Southwest Culture

Southwest Airlines culture is the glue that has held this company together. The culture of Southwest Airlines is deeply rooted in its struggle to get the company from just a vision, to a successful existing entity amongst some formidable competitors. "The shared vision of survival has fostered a close-knit, supportive, and enduring family-like culture, (Frieberg, p. 145)". Some of the primary values significantly contributing to the overwhelming success of the Southwest Airlines organization are: low cost, hard work, family, fun, individuality, ownership, and profitability just to name a few. The low cost concept enables people who generally cannot afford an airline flight the opportunity to fly short flights in a short amount of time. The Southwest employees do a great job servicing its customers by working very hard. The employees understand the importance of working hard and fast to ensure every flight meets their scheduled flight time. They are not just working hard to meet the mission; they work hard because they are part owners of the company. Southwest Airlines is a major player in the airline industry that operates as a family structure. The company treats every employee like a family member and their relationship has fostered a strong intimate environment that creates a fun-filled family circle. The company is definitely not short in its share of fun. Employees are encouraged to work but have fun doing. Having fun means being oneself and this is another Southwest Airlines requirement, individuality. The company forbids the cookie cutter mentality because it fosters diversity. Each employee is allowed to bring his/her own individual uniqueness to the company. Allowing employees the freedom to be expressive opens the doorway for individual gifts and talents to reign through. Since the employees are allowed part ownership in the company they are better able to see the benefits of their labor through profit sharing reports and residuals. The profitability of Southwest Airlines not only allows the employees job security and profit sharing opportunities it also affords the corporation the opportunity to give back to the community.

"True to the family spirit Southwest Airlines likes to be thought of as the "Hometown Airline" in every community it serves", (Freiberg, p. 234)". In keeping with Biblical principles the scripture of text "The Cheerful Giver" as noted in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 is demonstrated by Southwest Airlines. This airline believes that giving back to the community is not only good business it believes it is also good stewardship. The Southwest family believes that giving is all a part of doing the right thing, a "natural by-product of love", (Freiberg, p. 234). Its love has been demonstrated by its generous gestures of love and commitment over and over again. Both executive staff and employees foster the suggestions of help and once the ideas are suggested they are fully embraced by the entire Southwest organization. For instance, immediately after the 1989 Loma Preita earthquake in San Francisco, CA a Southwest employee contacted ABC television affiliates in Phoenix asking newscasters to tell viewers to take blankets, clothes, and canned food to the Southwest terminal at Sky Harbor Airport. The response was so tremendously great that Southwest had to send flight after flight filled with supplies to support the Bay area. Southwest Airlines flew in more victim relief supplies than anyone else, to include the American Red Cross. After the Oklahoma City bombing Southwest Airlines transported investigators, rescue workers, and crash-site volunteers, at no charge. Southwest employees offered their personal flight passes to victims' family members needing immediate transportation into Oklahoma City. Southwest Airlines also donated a plane and the services of a flight crew to transport the Oklahoma governor and Oklahoma City Mayor when they conducted the "Thank You, America" tour thanking the rescue workers from around the country. 1985 Southwest Airlines adopted the Ronald McDonald Houses as its primary charity. Southwest Airlines continue to provide charitable support to this charity today. Additionally, Southwest developed a program called "Home for the Holidays". Annually this program donates tickets to senior citizens so they are able to fly home to visit their relatives. The Southwest family's acts of generosity extend far beyond a list that is to numerous to mention. It is now being used as the leading transportation carrier for television