Premium Essay

Integrating Culture & Diversity in Decision Making

In: Business and Management

Submitted By kcallenjr
Words 597
Pages 3
Integrating Culture & Diversity in Decision Making
Dr. Steven L. Davis
Bus 520-Leading & Organizational Behavior
09/13/2014

Integrating Culture & Diversity in Decision Making
Introduction
Southwest Airlines was created and founded in 1971 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King. The organization was created to target busy markets and provide frequent, low cost transportation that were less than five hundred miles apart. Today, they are one of America’s largest airline companies that deliver great service at a relative low price. In addition to providing excellent service at a competitive pricing, Southwest Airlines believes in an amazing corporate culture that extends to the communities it serves.
Description of Organization
Southwest is an organization that is in the customer service business, which happens to fly airplanes. Current CEO, Gary Kelly, shares this philosophy with every employee of this company to help all 46,000 employees understand how their work contributes to the broader business objectives. Now we all know that every company has a vision statement, and Southwest Airlines is using the power of storytelling to make sure every employee pursues it every day.
Southwest Airlines has the vision to become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline. They exist to connect people to what’s important in their lives through three characteristics which are friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel (Gallo, 2014).
Organization’s Culture According to chapter 15 of the book, organizational culture is the system of shared actions, values, and beliefs that develop within an organization. This guides the behavior of the employees of Southwest Airlines. The functions of organizational culture are external adaptation and internal adaptation. External adaptation consists of reaching goals, the methods used to achieve the

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture of XEROX Tamico Little BUS520 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Laura Jones Strayer University October 28, 2013 Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture of XEROX Company Overview Xerox is an American multinational company with its headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut. The company was established in 1906 as a photographic paper and related equipment company under the name The Haliod Photographic Company. In 1958, the company changed its name to Haliod Xenon and later to Xenon in 1961. The name Xenon was derived from xerography which refers to the technology of dry printing. Xerox has a joint venture with Fuji Photo Film Company. Xerox also has subsidiaries like Xerox India and NewField IT. The company is presently engaged in a wide range of document and technology solutions including photocopiers, printers, document supplies and office technology consultancy services. According to Hoover's (2013) Xerox has grown from just a document company to both an information technology and document outsourcing company. Xerox's Organizational Culture In my view, Xerox has embraced the culture of diversity, opportunity and inclusion (Xerox, 2009). Xerox believes that employees bring to the organization different ideas and perceptions. These assets help employees from a diversity of backgrounds and cultures to create innovative solutions...

Words: 1060 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile Strayer University Leadership and Organizational Behavior Business 520 Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) description of the organization you chose to research. Examine the culture of the selected organization. Explain how you determined that the selected organization showed the signs of the culture that you have identified. Determine the factors that caused the organization to embody this particular culture. Determine what type of leader would be best suited for this organization. Support your position. Imagine that there is a decline in the demand of product(s) or services supplied by the selected organization. Determine what the change in culture would need to be in response to this situation. The company that I chose to research was Zappos. Zappos started off as an online shoe company founded by Nick Swinmurn in 1999, as a result of his inability to find a pair of Air walk shoes. Since its founding Zappos has become the largest online shoe store in the world. In 2007 they branched out to selling apparel as well. In 2008 the company reached 1 billion in annual sales, and in 2009 debuted at #23 on the Forbes list of Top 100 best places to work. (www.forbes.com). In July of 2009 Amazon.com purchased Zappos. The main concerns of the CEOs of Zappos were to maintain the same level of customer service that had grown their customer base to where ti was. Zappos wishes for...

Words: 996 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making

...Organizational Culture Profile 1 Week 8 Assignment 2: Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making Michael Haidar Strayer University Professor Ronald Jones BUS 520 Leadership and Organizational Behavior November 30, 2014 Google, the most widely used web-based search engine, was founded in 1998 by Stanford University graduate students Larry Page and Sergei Brin. As a research project in 1996, Page and Brin began developing a search engine designed to look at the connecting links between web pages in order to determine a site’s authority. In 1998, Page and Brin set up their first data center in Page’s dorm. With the encouragement of fellow Stanford alum David Filo, who started Yahoo a few years earlier, page and Brin decided to start a company and started looking for investors to back them. Andy Bechtolsheim, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, invested $100,000 in the company after receiving a demo of their search technology. The pair eventually raised over $1M (Anto, 2002, p. 188). Every organization has its own culture. Since many employees spend 40 or more hours at their workplace, their organization’s culture obviously affects both their work lives as well as their personal lives. Organizational culture is defined the system of shared actions, values, and beliefs that develops within an organization and guides the behavior of its members. Although each organization has its own unique culture, there are some...

Words: 1758 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making

...headquarters are in Dallas, TX. The airline was established in 1967 and took on their current name in 1971. The company employs more than 46,000 people. They operate more than 3,000 flights per day and it carries the most passengers, domestically in America. Southwest has over 80 destinations in over 40 states and Puerto Rico. The Airlines has exclusively used Boeing 737s, except between the years in the 1970s and 1980s, when they used Boeing 727s. In 2012, southwest is the largest operator of the 737 international with over 500 planes in service, each making an average of six flights per day. In 2011 the airline acquired Air Tran Airways, with addition of the carriers expected to be complete by 2014. Unexpectedly in 2012, the airline was issued a single operating certificate, theoretically making the two airlines into one airline. In 2011, the airline gain purchased Air Tran Airways. (Southwest History, 2013) The Culture The culture of Southwest is spelled out in their mission statement which states: Dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit. And the mission goes on to address the employees by stating: We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect...

Words: 1047 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making

...when customers wanted them. The idea behind Zappos was to have a web site where customers could go to find their perfect shoes, one that was both affordable and stylish. Over the years Zappos has evolved into a company that provides the best online service, not just in shoes but in any category (Zappos Family Story: In the beginning let there be shoes, 2014). Zappos Culture Culture cannot be generalized across organizations, but must be viewed in context of the particular organization. This is due to shared and multiple meanings emerging in relation to the particular group of people and to the mission, vision statements, and their values (Cunliffe, 2008). Zappos culture is one in which customer service and satisfaction and employee empowerment is at the heart of what they do. The culture at Zappos is an extension of their core values, which include a mandate to deliver WOW through service, build a positve team and family spirit and a open and honest relationship through communication. Also included in their values is being passionate, deteremined, adventurous, creative and open-minded. Zappos culture takes into consideration not just their customers but also their employees. They realize the importance of building the character of their employees in order to meet the challenges they will face in delivering the WOW experience which they value. By investing in their employees they are allowing the company to be able to grow as the employees themselves experience...

Words: 1318 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making/Zappos

...HRM 500 – Human Resource Management Foundations Assignment 3 Performance Management December 1, 2013 Create a job description for a retail sales associate. Create an organizational behavior modification (OBM) plan to define a set of three (3) key behaviors that are necessary for job performance. Sales Associate Position Posted: December 1, 2013 Company Overview: Tutu Heaven is the destination for super fabulous Tutu’s. Tutu Heaven is filled with colorful, creatively inspired one stop shopping tutu’s and dance apparels. Our company caters to creative minds and focuses on embracing the ideas of the customer. Tutu Heaven is fast becoming your go to place for Tutu’s and dance apparel. We hope to become America’s favorite place to work by hiring candidates who exhibit our values, passions, accountability, collaboration and humanity. Job Description Tutu Heaven’s Sales Associate will exhibit passionate, friendly, and helpful customer service. The sales associate is responsible for the following functions: customer service, signing up new rewards members, cashiering, store operations and merchandising. The associate with comply with all policies and procedures associated with the position which includes 95% attendance record. Responsibilities: Engage customers and promote Tutu Heaven’s Rewards program. The employee greets every customer in the stores, paying attention to customer ques while putting the customer before the task. Cashiering: Sales associates rings...

Words: 1602 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: the Ceo and Organizational Culture Profile

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile Bus 520: Leadership and Organizational Behavior April 29, 2013 Organizational culture is the essence of any company. It is the way a company separates themselves from the market and especially, from their competition. According to an article in Business Insider, “Corporate culture is the personality of a company and it can’t be faked” (Schawbel, 2013, Cultural research section, para. 1). For the purpose of this paper, I will be investigating the corporate culture of Google Incorporated. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin who met at Stanford University in 1995 (Google Company website). What is Google’s organizational culture? Google’s organizational culture is represented in several ways which include their management structure, and their public transparency, their treatment of employees, etc. Below is an excerpt from an article in Business Insider: Employees are offered free cafeteria food and there’s a flat management structure. They have also made their company’s core values public. The company founders still do busy work, including keeping the cereal fresh in the cafeteria. Google is constantly getting feedback from employees and even has their own tool called Google-O-Meter to gauge the popularity of employee suggestions. In addition, they have “culture clubs”, which are groups of employees who come together...

Words: 831 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: the Ceo and Organizational Culture Profile

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile April Smith The organization I chose to research and discuss on is Zappos. Many individuals enjoy this organization because it is an online shoe store that sells name brand designers that is half the priced than an original shoe store within a mall. Nick Swinmurn, who started the online shoe retailer Zappos.com, founded this organization in 1999. His original idea was to generate a web site that presented great quality of selections of brands, styles, colors, sizes, and widths of the shoes. By 2010, Zappos had grown so much that there was need to restructure the company so that we could continue to offer customers the very best service possible. For us to have the flexibility to possibly sell anything and everything one day, we needed to make this change. On May 1, 2010, Zappos was restructured into ten separate companies under the Zappos Family umbrella "The Zappos Family Story." Zappos is just like any other organization that holds a culture of values of their organization. There unique culture provides ten family core values that their organization stand firm about business. Their first value is Deliver WOW Through Service, at Zappos anything worth doing is worth doing with WOW. They distinguish that value short and simply but it encompasses things with the organization. The philosophy at Zappos is to WOW...

Words: 1046 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: the Ceo and Organizational Culture Profile

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile xxxxxxxx yyyyyyyyyyy BUS 520 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior January 27, 2014 Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) description of the organization you chose to research. Southwest Airlines was founded in 1971 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King to provide frequent, low cost airline service in busy markets less than 500 miles apart. “Southwest Airlines is now America’s largest low-fare carrier, serving more Customers domestically than any other airline with a unique combination of low fares, no annoying fees, friendly Customer Service delivered by outstanding People, safe and reliable operation, and an extraordinary corporate Culture that extends to the communities it serves” (Southwest Corporate Fact Sheet, 2013, pg.1). The company has been in operation for 42 years and has returned a profit every year except for the first year (Southwest Corporate Fact Sheet, 2013). Even after September 11th, 2001, the company made a profit without layoffs or furloughs (Reingold, 2013). Examine the culture of the selected organization. As stated in Southwest Airline 2009 Corporate Report, “Our unique airline Culture enables our Family of Employees to provide the highest quality Customer Service. Our valued Customers return to Southwest Airlines because of our People. Our People listen to the Customer’ suggestions create innovative programs that make their lives easier, and...

Words: 1205 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: the Ceo and Organizational Culture Profile

...Manager | 2. PMF Score: __8___ | | 3. Assessment: “TT” Leadership Style Assessment | 4. “Transformational” Leader Score: ___9__ | 5. Transactional” Leader Score: __9___ | 6. Assessment: Intuitive Ability | 7. Intuitive Score: __8___ | | 8. Assessment: Conflict Management Strategies | 9. Yielding tendency: _12____ | 10. Compromising tendency: 10_____ | 11. Forcing tendency: __11___ | 12. Problem-solving tendency: _12____ | 13. Avoiding tendency: _12____ | | | 14. Assessment: Time Management Profile | | 15. Score: __11_ | 16. Interpretation: | 17. Assessment: Organizational Design Preference | 18. Score: __49___ | 19. Assessment: Which Culture Fits You? | 20. Score: ___4__ | | | | | Having the capability to be both a transformation leader...

Words: 669 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Culture

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile Rebecca Y. Kuykendoll Dr. Phyllis Parise BUS520 April 29, 2013   Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making I began my research based on things I love, which are to travel and buy shoes. I finally settled on Zappos. “In The Beginning - Let There Be Shoes” Zappos was created in 1999, by Nick Swinmurn who was walking around a mall in San Francisco looking for a pair of shoes. One store had the right style but not the color and vice versa. Nick, walking from store to store, and finally went home empty-handed and frustrated. Nick also tried looking for his shoes online and was again unsuccessful. Long story short, Nick decided to quit his day job and start an online shoe retailer... and Zappos.com was born! The original idea was to create a web site that offered the absolute best selection in shoes in terms of brands, styles, colors, sizes, and widths. Over the past 9 years, the brand and aspirations have evolved, and in addition to offering the best selection, with the goal to be the company that provides the absolute best service online -- not just in shoes, but in any category. Zappos vision: • One day, 30% of all retail transactions in the US will be online. • People will buy from the company with the best service and the best selection. • Zappos.com will be that online store. Zappos believe that the speed at which a customer receives an online purchase...

Words: 1122 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Leadership

...Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile Sallie Holmes-Gray Dr. Danielle Camacho Leadership & Organization Behavior July 28, 2013 Introduction In my research I will description of Google. It will give the description of the culture and factors of the organization. The aspiration of the organization and what need to be done when and if changes is needed in case of a decline in demands is needed. Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making: The CEO and Organizational Culture Profile Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergy Brin in 1998. This company offer products beyond it search. The most striking thing about Google is its internal consistency. This organization is overbuilt to be stronger than it has to be. Its extravagance talent and skills are allowing it crucial flexibility the ability to experiment, to try many things at once. It is a gauging phrases appearance on a WEB page. The meaning of culture is the learned and shared way of thinking and acting among a group of people or society. The culture of this company is to maintain the openness often associated with startups. The hiring of people for the organization are the ones who are smart, very determined and have the ability to out weight experience. Google couture revolves around their mission to make it accessible and useful throughout the world. They live and breathe a culture of openness. Google culture is to encourage...

Words: 832 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Religion in the Workplace

...Religious Diversification Today Religious diversification in the workplace is an issue employers will always face. Management of this diversity is necessary so that employees can reach their full potential, maximize productivity, and create a positive work environment by which everybody is accommodated. By understanding the positives and negatives of having religion and spirituality in the workplace, it is clear that there are advantages and disadvantages. Positive aspects of integrating religion or spirituality into the workplace may include improved worker performance and better relationships between management and employees. There are disadvantages as well, such as discrimination, and resistance to religious culture, which can reduce productivity and may lead to legal issues. Law and Regulation The most common way a company integrates religious views into their work place would depend if the company were public or privately held. For example, if the CEO of a private organization was Christian there might be rules for allowing extra prayer time at the work. Under federal law, regarding religious expression in private work areas, “Employees should be permitted to engage in private religious expression in personal work areas not regularly open to the public”(Earp, 2008). Publicly held organizations must allow for prayer during the day and if the other employees are atheist or another religion they must be respectful. As long as work is being completed during work hours all...

Words: 2521 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

The Global Integration of Diversity Management: a Longitudinal Case Study

...1916 The global integration of diversity management: a longitudinal case study Aulikki Sippola and Adam Smale Abstract Whilst the extant diversity management literature has provided a comprehensive array of theoretical frameworks and empirical studies on how organizations can and have approached the management of a diverse workforce, the same cannot be said about the literature on diversity in an international setting. Indeed, from a diversity management perspective we know surprisingly little about how multinational firms are responding to the increasing globalization of their workforce. This study seeks to contribute to this underresearched area through an in-depth longitudinal case study of TRANSCO, a well-known European MNC, which has been attempting to integrate diversity management globally throughout its worldwide operations. Adopting a Finnish host-country perspective, the study investigates what TRANSCO has been integrating, how it has tried to facilitate this and the challenges that have arisen throughout the process. The results indicate that TRANSCO has committed a considerable amount of resources to the global diversity management integration process, reflected in the myriad of integration mechanisms utilized. In terms of their integration strategy, it was evident that TRANSCO was able to achieve global consistency at the level of diversity philosophy, but was forced to rely on a more multi-domestic approach to implementing diversity policies and practices. The challenges...

Words: 11681 - Pages: 47

Premium Essay

Review on Diversity Training

...Review on Workforce Diversity Training Abstract Diversity training has significantly influence equality and fairness in the workplace. Many organizations may face challenges how to balance diverse workforce, and they have realised the importance of diversity as a key of their business in order to quickly respond the needs of customers. Accompanying with the global economic integration, diversity has been a priority on the development of human resource. Creating equal and fair working environment would be significantly associated the profitability of organizations. This essay will mainly review the literature of workforce diversity training from several perspectives: definitions of diversity, benefits of diversity, diversity training and organizational attitude, evaluation of diversity training, challenges and resistance to diversity. The major benefits of diversity include increased quantities of high quality decisions, high employee loyalty and low turnover, and improved business performance. Diversity training approaches can be categorized into awareness-based training and skill-based training, and six major training techniques such as lecture, questioning, brainstorm, small-group discussion and role-playing can be adopted. Evaluating diversity training should be aligned with organizational business goals, and four steps could be used to evaluate diversity training programmes. Diversity blindness and diversity hostility are recognized as the major challenges...

Words: 3768 - Pages: 16