Case Study 7 : Southwest Airlines

Case
Study 7
The case study assignment for Module 8 draws on the
following case study in your textbook:

Case 25:
Southwest Airlines in 2016: Culture, Values, and Operating Practices, by Arthur
A. Thompson and John E. Gamble (page C-311)

Read
the case and the material attached then respond to the case questions given below.

In
addition to using the Southwest Airlines case study provided in the textbook,
research the company further to find any relevant events that have transpired
since the writing of the case study. Use
the company’s website, Internet search engines such as Google, online data
services, or other sources to locate the latest articles about the company
including press releases and current financial information. Be sure to cite all
sources according to APA guidelines.

Note: For assistance with analyzing any financial data in
this case, Table 4-1 (Key Financial Ratios: How to Calculate them and What They
Mean) in your textbook is a useful reference.

Students
please note: Feel free to bring in any recent news or current events concerning
this company into your answer.

Case Questions
One could say that former CEO Herb Kelleher was eccentric, given
his public affinity for Hawaiian shirts, whiskey, and pranks. Review
Kelleher’s leadership tenure at SWA as CEO, and determine whether he was
the “right person at the right time” to lead SWA. Be sure to explain your
perceptions.

It is important for a company to achieve good execution of its
strategies. What are the two best indications that a company is meeting or
beating its performance targets? Does SWA exhibit these signs? How?

It seems apparent that SWA senior leadership has established and
maintained an organizational culture that directly supports SWA
organizational goals. Do you agree/disagree with that assessment? Provide
the rationale behind your response.

The text states that “Well-conceived policies and procedures aid
the task of strategy execution” and goes on to provide three efforts that
can provide such support. Describe one of these efforts utilized by SWA.
Has the use/application of the effort you’ve selected been successful? Why
or why not?

What are the defined company values for SWA? How do these values
influence the achievement and realization of SWA strategies? Detail the
nature of the influence as well as an example of the influence in action.

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