How corporate culture helped Southwest Airlines become the best: Employees are the No. 1 customer

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Scans the top 400 management publications in the world to identify the most topical issues and latest concepts. These are presented in an easy‐to‐digest briefing of no more than 1,500 words.

Findings

Southwest Airlines have the combined market capitalization of all other US‐based airlines put together. How have they accomplished this? The economic climate over the past four years has not been kind to airlines, so how has the company which did not lay off any staff following September 11, 2001, remained top of the pile? By seeing their employees as the top customer, allegedly.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.

Citation

(2005), "How corporate culture helped Southwest Airlines become the best: Employees are the No. 1 customer", Strategic Direction, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 16-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540510589657