Westjet: Building a High-engagement Culture
WestJet: Building a High-Engagement Culture
Executive Summary
WestJet is facing an urgent problem. The pilots’ contract expires in two weeks’ time and the pilots are unhappy with the offer that has been presented. This has created conflict between management and the pilots as the pilots feel that too many things are being taken away. If a quick agreement is not reached, flights would be grounded, which would impact the bottom line and negatively affect culture. A collaborating approach will need to be applied in order to come to a swift resolution.
WestJet is also facing a strategic problem, the longer term impact that growth is having on WestJet’s culture. WestJet’s success and competitive advantage have been a direct result of its unique corporate culture. Due to the rapid growth WestJet has experienced, it is becoming more of a challenge to maintain WestJet’s culture. If WestJet continues to pursue a growth strategy, steps will need to be taken to ensure their culture is protected. Ten alternatives were considered that would contribute to maintaining culture. Based on our weighted analysis the following five alternatives were chosen:
Strictly adhere to WestJet’s mission, vision, and values.
Align recruiting practices with culture.
Develop a strategy for internal communication and feedback.
Revisit the CARE program to ensure it is meeting its objectives.
Develop new managers internally.
By following the action plan presented in this report WestJet will be able to maintain its competitive advantage, which is its culture.
Please review the remainder of this report for detailed analysis.
Background
WestJet began operations on February 29, 1996 with approximately two hundred WestJetters. In only thirteen years WestJet went from three airplanes flying to five destinations to employing seven thousand WestJetters with eighty-one planes flying to sixty-five destinations. It is late April 2009 and there is a dilemma at WestJet, how can WestJet
Executive Summary
WestJet is facing an urgent problem. The pilots’ contract expires in two weeks’ time and the pilots are unhappy with the offer that has been presented. This has created conflict between management and the pilots as the pilots feel that too many things are being taken away. If a quick agreement is not reached, flights would be grounded, which would impact the bottom line and negatively affect culture. A collaborating approach will need to be applied in order to come to a swift resolution.
WestJet is also facing a strategic problem, the longer term impact that growth is having on WestJet’s culture. WestJet’s success and competitive advantage have been a direct result of its unique corporate culture. Due to the rapid growth WestJet has experienced, it is becoming more of a challenge to maintain WestJet’s culture. If WestJet continues to pursue a growth strategy, steps will need to be taken to ensure their culture is protected. Ten alternatives were considered that would contribute to maintaining culture. Based on our weighted analysis the following five alternatives were chosen:
Strictly adhere to WestJet’s mission, vision, and values.
Align recruiting practices with culture.
Develop a strategy for internal communication and feedback.
Revisit the CARE program to ensure it is meeting its objectives.
Develop new managers internally.
By following the action plan presented in this report WestJet will be able to maintain its competitive advantage, which is its culture.
Please review the remainder of this report for detailed analysis.
Background
WestJet began operations on February 29, 1996 with approximately two hundred WestJetters. In only thirteen years WestJet went from three airplanes flying to five destinations to employing seven thousand WestJetters with eighty-one planes flying to sixty-five destinations. It is late April 2009 and there is a dilemma at WestJet, how can WestJet