The Southwest Airlines Way

Southwest Airlines has sustained a steady 10 to 15 percent rate of growth throughout its 32-year history, and has been profitable every year but its first. For most of 2002, its total market value of about $9 billion was larger than that of all other major U.S. airlines combined. It has been called "the most successful airline in history" by Fortune magazine and it has been included in Fortune’s list of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for three years in succession. And, the enterprise has enjoyed lower turnover rates than other U.S. carriers. Believing that the innovative ways that Southwest has achieved its success has the potential to "transform the airline industry in the same way Toyota transforms the auto industry in the 1980s," Gittell presents The Southwest Airlines Way. This in-depth profile, based on eight years of airline-industry field research, reveals the policies, strategies, and techniques that make up the company’s relationship-focused business model and explains how that model is its competitive advantage. It is a comprehensive analysis that offers managers, not just in the airlines industry, but in any economic sector, the tools for increasing productivity and profitability, encouraging teamwork, and building a dedicated, innovative workforce.