An Analysis of Organisational Culture Essay

1 Background of south-west airline businesss southwest Airlines is a major Ameri tolerate airway and pioneer in low-f be air transportation in the knowledge domain, establish in Dallas, Texas. southwestward Airlines is known for its low prices and no-frills service. Based on the U.S. Department of Transportations to the highest degree new-fashioned data, south-west is the nations largest carrier in terms of boarding domestic passengers. ( southwesterly Airlines, 2014) southwesterly Airlines was founded in 1967 by Rolling King and Herb Kelleher. It started its operation in 1971 covering intrastate Texas cities, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Originally, the airline business was further serving Texan cities but few years later, the lodge has progressively enlarged its service to separate American states. southwest Airlines was able to divers(prenominal)iate themselves from their competitors by offering the lowest prices.At first, some(prenominal) practices of Southwe st Airlines had been see as irregular and had been disdain by other airlines. However, its Low-coststrategy has won a great victory in the US especially, when the airline industry suffered difficulties after the terrorist attack. In 2011, the science of Air Tran Air slipway allowed Southwest Airlines to serve international destinations in five near-international countries. fit to the Southwest Airlines official report, the airline has nearly 46,000 employees and operates more than 3,400 escapes per day. Southwest Airlines has acquired m any awards, such as it had been ranked as 18th on the Worlds Most Respected Companies by Financial Times (2011) and was given the title the creations most admired companies for 20 consecutive years in Fortunes 2014 list.2 Induction of The workoutIn the United States, Southwest Airlines has been the most successful airline in its industry. This success is largely overdue to its effective human resource practices, most of which fall under the r ubric of employee. A study by Miles, S,J. & Mangold, W,G. (2005), demonstrate an interview with Colleen Barrett, President and Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines that she attribute Southwests success to its employees. On the hand, In 2008, a large fig of companies cut railway lines in order to face Global Financial Crisis. However, Dickler, J. (2008) reported that Southwest Airlines is committed to avoiding layoffs at all cost during the recession and employees in the company have never felt that their job is in jeopardy due to the economy. Research by Glassdoor blog (2010) indicated that Southwest Airlines is the best company to work for. Clearly, Southwest Airlines focuses its management on its employees.Kotter researched the corporate tillage and performance (2012) and come to the conclusion that establishmental tillage has the ability to improve organizational performance and employee job satisfaction. Southwest Airlines present a perfect performance in terms of corporate enculturation. Over the years, the company has imposed a fast corporate shade that made the company thus far stronger. I will apply Scheins theoretical account to approach practice of Southwest Airlines that the company centers slightly the relation privileged with its employees and the employee concentrate nuance lead to Southwest Airlines successful. By adapting the Schein manakin, we canapproach concord of the organizational culture of Southwest Airlines.3 Justification of FrameworkThere ar more reasons apply Scheins framework to analyze organizational culture. First, He divided culture into terce takes, namely artifacts, apprize and basal assumptions. These levels atomic number 18 used as a basis for assessing any organizational culture.( Comer, M., n.d.) Therefore the framework can be used to analyze dimensions of organizational culture influence employees in Southwest airline. Second, it is a popular viewpoint be used in many literatures on orga nization culture. (Sun, S.,2008) Third, Alvesson & Berg, (1992) indicate that the framework having received less criticism. Moreover, Kong, S. H. (2000) and Miles, S,J., Mangold, W,G. (2005) also indicated Scheins three levels model has capability to combine a number of perspectives in ethnical studies.Additional, An onion diagram of organizational culture that developed by Hofstede et al. (1997) is based on Scheins model. Hofstede divided culture in to four layers that include symbols, heroes, rituals and values. The similarities between twain models are focused on the physical assumptions that shape the ideology of culture and lead to the norms and values. However, the model of Schein encompasses more aspects than the model of Hofstede.On the other hand, there are some critiques of Schein model form scholars viewpoints. First, Hatch, M. J. (1993). indicates that Scheins model is lack of the high-voltage role of assumptions and beliefs in creating and changing organizational cult ure. Second, Tuan, L,T. and Venkatesh, S. (2010) proposed the model developed by martins extend more on the interaction between the organizational sub-systems, the two survival free reinctions, namely the external environment and the internal systems, and the culture dimensions.4 Explanation of FrameworkSchein (2004) defined organizational culture as a dynamic phenomenon that surrounds us at all times, being constantly enacted and created by our interactions with others and shaped by leadershiphip behavior, and a align ofstructures, routines, rules, and norms that pack and constrain behavior. To fully understand the pith of culture, he defined organizational culture consists with three levels as represented in solve. 1First level of Scheins model is the most visible indicator of culture that consists of artefacts and creations. Artefacts represent the physical construct of the organization and its social environment and return a superficial glimpse of an organizations culture because the true significance or meaning that lies behind their use can be difficult to decipher and interpret.( Pierce J, G. 2004) The surface of a culture can be easily observed from Physical layout of the building, Communication methods, Dress code, social interplay and informal structure. According to Brown, G (2014) Organizational artifacts and creations be split into six characteristics Norms are the assumptions made by employees following diachronic evidence as to the normal ways of achieving things in the organization. Language is the way managers speak a line term to subordinates and vice versa is a clear indicator of culture. ( Brown, G. 2014) Symbols used as the way of communicating that associated with culture. Rites demonstrated by the collective interpersonal behavior and values constitute formal or informal culture structures. Myths and stories are narrative based on events that share among employees and used as a method of communicating core values. Taboos are th e indicators of what should non be done in the organization. Those institutionalized artefacts serves as a guide to channel behaviours toward desired behavious that vest fit the value of organizational culture. Figure 1. Model of culture indicating different levels of cultureSecond level of Scheins model examines the values and beliefs of the organization. Values stomach organizational members with a sense of the moral and ethical codes which shape an organization. Such values and beliefs include trust, effort, basis of reward and honesty these must be followed by dint of to growth a culture. Schein believed that organizational values are not as apparent as organizational artifacts. However, he states that they do exist at a greater level of awareness than primary underlying assumptions,which he identifies as his third level of cultural manifestation. ( Pierce J, G., 2004)The up-to-the-minute is the most important since as Schein puts it Human minds inescapably cognitive stab ility and any challenge of a basic assumption will release anxiety and defensiveness. The third and core level of organizational cultural performance is basic assumptions. These basic assumptions especially from the continuous use of a problem solution that are often so dramadamental and repeatedly been successful in the past and has unconsciously been taken for granted. usual basic assumptions include the basis on which individuals are respected, the basis of the firms ability to compete, the use of involvement and lodge and How and whom makes decisions. (Brown, G. 2014) According to Comer, M. ( n.d.), the best way to identify underlying assumptions is through a process meeting where artifacts are listed, values discussed and underlying assumptions are reviewed.Scheins three levels of the manifestation of organizational culture can be depicted as an iceberg as presented in figure 2, with the most visible level at the top which is artefacts. In the iceberg metaphor, organizationa l values, are closer to the surface and provide a more accurate assessment of the organizations culture. However, the true scope of the culture still remains secret beneath the surface. (Pierce, J, G., 2004) the basic assumptions of an organizations culture lies beneath the surface and is very difficult to recognized.Figure 2. Iceberg Conceptual Model of Scheins Three Levels of the Manifestation of Organizational purification.5 An Analysis of The PracticeIn the level of artefacts and creations, these visible indicators cab be observed by employee in the southwest airline and outsiders. The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedicated to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and follow Spirit. (Southwest, 2015) The culture at Southwest Airlines is visible in many ways.Norms are informal ground rules that provide guidelines concerning appropriate and inappropriate behavior in a group. (Calvary, W. 2014) In Southwest Airlines, fun and celebrating are the norm.Southwest Airlines has creating their own language, such as passengers are Customers, and love is LUV. This unusual language style also provides leaders at Southwest Airlines with many opportunities to spread and connect Southwests corporate culture together. ( Lauer, C. 2010)Symbols croak the culture through unspoken messages and mental images held by employees. Logo of Southwest Airlines with a heart, it shows Southwest Airlines temperament with love and employees work with fun and biliousnesss.Southwest Airlines has had several slogans that have indicated companys value and caught the attention of customers and employee, such as Just Plane Smart (Southwest Airlines, 1992). This slogan somewhat promotes a sense of humor that Southwest Airlines have always had that approach in an informal way (Organizational Dynamics, 1992).Southwest Airlines created many rites to do with employees. Once employees are hired, they are immediately given a celebration greeting into the company (Tyler, 1998). with the rite in the Southwest Airlines, it shows the warmth and friendly culture in the company.There are many stories had been share in the Southwest Airlines, such as successful events and failure experiences from employees. Southwest Airlines called the story as LUV Story that enhances the customers experience, and that helps employees understand how they should behave in a particular situationThe middle level value and beliefs, values are the foundation for an organizations mission, vision, and defined by different beliefs of the company. The clearer an organizations shared perceptions and values are defined, the stronger people can associate with its mission and feel a bouncypart of it.( Racelis, A ,D., 2009) The core values in the Southwest Airlines are fun loving and spirited.First, Southwest Airlines focus on the situations, issues, or behavior, not on the person. People in the company should find a solution instead o f judging others.Second, maintain the self confidence and self-esteem of others. Southwest Airlines offer employees not only the internal training programs, but also provide employees with external training whenever they want to improvement their careers. Additional, Southwest Airlines also uses an employee realization program to reinforce employees, such as Presidents Award, lovely Spirit Award and Star of the Month. According to the Southwest report, the company will hold an event called Heroes of the softheartedness every year on Valentines Day.The event takes place at Headquarters in Dallas, where employees with corking performance will be awarded by president Colleen Barrett. ( West, R. 2014) People enjoy in it and part of the fun in the party is the surprise when the winning team is announced. The winning Team holds one of the highest honors at Southwest Airlines. Therefore, Southwest Airlines won the hearts and minds of their employees. Deal, T. E., & Key, M. K. (1998) n ote that Southwest Airlines is a model company in providing both frequent spontaneous praise (acknowledgment) on current behaviors as well as having formal recognition programs which reward past behaviors.Third, to maintain positive relationships with employees, colleagues and managers, Southwest Airlines focuses on a team environment that enables employees borrow their connections with one another. Southwest Airlines has always placed little emphasis on formal organizational company structure, that employees are given authority to make decisions and Supervisors view their subordinates as internal customers who deserve help in doing their jobs better. (Gittell, J. H. 2004) Fourth, fun and love attitude. Southwest Airlines create an environment that combines humor with responsibility. Southwest Airlines places the highest importance in its filling process on employee that hire for attitude that based on their social skills.Employees can use any talents they have in order to enterta in the customers as long asthey make them happy. There are many popular videos about the funny safety speech made by Southwest flight attendant that consists of rapping or singing when they present the safety rules such as hilarious Southwest Airline Safety Presentation that is recently the most popular video on the internet. A relaxed atmosphere at work makes Southwest Airlines employees happy and this also keeps customers coming backbone because they like this style. It shows that having fun in the workings environment is an essential value of the company.Fourth, Southwest Airlines holds variety events in many fun loving ways to implicate their value. In 2011, the celebration of 40th Anniversary Southwest Airlines held 40th Anniversary parties at three citiesDallas, Houston, and San Antonio (Southwest Airlines, 2014). Every year Southwest Airlines hosts a huge Halloween party at its Dallas headquarters (West, R. 2014). The events convey beliefs of the fun and loving culture and made it become a tradition at Southwest Airlines.At the deepest level, basic assumptions are below our awareness. The assumptions that shape the organizational culture can be exposed by observe how employees interact and the decisions they make. Southwest Airlines is noted for operating according to basic assumptions that value employees welfare and providing high-quality services. (Qwabe, N. P., n.d.) Southwest Airlines implicates no layoff policy. According to Southwest Airlines report (2010), Southwest Airlines offers Employees the freedom to pursue good health, create financial security, travel. Southwest Airlines also has a long tradition of bridging the work divide by seeking to accommodate the needs of families through flexible scheduling and ensuring that managers do not devote too much time to the job at the expense of their families. (Gittell, J. H. 2004) These values and beliefs informs employees of exactly what is expected of them and help them understand the organizati on.6 ConclusionsOrganizational cultures can have multiple impacts on employee performance. Normally, employees work harder to achieve organizational missions if theyimmerse themselves in the organizational culture. First, the illustration of Southwest airlines shows that the company puts its employees in priority that they implement a no layoff policy. Employees feel secure in their job, and enjoy a high level of compensation. In addition, Southwest Airlines sees employees as the greatest assets of the company.Second, Southwest Airlines creates an ecstasy environment and operate with the concept, love (LUV). Southwest Airlines encourages employees to work with humor and responsibility, that happy working atmosphere not only greatly improve the efficiency of their work but also get recognized by customers. Third, team work is crucial in the company, Southwest treat employees as family member instead of worker. Southwest creates the maximum welfare to employees and returned loyalty from employees.The effect of organizational culture relates to its strength. Organizational culture strength based on how broadly and deeply employees hold the companys values and basic assumptions. In a strong organizational culture, most employees embrace all beliefs and values that through well-established creations and artefacts, as a firmness of purpose of that those values are difficult to change. Furthermore, strong cultures tend to be long-lasting. (Ojo,O. 2009)According to Sun, shili (2008), a strong culture (one in which beliefs and values are widely shared and strongly held) can also offer many advantages. Southwest creates a strong organizational culture that majority of the people hold the same basic beliefs and values as applies to the organization. The performance of employees improves by strong culture in Southwest Airlines. A strong culture provides Southwest Airlines with immersing everyone in the culture immediately and has awareness of culture. Thereby, every in dividuals in the Southwest Airlines with shared values that assist employees achieve organizational goals successfully.ReferencesAlvesson, M., & Berg, P. O. (1992). somatic culture and organizational symbolism. Brown, G. (2014, September 30). The learning organisation PowerPoint slides. Calvary, W. (2014). Beliefs and Norms Powerpoint.Comer, M. (n.d.). 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