Southwest Airlines
Executive Summary
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Motivation, accordhng to Robbins and Decenzo, the authors of Fundamentals of Management, is "one's willingness to exert high levels of effort to reach organizational goals conditioned by the efforts ability to satisfy some individual need" (Southwest). This has certainly been achieved by Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines, who has some of the most motivated employees in the industry. His success is attributed to his creation of a fun, collaborative atmosphere, with everyone cooperating, and sharing in the benefits, and the blame when things go wrong, with no finger-pointing and accusations, but making it a learning experience for all. Only people with a sense of humor and a self-development attitude are hired, and this has helped make the company the success it is today, and has been throughout its 34-year existence.Critical analysis of the company's approach to The old style leadership methods of control and command are no longer used in business today, and motivational leadership is needed with people who assume responsibility (Webb 2003). Southwest Airlines is an excellent example of this kind of leadership, helping people discover their true capabilities, with a social environment that combines humor with a sense of responsibility. Employees at Southwest work in teams without outside supervision. During job interviews, prospective employees must show a sense of humor, alon
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How these approaches relate to the organization's
overall management style
Dr. David Abramis of Cal State Long Beach has found that people who have more fun on the job are more creative, more productive, better decision-makers, and get along better with their coworkers (Foster 2000). The Southwest Airlines attendant uniform is casual and not at all like that of other airlines. In addition, the attendants are encouraged to use humor in their customer service, which customers seem to appreciate. Southwest is one of many large companies that recognize the importance of creating a fun environment. A survey by Hodge-Cronin & Associates found that of 737 CEOs surveyed, 98 percent preferred job candidates with a sense of humor, and another survey indicated that 84 percent of the executives thought that employees with a sense of humor do a better job than people with little or no sense of humor.
Southwest has created a culture where trust is understood between employees and management (Southwest). It is a company that encourages its people to express their individuality, and the culture de-emphasizes hierarchy (Bunz and Maes 1998). They encourage everyone to be a leader, not just in what they do and say, but in how they lis
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, Pilots Southwest, United Leavenworth, Survey WorkUSA, Southwest Currently, Hodge-Cronin Associates, Employees Southwest, Bunz Maes, Servicd Quality, southwest airlines, accessed 2005, 2005 1, sense humor, accessed 2005 1, herb kelleher, drive employee commitment, employee commitment, employees sense, 2005 april, accessed 2005 april, responsibility webb, factors drive employee, bunz maes 1998, major airline,
Approximate Word count = 1278
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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