Preview

Southwest Airline Company Overview

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1397 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Southwest Airline Company Overview
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT – SUGGESTED STRUCTURE

Cover page

Contents page

MAIN BODY

INTRODUCTION (150 WORDS)

Purpose of the report

What does Southwest Airlines do?

What is the background to the organisation?

What industry does it operate in?

What are its geographical markets?

What products and services does it offer and what are the market segments?

What are Southwest Airlines’ mission, vision and values?

What generic strategy is it following? (E.g. cost leadership or differentiation?)

Who are the key stakeholders?

These questions are indicative – you don’t need to answer every part in detail or to create sub-headings; just provide a short succinct summary; that is the challenge!

Draw your information directly from the case

PART ONE – EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (600 WORDS)

OVERVIEW

Briefly state the purpose of the analysis.

MACRO – ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

Refer to your PESTEL model (appendix?)

Discuss the main points it reveals

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Refer to your PORTER’S FIVE FORCES model (appendix?)

Discuss the main points it reveals and draw conclusions regarding the competitiveness within the industry. You may like to highlight who the main competitors are (you may need to carry out a little additional research on the web)

Southwest Airlines and its competitors are continually aiming to win customer loyalty. So, the next task in this section is to Identify and list the CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS valued by customers in this industry

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

Finally, discuss the overall opportunities and threats to Southwest Airlines. Derive these points from your PESTEL and Five Forces models.

NOTE: There is some information in the case study relating to external factors but not much. Therefore, you will need to carry out some additional research (online) in order to find the information to build your models

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Q1: As a high – contact service provider, how does Southwest Airlines ensure that its employees satisfy the customer?…

    • 1202 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Southwest Airlines will provide added services to its customers by providing more incentives to its customers besides free baggage. State of the art equipped aircraft to suit its traveler’s needs and other discounts geared towards making Southwest Airlines the number one choice for travelers in the future. Southwest will have a staff that will monitor their customer’s past/current experience with the airline by using a database design to track pertinent information about their frequent, and new traveler’s. Finally, Southwest Airlines will provide a 24-hour customer care center to assist those customers who may want information pertaining to Southwest and any other sponsorship promotions that Southwest may have available.…

    • 1353 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Due to the economic crisis, fuel prices, and act of god environmental crisis, airline industries have suffered in the last ten years. However, these major threats do not seem to threaten Southwest Airlines. In fact, Southwest has been achieving consistent annual profitability for 38 consecutive years. (“Annual Report,” 2010)…

    • 5067 Words
    • 21 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Southwest Airlines is fulfilling its mission statements by holding themselves accountable. Southwest posts reports to their website outlining their commitment to customer service, safety commitment and delay contingency plan. Additionally, the execution of these values can be seen by the customer…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Southwest Airlines

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Southwest Airlines strict adherence to its mission to provide the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit is a key factor to the company’s success (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). The airlines ability to commit to employees to provide them with a stable work environment that ensures equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Southwest prides itself on allowing all within the company to be creativity and innovative to help improve the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. The most important benefit, 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.…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This internal business analysis is on Southwest Airlines, which was founded in 1967 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. The main focus for Southwest Airlines was to provide low cost flights for their customers, and also have exceptional customer satisfaction. Southwest is a leading airline company that continues to do well in an industry that has been historically challenging. For instance, in the span of two years (2005-2007) five major airlines have filed for bankruptcy. The challenges are great in the airline industry, because competitors are trying to imitate the “low-cost” offering of Southwest. Many companies have tried to do what Southwest has done, and many have failed to stay in business. Surprisingly, many of those companies were started by ex-employees of Southwest. Southwest currently has a profitability record for the past thirty six years, which is spectacular in such a challenging industry. Herb Kelleher has been replaced by Gary C. Kelly, as the president when he resigned in May of 2008. Southwest is in the process of expanding the locations they serve so that they can increase market share, and also find ways to cut costs without losing their quality. In order for southwest to continue their consecutive financial success there is a necessity for excellence in the execution process of their strategy.…

    • 1766 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Introduction in 1971, Herbert D. Kelleher with other few business partners started an Airline services. Up till 1991, Southwest served low-fair air transportation among 32 cities in 14 states with over 20 million customers annually in the United States. Although the industry suffered a major blow from the unfavorable economic conditions, the company was still holding strong; while other airline companies were in debt. The major success to their continued success was due to their low-cost model and competitors were aware that they cannot match Southwest Airlines low prices therefore, by dropping the price even lower; Southwest Airlines can force a company to go bankrupt.…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Over the past five years, Southwest Airlines has showed to be growing at a steady pace, with the exception of the economic crisis in 2009. As you could perceive in 2008 the company’s profit margin was 1.61%, in 2009 .96%, then in 2010 it when to a whopping 3.79%. Southwest Airlines continues to grow stronger year after year. Even with the economic crisis, Southwest continue to hire more and more employees. From 2008 Southwest had 35,499 employees. To 2011 it has 45,392 employees.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This proposal addresses the needed steps to be taken in order for Southwest Airlines to see continued growth in the airline industry. Southwest Airlines has been able to remain one of the most profitable airlines in the industry for an extended period of time. Even with the hindrance of the 2001 terrorist attacks involving airplanes and the U.S recession of 2008, Southwest has continued to see strong revenue growth. Meanwhile, other companies were experiencing major losses and in some cases folding. Southwest Airlines has capitalized on the company’s strength of being the top low cost carrier by offering a simple and efficient business plan that prides itself on customer service. Other carriers are now starting to take note of Southwest’s success and emulate many of their practices in an attempt to grab a share of their customer base. To overcome this competition, Southwest must continue to be unique and innovative in their business plans.…

    • 2454 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Southwest Airlines

    • 6862 Words
    • 28 Pages

    Southwest exists and operates within the air travel industry in the United States; an industry which has traditionally been based on a point-to-point flight system. However, this industry has been redefined, evolving into a hub-and-spoke system which all airlines have adopted; all except…

    • 6862 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The U.S. airline industry has proven to be one of the least profitable in the entire world. It has been plagued by fierce competition and destructive price wars, extraordinary fixed costs, and heated labor relations. Despite these numerous challenges, Southwest Airlines has been able to stand out from the competition and has established itself as one of the only consistently profitable airlines, with a record of twenty-one straight profitable years and stock earnings that have only been rivaled by Wal-Mart. Southwest’s success can be attributed to a combination of a number of factors, including a strategy that lowers costs for itself and its customers, a liberal and fun focused culture, an extremely motivated and loyal workforce, and a highly coordinated and team oriented system that spans across the company. These four components, and their related elements, fit into the organizational behavior diamond framework to reinforce each other and form the basis of Southwest’s competitive advantage over its rivals.…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Southwest Airlines embodies the best that a large company can be. The structure is designed to allow quick action and support of its large body of employees rather than complete control and bureaucratic red tape. It is widely recognized as one of the most desirable places to work and is constantly emulated by its competitors, not to mention other business not in competition. It is an entity that holds its employees in the highest regard, even above its external customers. Its culture is unique and strong and based on love and respect. Even after its current leaders are gone, the culture will continue because of the policies in place to perpetuate their rituals and values. Southwest is conservative in its business dealings and very liberal in its care of its employees. Who would not want to be part of an organization like this?…

    • 2171 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Southwest Airlines scenario, one of their many core values is Excellent Customer Service. To provide outstanding customer satisfaction entails many different aspects. First of course is Southwest’s Employees. From Ticket agents, air flight attendant, pilots, and mechanics, they all have an influence over the customer experience whether it is indirectly…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Investing in People: As argued by Ann Rodes, Southwest’s competitive advantage come from people, so they has invested time and money to build a cohesively team work, developing in each one a strong sense of esteem and self-actualization.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Southwest Airline case study

    • 2348 Words
    • 10 Pages

    For the purpose of this study we shall be taking southwest airline as a case study, Southwest Airline is a major U.S. airline that primarily provides short haul, high frequency, point- to point, low fare service. Southwest was incorporated in Texas and commenced operations on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 aircraft…

    • 2348 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics