Assignment task: As per the 'Southwest Airlines' case, discussed in the class, Southwest had always believed that an important part of its competitive advantage rested with its people and how they were managed.
However, United and Continental had entered Southwest's low fare market. Ann Rhoades, Vice President of People for Southwest Airlines, pondered the situation, she wondered if this competitive threat could seriously damage southwest, and what actions, if any, Southwest's senior management should take.
An off-site meeting was scheduled with top nine executives of Southwest Airlines. The agenda was to review Southwest's competitive position.
Considering above information and other details mentioned in the case, answer the following:
a) What were some of the Human resource strategies and processes the Southwest Airlines has implemented to achieve employees' commitment and thereby provided a competitive edge. Please support your answer with relevant theory, illustrations and models.
b) If you were in place of Ann, what are some of the employee initiatives you would implement to retain competitive edge of Southwest through its employees?