Southwest Airlines

The reality is that the success of Southwest Airlines can best be attributed to the passion in which every employee from the bottom up, accepts his or her role with enthusiasm and a can-do attitude. Southwest Airlines has and will continue to achieved this success by clearly defining its Mission, clearly defining its Strategy, and reinforcing its Culture as Mark Lipton mentions in Demystifying the development of an organizational vision, Sloan Management Review; Cambridge; Summer 1996; Lipton,Mark, "Vision=Mission+Strategy+Culture."(2) As we read in Nuts!, Southwest Airlines has carefully crafted and nurtured each and every piece of the equation mentioned above and they are the cornerstones of its success.
             One of the first places that employees look for direction in the company is its mission statement and Southwest's is as follows:.
             "Southwest Airlines is dedicated to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit. We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the Organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer."(1).
             According to Corporate Mission Statements:The Bottom Line, Academy of Management Excecutive,May 1987; Pearce, John; David, Fred, "developing a mission statement is an important first step in the strategic planning processand should define the fundamental, unique purpose that sets a business apart from other firms of its type and identifies the scope of the business's operations in product and market terms."(3) Southwest's mission accomplishes this goal and focuses on two distinct charters, "directing employees to express their individuality as they take care of customers and to become lifelong learners who take care of the company and each other.