Southwest Airlines Organizational Culture

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Examining The Organizational Culture of Southwest Airlines Theory & Application of Managerial Communication Abstract Southwest Airlines is the most profitable airline with the highest customer satisfaction rating in the industry. A substantial part of their success is due to their culture of putting employees first, even before customers. This report discusses how Southwest Airlines uses profit sharing, employee empowerment and “Luv” to create a positive workplace for their employees. By building this encouraging, ethical and moral environment, Southwest Airlines has become the envy of the airline industry. Introduction Southwest Airlines has an incredible success story for a commercial air carrier. They are the most profitable airline with the highest customer satisfaction rating in their industry (Landes, 2008). This is accomplished by doing things simple and smart; and it all starts with their employees (Southwest refers to them as their “people”). The ‘simple’ is that Southwest typically flies point-to-point destination, low fare, low frill, short haul flights, among 59 cities in the Unites States (Freiberg, 1996). They also only use one type of aircraft (Boeing 737 series), which cuts down on maintenance costs. Southwest does not conform to the hub and spoke design that most carriers use to move passengers. The ‘smart’ is that Southwest’s philosophy on employee satisfaction and therefore their loyalty are directly related to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Southwest does this by offering their employees a generous profit sharing plan, empowering them to think like owners, and show them “luv” every chance they can. This effective formula provides a positive workplace for employees, and excellent service for the customers. Their success is due in no small part to their unique organizational culture and the way they support and reinforce

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