Book Why Can\'t We Make Money in Aviation
The Damage of SARS
As the excerpt above was taken from a new program in 2003, it's worth noting that one of the ten plagues also occurred on the heels of decreased consumer confidence, which was SARS (Pilarski, 2007). As Pilarski illuminates, Asia has always been a beacon for the airline industry: during the worst of SARS, traffic in a Hong Kong airport dropped 90 percent (Pilarski, 2007). SARS was indeed a deadly disease, and one that is not to be underestimated: "…experts believe one doctor treating patients in China caught SARS, then traveled to Hong Kong. There, he infected 12 other guests of the Metropole Hotel where he was staying. That set off a deadly global chain reaction" (ABC News, 2003). As the public was well aware, much of that deadly chain reaction was connected with the fact that many of the guests in the hotel became infected, and then got on airplanes to other countries where they infected more people.
Southwest Airlines Analysis Using the Maslow Hierarchy
The leadership strategies and initiatives at Southwest Airlines are deliberately designed to support each level of the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. Beginning with the initial physiological needs, Southwest is known for being an airline that pays better than comparable national carriers, while also having excellent medical benefits compared to its competitors (DAurizio, 2008). This ensure the physiological needs of the employees are met. As Southwest is an airline, the safety concerns are a critical success factor in this business. Founder Herb Kelleher set safety and concerns over passenger health., along with employee welfare, as top priority when he created the airline (Nirenberg, 1997). This level of the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs is fully met as well.
On the next level of the Maslow model, which is love and belonging, Southwest has gone to exceptional levels to make sure its employees and customers have a very clear idea of how valued and appreciated they are. The founders of Southwest deliberately created a culture that is focused on participative leadership and customer listening (Lee, 1995). The result is an airline that is unmatched its is ability to use relationships to connect with customers and create raving fans while also creating the most stable workforce in the airline industry, unmatched in its low turn-over (Walsh, 2004).