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Southwest Airlines: In a Different World

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James L. Heskett; W. Earl Sasser Jr. Price: $6.93

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Description
This is the fourth in a 35-year series of HBS cases on an organization that has changed the rules of the game globally for an entire industry by offering both differentiated and low-price service. The focus of the case is on whether Southwest Airlines should buy gates and slots to initiate service to New York's LaGuardia airport, which does not fit the airline's profile for cost, ease of service, and other factors. The bigger issue is how the organization should deal with competition that has successfully emulated more and more of what it does in an operating environment that has changed significantly. Hence the subtitle, which was suggested by Herb Kelleher, Southwest's Chairman and CEO, Emeritus.

Learning objective:
To evaluate a strategic decision in the context of a company's culture and the need to preserve the integrity of its operating network.

Subjects Covered:
Competitive strategy; Decision making; Operations management; Organizational culture; Service management

Setting:
Geographic:New York Geographic:Texas Industry: Airlines

https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/910419-PDF-ENG

6/27/2013

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Company Employee Count:35,000 Company Revenue:$10 billion Event Year Begin:2008 Revision Date: Jan 9, 2013 Publication Date: Apr 22, 2010 Discipline: Service Management Source: HBS Premier Case Collection Product #: 910419-PDF-ENG 16p, English PDF Also Available in: English Hardcopy Black & White

Copyright 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.Build 295 on 06/14/2013 11:00:00 Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/910419-PDF-ENG

6/27/2013