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Southwest Airlines: Love Is In The Air

Southwest Airlines: Love is in the Air
Hannah M. Haggins
Axia College
MGT 245
Organizational Theory and Behavior
Profesor Robert Peart
March 02, 2008

Southwest Airlines: Love is in the Air
There are no reservations that Southwest Airline is a sensation in the airline industry and an icon in the business world. No other U.S. airline has come close to duplicating their history of productivity. Business leaders and schools alike strive to comprehend what sets this company apart from its competitors while many attempt to imitate their success. Using our newly acquired viewpoints on organizational behavior, we have tested Southwest Airline on a variety of the psychology, communication and leadership structures we have learned throughout this semester.
There are several reasons Southwest Airline has emerged well above its peers. From their trademark “retorts” that come from the cockpit to the eccentric uniforms and costumes, this is an airline that chooses to color “outside the lines.” Employees, hired for their attitudes, become part of a family who fosters their self-respect and suits many of their inborn human desires. Southwest Airline practices open communication with its “family members”, resulting in unusually positive relations with its labor unions. Lastly, this is a company of leaders being guided by leaders of all styles as embodied by the appealing style of the company’s founding president and CEO, Herb Kelleher.
Each of these characteristics sets this company apart from other airlines, and has contributed to its amazing accomplishments. As a result of this examination, we will provide an explanation of how a company that puts customers second can be so widely successful, and emphasize the significance of understanding organizational behavior.

PSYCHOLOGICAL
Hiring for Attitude
While most companies have a human resources or Personnel department, Southwest Airline relies on its “People” department to select the...