History Behind The Heart Of Southwest Airlines - 2608 Words

History behind the â€Å"Heart† Southwest Airlines, often recognized by its heart-shaped logo, was founded in 1967 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Initially, the airline was established, and only flew within, the state of Texas. The Wright amendment, which was a federal law that governed air traffic in Dallas, originally limited nonstop flights to within Texas or its neighboring states. In order to better accommodate its customers and employees, Southwest began a lawsuit in the early 90’s to overturn the amendment. On October 13, 2014, Southwest was granted permission for â€Å"freedom of flying†; adding new nonstop flights to various states across the country. They employ approximately 43,000 employees and service more than 100 million customers annually (â€Å"About Southwest†). 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 â€Å"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. Situation Analysis Current Organizational Mission Southwest’s mission statement isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Colleen Barrett s Leadership Theory1331 Words   |  6 Pageslifetime. The history books are filled with leaders that changed the very nature of something by taking a different road or challenging the way everyone perceived things. Leaders would not be able to accomplish these daring feats without the help of their followers, the individuals in the background giving them their support (Schermerhorn Uhl-Bien, 2014). Colleen Barrett was able to break through the glass ceiling and led Southwest Airlines (SWA) to become one of the most successful airlines in the industriesRead MoreMkt 500 Assignment 11860 Words   |  8 PagesDiversification Strategies Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines was started 45 years ago in 1967 by two entrepreneurs: Herb Keller and Rollin King who had the right vision and culture by which to become successful entrepreneurial leaders. This vision was achieved as Southwest Airlines became the greatest airline in the USA. As a young business in the airlines industry, Southwest Airlines in the initial years confronted very tough situations, and it was due proper planning and with the assistanceRead MoreSouthwest Airlines: Organizational Culture616 Words   |  2 Pagesâ€Å"Southwest is one of the most admired companies in the country, respected in an industry thats better known for delayed flights and bad customer service than a great corporate culture.† (Business Insider) Southwest Airlines is known by many to have a long history or service in the airline industry. In many ways its rise to success is nothing less than astonishing. The company has been innovative in both its methods of marketing and its ability to manage its workforce effectively. Many consider SouthwestRead MoreAirline Battle For Competitive Advantage By Giving Customers Incredibly Low Fares At An Irresistible Price3627 Words   |  15 PagesAbstract Airlines battle for competitive advantage by giving customers unbelievably low fares at an irresistible price. Company Background In 1967, Air Southwest was incorporated by Rolling King and Herb Kelleher. There was only $500,000 in the bank and their intentions were to only fly in Texas. After battling legal issues, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of Air Southwest. In 1971, Lamar Muse became president of Air Southwest and changed the name to Southwest Airlines. It was notRead MoreSwot Analysis : Southwest Airlines1900 Words   |  8 PagesIn 1971 Southwest Airlines started their operations with a vision of being a low cost/low fare carrier for passengers traveling between San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. After early legal battles and struggles gaining market share, their fighting spirit, integrity and will to succeed paid off. Over the course of the next 40+ years, Southwest has become the world’s largest low-cost carrier, while carrying more domestic passengers that any other U.S. airline (â€Å"Southwest Corporate,† 2015). Their cultureRead MoreSouthwest A Success Story Of Organiz ational Change2435 Words   |  10 PagesSouthwest a Success Story in Organizational Change Why is it that when organizations announce upcoming changes to their employees they are rarely excited about it? You do not see them jovially discussing what is going to happen next, and/or how these changes are going to make their organization better. No, none of this is happening. Most of them are worried and wondering how these changes will affect them, and what their roles are going to be. This mindset makes organizational change difficultRead MoreSouthwest Airlines Case Study in 2010 Essay21106 Words   |  85 PagesInstructor Case: Southwest Airlines in 2010 Dr. Deb Sircar University of Greenwich Business School http://create.mcgraw-hill.com Copyright 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisherRead MoreSouthwest Airlines11551 Words   |  47 PagesHESKETT Southwest Airlines 2002: An Industry Under Siege Amid Crippled Rivals, Southwest Again Tries To Spread Its Wings; Low-Fare Airline Maintains Service, Mulls Expansion In Risky Bid for Traffic — Front Page Headline, The Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2001 The Age of â€Å"Wal-Mart† Airlines Crunches the Biggest Carriers; Low-Cost Rivals Win Converts As Business Travelers Seek Alternatives to Lofty Fares — Front Page Headline, The Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2002 Vaunted Southwest Slips InRead MoreShrm and Strategic Fit6427 Words   |  26 Pagesperformance appraisals, which is the only one method of for managing employee performance’. Performance management has come to encompass much more than just appraisals. ‘A major trend in performance management is that while employee appraisals are the heart of performance management, organizations are now integrating a number of closely related functions including compensation, succession planning and goal management into the performance management proces s’ Loucks (2007). This holistic approach enablesRead MoreChapter 1: What Is Strategy? (Michael Porter)7705 Words   |  31 Pagesand market changes. They must benchmark continuously to achieve best practices. They must outsource aggressively to gain efficiencies. And they must nurture a few core competencies in the race to stay ahead of rivals. Positioning-once the heart of strategy-is rejected as too static for todays dynamic markets and changing technologies. According to the new dogma, rivals can quickly copy any market position, and competitive advantage is, at best, temporary. But those beliefs are dangerous