I chose the article “Behind the Southwest Airlines Culture” by Ken Makovsky because it discusses several important aspects of Southwest Airlines’ culture that are relevant to the concept of organizational behavior and theory. Makovsky points out some great factors that are critical for the company in developing a healthy and productive organizational culture.
The key to Southwest’s high level of customer satisfaction is the values that are instilled in every employee of firm. These values encourage a high level of motivation within the organization and transfers into extraordinary performance, efficiency, and productivity. The three values that are identified as essential and unique to the Southwest culture are:
1) A warrior spirit
2) A servant’s heart
3) A fun-luving attitude…show more content… The company’s employees are given all the necessary tools to provide excellent support to customers which enables Southwest to be sensitive to the needs of the individual whether they travel for business, funerals, or vacations. Having a servant’s heart means treating others with respect and simply following the Golden Rule. Southwest’s employees respect the customer’s concerns and needs while providing low-cost and low-fare terms, ensuring the customer gets more than what they paid for. Lastly, a fun-luving attitude is important for creating a good atmosphere where employees take pride in their work and don’t take themselves too seriously. Only applicants who possess and display these values are hired by Southwest Airlines. Furthermore, Ms. Hardage points out that all potential employees are evaluated against these three values, and once hired, “they are so surrounded by them after the hire that all employees are inculcated with