a FUN travel experience; respond with compassion when travel plans change; generate innovative ideas that enhance the Customer Experience; and donate their time and LUV to those who need it. At Southwest Airlines, we’re a Family dedicated to our Employees, our Customers, and the communities we serve. Our unique corporate Culture, commitment to giving back, and putting Employees first contributes to our being recognized as a best place to work. Southwest Airlines offers our Employees the freedom to pursue good health, create financial security, travel, make a positive difference, learn and grow, create and innovate, work hard and have FUN, and stay connected. In return, our Employees respond with passion, commitment, and a rich diversity of perspectives that translate into better Customer Service and a dedication to doing the right thing. Our Customers fly Southwest Airlines not only for programs like Bags Fly Free,® but because they like us. Together, as the hometown carrier that cares, we aspire to make a positive difference by giving back to the communities we serve. Our commitment to giving back gives our Employees a sense of pride and purpose that Southwest Airlines does the right thing. With a Warrior Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and Fun-LUVing Attitude, we strive to do what’s right by our stakeholders and each other. It’s the Southwest Way. 2010...
Words: 13128 - Pages: 53
...Case studies Learning excellence: Southwest Airlines’ approach Ulla K. Bunz and Jeanne D. Maes Introduction With the airline industry in the USA hardly making financial records, how has it been possible for a small company such as Southwest Airlines to completely satisfy their customers since 1971? (Bovier, 1993). What lessons has the management of Southwest Airlines learned in such a relatively short time period? How have these lessons enabled the company to capture such a portion of the market? (Bovier, 1993; George and Jones, 1996) Southwest Airlines began its service in 1971. Since then the killer-whale painted planes have become familiar to their customers and to corporate America. Besides being profitable, expanding constantly and defending its high place on the Fortune 500 list, Southwest has a very special trait: attitude (Bovier, 1993). The Southwest perspective stems from CEO Herb Kelleher and Southwest’s employee motivation. The purpose of this article is to discover the sources of success of Southwest Airlines as a company with high employee motivation. Three factors will be addressed: (1) Southwest as an “excellent” company; (2) the source of employee motivation in this “excellent” company; and (3) whether lessons learned can adequately address potential future problems for Southwest. The authors Ulla K. Bunz and Jeanne D. Maes are based at the University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA. Abstract In an era in which adapting to change means survival, it is...
Words: 4766 - Pages: 20
...Sevilla, Ronver Simon, Margaux Soriano, Aaron Soriano, Loumarie Sulam, Claire Anne Syson, Alyanna 4A2 “Enhancing Service at Southwest Airlines” 1. What is Southwest’s strategy? (What is the basis on which Southwest builds its competitive advantage?) * Low Cost – Southwest Airlines has a strategic route management which makes its operation costs low. The savings it derives from such low cost operations are passed on to its customers. Aside from that, its no meals, no seating assignment policies makes costs of service low. * Online ticket reservation – By being the pioneer in online ticketing system, Southwest Airlines can tap a larger market. “Online Presence”, especially in today’s changing environment, is an important aspect of achieving a competitive advantage. * “No Frills” strategy – No first class service, no seating assignment and no meals creates convenience to both Southwest Airlines and its customers. Simple service and smooth flow of operations are strategies that Southwest Airlines aims to provide. * Harmonious and Enthusiastic environment – happy people, jokes nd singing flight stewardess creates light and friendly atmosphere 2. Identify the areas where they excel. * Customer Service Southwest Airlines' staff members are excellent at making people comfortable. From the way their flight attendants interact with passengers as they board, to the way they provide the pre-flight seatbelt brief, to the often heard song that a flight attendant might sing...
Words: 702 - Pages: 3
...Southwest Airlines Case Study Jared G. Sanders BUSN412 Business Policy April 1, 2012 SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WWW.SOUTHWEST.COM AIRLINE INDUSTRY BACKGROUND /HISTORY/ COMPANY TIMELINE: Southwest, founded by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, began as a small Texan airline almost 35 years ago and has grown to become one of the largest airlines in America. It was created on the following premise: “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!” (www.southwest.com). Today Southwest Airlines flies more than 70 million passengers a year to 60 great cities all across the country, and they do it more than 3,000 times a day. They have 436 of the newest jets in the nation, with each plane being an average age of 9 years. (www.southwest.com). Southwest’s combination of low fares, outstanding customer service, and strong leadership have helped the airline remain profitable even in the midst of tragedies like the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. SWOT ANALYSIS: Southwest was set up for success from the beginning because of its unique upside-down organizational structure. Upper management is at the bottom and supports the front line employees, who are the real experts. Kelleher’s unorthodox leadership style, in which everyone in the company makes management decisions, is largely unheard of these days. The company doesn’t...
Words: 1474 - Pages: 6
...Southwest Airlines Organizational Behavior Herbert David Kelleher led Southwest Airlines to over 30 consecutive years of profitability, first as the company's cofounder and legal counsel from 1966 to 1982, then as its president, CEO, and chairman from 1982 to 2001. Southwest Airlines was incorporated in Texas and is headquartered at Love Field just outside of Dallas. Customer Service started on June 18, 1971, with three Boeing 737 aircraft serving three Texas cities; Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Today, Southwest operates 550 Boeing 737 aircraft among 72 cities. Southwest topped the monthly domestic originating passenger rankings for the first time in May 2003. Yearend results for 2010 marked Southwest's 38th consecutive year of profitability. Southwest became a major airline in 1989 when it exceeded the billion-dollar revenue mark. The company has roughly 35,000 employees located in 72 cities throughout the country. In 2010, Southwest Airlines had total operating revenue of 12.1 billion and net income of 459 million. The culture at Southwest Airlines prides itself on their unique and positive organizational culture, an encouraging working environment, and exceptional customer satisfaction. Southwest proudly declares their distinguishing factors in the airline market, “[w]e are a company of People, not planes. That is what distinguishes us from other airlines” (Buller & Schuler, 2006, p.118). Not only do competing airlines attempt to mimic this strategy but also...
Words: 2262 - Pages: 10
...Importance of alignment [300 words]: The role of incentives in securing execution Employees are the agents of the firm’s owners since they take actions or make decisions that impact the payoff to the owners. The difficulties in the agent-principal relationships arise when the objectives of principal and agent are different and the actions taken by the agent or the information possessed by the agent are hard to observe. Employees care about the job in terms of the value the job generates for themselves. Thus providing the right incentives to employees would secure execution of the firm’s plans to meet the firm’s objectives. There are financial and non-financial incentives. Non- financial incentives are social and moral incentives. Which incentives are appropriate depends on the objective of the company. Since motivation comes from within the employees, the personality, needs and interest of each employee determine the right incentives that will influence employees to self motivate and produce the best work possible that will contribute to the firm meeting its objectives. Reward and recognition is concerned with the range of practices an organisation undertakes (financial and non-financial) to compensate employees, maximise employee engagement and encourage behaviours that lead to organisational success. A good reward and recognition system should motivate employees while aligning their goals with those of the organisation. Such a system involves balancing employee remuneration...
Words: 2751 - Pages: 12
...Organizational Culture Profile BUS 520 – Leadership and Organization Dr. Danielle Camacho Tomika Williams Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) description of the organization you chose to research. I chose to research Southwest because living in Atlanta, Georgia I’ve personally waited for the discount airline to land on our doorstep and they did just that with the merger and acquisition of Airtran Airways. Southwest by way of the merger is now in Atlanta which is the nation’s busiest airport (McCartney, 2013). Southwest bought AirTran way back in 2011 for $1.4 billion with the intention of combining fleets and operating the newly merged airline under the Southwest brand. Another specific reason for Southwest opting to obtain AirTran was – in part – to extend its reach to AirTran's international destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. Southwest was also able to expand its presence in the Northeast to cities not previously serviced by Southwest i.e. New York and Boston. Southwest by way of the merger is now in Atlanta which is the nation’s busiest airport (McCartney, 2013). Examine the culture of the selected organization. Southwest Airlines is probably one of the better examples of a company that outlined a very clear and simple key business principle, chose the right business model to support that principle, and consistently demonstrates the core values and behaviors derived from their key business principles. The brand promise of Southwest Airlines is “Dedication to the highest...
Words: 1924 - Pages: 8
...when it comes to relationships, the “LUV” that is in question is Southwest Airlines. What once was a small commuter air service, has now grown to be one of the largest and most successful major airline companies in the United States. So how did Southwest Airlines become so successful? It all began with the founders Rollin King, an entrepreneur, and Herb Kelleher, an attorney, who demonstrated strategic leadership from the beginning. The strategic leadership began when the these two gentlemen saw an opportunity that would be beneficial due to the inconvenience and expense of ground travel by either bus, train, or automobile between three major cities, which were Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Due to this, the establishment of Southwest Airlines came into existence by providing point-to-point short haul flights to less popular and less congested airports. Shortly after its establishment, like any other new businesses, Southwest faced many barriers in the beginning phases, which pertained to safety issues, inspections, and flight operations, which Southwest was able to overcome due to Herb Kelleher’s legal experience. After overcoming the barriers, the strategic leadership continued with the incessant building of the organization. Southwest Airlines’ organization is like an upside-down pyramid where upper management is on the bottom and the employees, who are the experts, are at the top. This was the leadership style of Herb Kelleher, who always believed that regardless of...
Words: 3714 - Pages: 15
