The Southwest Airlines Way

by Gittell, Jody Hoffer

• ISBN13: 9780071458276
• ISBN10: 0071458271
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-05
• Publisher: McGraw Hill

Summary

"If you look at Southwest Airlines, and I admire what they do, they've been the most successful airline in the industry." --Gerard Arpey, CEO, American Airlines "Through extensive research Jody Hoffer Gittell gets to the bottom of what has sustained Southwest Airlines' positive employee relations and high performance through good and bad times." --Thomas A. Kochan, professor, MIT Sloan School of Management, MIT Global Airline Industry Program In an industry with losses in the billions, Southwest Airlines has an unbroken string of 31 consecutive years of profitability. The Southwest Airlines Way examines how the company uses high-performance relationships to create enormous competitive advantage in motivation, teamwork, and coordination among employees. It then goes further to show how any company can foster these powerful cooperative relationships and explains how to: Lead with credibility and caring Invest in frontline leaders Hire and train for relational competence Use conflicts to build relationships Make unions its partners, not its adversaries Build relationships with its suppliers

Author Biography

Jody Hoffer Gittell is an assistant professor of management at Brandeis University and faculty member of the MIT Global Airline Industry Program. She focuses on human resources and operations management, and frequently presents the results of her work to managers, researchers, and policymakers.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Paperback Edition	ix
Preface	xii
Acknowledgments	xv
PART 1 High Performance Relationships-The Key to Southwest's Success	1	(52)
Chapter 1: From Love Field to the World's Most Successful Airline	3	(15)
Efficiency	6	(1)
Quality	6	(1)
Controlled Growth	7	(1)
Demand for Reliable Low-Fare Travel	8	(1)
Competitive Threats	9	(3)
Success Factors-Leadership, Culture, Strategy, and Coordination	12	(4)
Behind These Success Factors-High Performance Relationships	16	(2)
Chapter 2: How Southwest Uses High Performance Relationships to Overcome Strategic Challenges	18	(7)
The Productivity Disadvantages of Short Haul Flying	18	(4)
Achieving Quick Turnarounds	22	(1)
Coordination through High Performance Relationships	22	(1)
Other Possible Responses to the Same Challenges	23	(1)
Summing Up	24	(1)
Chapter 3: Southwest versus American Airlines- The Power of Relational Coordination	25	(19)
Communication	26	(3)
Relationships	29	(6)
Coordinating through Relationships	35	(3)
Southwest versus Continental, American, and United: Relational Coordination Pays Off	38	(1)
Findings	39	(2)
Improving Both Quality and Efficiency	41	(1)
Why Relational Coordination Works: The Power of Collective Identity	42	(2)
Chapter 4: How Relational Coordination Works in Other Industries-The Case of Health Care	44	(9)
The Challenge of Coordinating Patient Care	44	(2)
Performance Effects of Relational Coordination	46	(1)
Findings	47	(1)
When Relational Coordination Matters Most for Performance	48	(3)
Summing Up	51	(2)
PART 2 Ten Southwest Practices for Building High Performance Relationships	53	(142)
Chapter 5: Lead with Credibility and Caring	56	(17)
Leadership at Southwest Airlines	57	(2)
Leadership at Continental Airlines	59	(3)
Leadership at United Airlines	62	(1)
Leadership at American Airlines	63	(5)
Southwest's Leadership Transition	68	(1)
Southwest's Top Management Team	69	(3)
Summing Up	72	(1)
Chapter 6: Invest in Frontline Leadership	73	(12)
Supervision at Southwest Airlines	74	(2)
Benefits of High Supervisory Staffing Levels	76	(1)
Supervision at Continental Airlines	77	(1)
Supervision at United Airlines	77	(2)
Supervision at American Airlines	79	(2)
The Southwest Difference	81	(1)
The Case for Reduced Supervisory Staffing	81	(1)
The Case for Increased Supervisory Staffing	82	(1)
Summing Up	83	(2)
Chapter 7: Hire and Train for Relational Competence	85	(16)
Hiring and Training at Southwest Airlines	86	(5)
Benefits of Hiring for Relational Competence	91	(1)
Hiring and Training at United Airlines	92	(3)
Hiring and Training at Continental Airlines	95	(1)
Hiring and Training at American Airlines	96	(3)
Summing Up	99	(2)
Chapter 8: Use Conflicts to Build Relationships	101	(13)
Conflict Resolution at Southwest Airlines	102	(3)
Benefits of Conflict Resolution	105	(1)
Conflict Resolution at United Airlines	105	(3)
Conflict Resolution at Continental Airlines	108	(1)
Conflict Resolution at American Airlines	109	(1)
How Conflict Resolution Evolved at Southwest	110	(2)
Summing Up	112	(2)
Chapter 9: Bridge the Work/Family Divide	114	(10)
Encouraging Employees to Be Themselves at Work	116	(2)
Recognizing Personal Pain and Triumph	118	(1)
Employee and Family Identification with the Organization	119	(1)
The Culture Committee	119	(1)
Giving to the Community	120	(1)
Efforts to Bridge the Work/Family Divide	121	(1)
Preventing Work from Overwhelming Family and Community	122	(1)
Summing Up	122	(2)
Chapter 10: Create Boundary Spanners	124	(15)
Boundary Spanning at Southwest Airlines	126	(2)
Benefits of the Boundary Spanner Role	128	(1)
Boundary Spanning at United Airlines	129	(1)
Boundary Spanning at Continental Airlines	129	(1)
Boundary Spanning at American Airlines	130	(2)
Southwest's Boundary Spanners in Action	132	(5)
The Boundary Spanner as Relationship Builder	137	(1)
Summing Up	137	(2)
Chapter 11: Avoid Finger Pointing-Measure Performance Broadly	139	(16)
Performance Measurement at Southwest Airlines	140	(1)
Benefits of Cross-Functional Performance Measurement	141	(1)
Performance Measurement at United Airlines	142	(2)
Performance Measurement at Continental Airlines	144	(2)
Performance Measurement at American Airlines	146	(3)
Accountability versus Learning	149	(3)
A Different Approach to Performance Measurement at Southwest	152	(1)
Summing Up	153	(2)
Chapter 12: Keep Jobs Flexible at the Boundaries	155	(10)
Job Flexibility at Southwest Airlines	156	(2)
Benefits of Job Flexibility	158	(1)
Job Flexibility at Continental Airlines	158	(2)
Job Flexibility at United Airlines	160	(2)
Job Flexibility at American Airlines	162	(1)
Why Flexible Boundaries Are So Uncommon	163	(1)
Summing Up	164	(1)
Chapter 13: Make Unions Your Partners, Not Adversaries	165	(18)
Labor Relations at Southwest Airlines	168	(4)
Labor Relations at Continental Airlines	172	(2)
Labor Relations at United Airlines	174	(4)
Labor Relations at American Airlines	178	(3)
Summing Up	181	(2)
Chapter 14: Build Relationships with Your Suppliers	183	(12)
Partnering with Airports	184	(2)
Partnering for Security after September 11, 2001	186	(1)
Partnership Challenges	187	(2)
Partnering with Air Traffic Control	189	(1)
Partnering with Aircraft Manufacturers	190	(1)
Benefits of Partnering with Your Suppliers	191	(2)
Summing Up	193	(2)
PART 3 Building High Performance Relationships-And Keeping Them	195	(72)
Chapter 15: How the Ten Southwest Practices Reinforce (or Undermine) Each Other	197	(11)
Lead with Credibility and Caring	199	(1)
Invest in Frontline Leadership	200	(1)
Hire and Train for Relational Competence	200	(1)
Use Conflicts to Build Relationships	201	(1)
Bridge the Work/Family Divide	202	(1)
Create Boundary Spanners	203	(1)
Measure Performance Broadly	203	(1)
Keep Jobs Flexible at the Boundaries	204	(1)
Make Unions Your Partners, Not Adversaries	205	(1)
Build Relationships with Your Suppliers	205	(1)
Summing Up	206	(2)
Chapter 16: Learning from Southwest-Efforts by American, Continental, United, and JetBlue	208	(22)
Efforts by Other Airlines to Learn from Southwest	209	(2)
American Airlines	211	(4)
Continental Lite	215	(4)
The United Shuttle	219	(3)
JetBlue Airways	222	(6)
Summing Up	228	(2)
Chapter 17: Thriving under Pressure-Southwest's Response to September 11 and Other Crises	230	(20)
Resilience in the Face of Competition	231	(2)
Resilience in the Face of Growth	233	(3)
Response to the Crisis of September 11, 2001	236	(1)
US Airways' Response	236	(3)
American Airlines' Response	239	(2)
Continental Airlines' Response	241	(1)
Southwest Airlines' Response	242	(1)
Layoffs as a Response to Crisis	243	(1)
The Role of Financial Reserves	244	(3)
Summing Up	247	(3)
Chapter 18: Implementing High Performance Relationships in Your Organization	250	(17)
Lead with Credibility and Caring	251	(1)
Invest in Frontline Leadership	252	(1)
Hire and Train for Relational Competence	253	(2)
Use Conflicts to Build Relationships	255	(1)
Bridge the Work/Family Divide	256	(1)
Create Boundary Spanners	256	(2)
Measure Performance Broadly	258	(2)
Keep Jobs Flexible at the Boundaries	260	(2)
Make Unions Your Partners, Not Adversaries	262	(1)
Build Relationships with Your Suppliers	263	(1)
Maintain Financial Reserves	264	(2)
Summing Up	266	(1)
Appendixes	267	(20)
Endnotes	287	(24)
Index	311