Does the AirTran acquisition make good strategic sense for Southwest?

<o:p></o:p>

Yes. By acquiring AirTran, Southwest eliminates its major competitor. Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble, and Strickland (2012) suggest “a company can refresh and strengthen its competencies by acquiring another company with attractive resources and capabilities” (p. 342). What resources and capabilities does the AirTran acquisition bring to Southwest? When a company makes an acquisition, it obtains assets. According to Thompson and Gamble (2010), Southwest obtained the following resources, capabilities, and assets:<o:p></o:p>

70 Airports, only 19 of which Southwest already served<o:p></o:p>

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, not previously served by Southwest (“Approximately half of AirTran Airways’ flights originate or terminate at its largest base of operation in Atlanta, Georgia” [Anonymous, 2013]).<o:p></o:p>

Service to Mexico and the Caribbean, which helps in Southwest’s international expansion efforts<o:p></o:p>

138 more aircraft of various types<o:p></o:p>

177 nonstop routes<o:p></o:p>

Additionally, to obtain this growth internally/organically would take time. Thompson et al (2012) note “capabilities-motivated acquisitions are essential (1) when a market opportune opportunity can slip by faster than a needed capability can be created internally and (2) when industry conditions, technology, or competitors are moving at such a rapid clip that time is of the essence” (p. 342). <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

What strategic issues and problems do Gary Kelly and Southwest executives need to address as they proceed to close the deal with AirTran and contemplate how best to integrate AirTran’s operations and AirTran’s employees into Southwest?<o:p></o:p>

Pilarski (2010) noted that Southwest’s “character was so distinct that it was deemed better to hire new people and indoctrinate them rather than acquire and reform others”. However, as a result of this acquisition, Southwest acquired over 8,000 AirTran employees. Thompson and Gamble (2010) noted that “the combined organization would have nearly 43,000 employees” (p. C-308). You simply cannot fire all of them. There are a multitude of integration issues and problems that can result from an acquisition not least amongst them the stress, management problems, and culture clashes that may occur. There will be some cynicism and mistrust associated with the merging of the two companies, particularly among those from AirTran. There will be considerable resistance to change even though change will be required to adjust to the new organizational structure. There will be some burnout as a result of the stress associated with the changes. Additionally, there will inevitably be issues concerning the integration of the various employee unions especially where rules, policies, seniority, Salaries, Wages, Benefits, and training are concerned.<o:p></o:p>

Operationally, there will be a need to eliminate redundancies, overlap, and waste. Southwest will likely need to sell off some aircraft, eliminate some routes, and terminate some previous AirTran contracts. There will be the need for licensing agreements, landing fee renegotiations, and a consolidation of maintenance activities. Supply chain and logistical support issues will also require some retooling. <o:p></o:p>

What weaknesses or problems do you see at Southwest Airlines?<o:p></o:p>

Pilarski (2010) suggests that the acquisition is based on Southwest’s need to survive and suggests that without similar competition, Southwest will likely raise its fares. Southwest (2012) notes Southwest “is expected to continue to incur substantial integration and transition expenses in connection with the AirTran acquisition, including the necessary costs associated with integrating the operations of the two companies”. In the near term, these expenses have the potential to “exceed the financial benefits that the Company expects to achieve from the AirTran acquisition and could continue to result in the Company taking significant charges against earnings during the integration process” (Southwest, 2012). <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

References<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Pilarski, A. (2010). Pilarski: Southwest's acquisition of AirTran. Airfinance Journal (Online), Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/865232622?accountid=8289<o:p></o:p>

Southwest Airlines CO [Form 10-Q (Quarterly Report)]. (2012, October 26). In Edgar Online. Retrieved January 11, 2013, from http://www.southwest.com/<o:p></o:p>

Thompson, A. & Gamble, J. (2010). Southwest airlines in 2010: Culture, values, and operating practices. In A. Thompson, M. Peteraf, J. Gamble, & A. Strickland (Eds), Crafting & executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases (pp. C276-C309). New York, NY: McGraw Hill<o:p></o:p>

Thompson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., & Strickland, A. (2012). Crafting & executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.<o:p></o:p>

Doe 1

Question: How does John Updike's Sammy in "A&P" fit into the loss of innocence mold as an initiation story?

Jane Doe

Instructor Boutwell

English 1302

June 17, 2012

Short Response Essay 1 –“A&P” An Initiation Story

In John Updike’s short story “A&P,” the main character, Sammy, fits the loss-of-innocence mold as an initiation story because innocence is present in this character, the character takes a course of action, and this course of action leads him to have an epiphany, consequently changing his point of view on wide scale.

Updike presents Sammy as a character whose innocence can be displayed through his lack of previous experience due to his age as well as his immaturity. In the story, Sammy mentions that he has just turned nineteen years old: “I was nineteen this April” (6). Also, Updike shows signs of Sammy’s immaturity; in one of these instances, Sammy compares himself to his older co-worker, Stokesie, where he implies that they are both immature and that the only difference between them is the fact that Stokesie is “married with two babies” (6). Since innocence is often linked to youth and immaturity, this is evidence of Sammy’s innocence, which allows for there to be a fundamental change later in the story.

The second way in which Sammy fits the loss of innocence mold as an initiation story is when Sammy quits his job as a cashier to try to be a hero to a group of girls and is forced to go through with it. Specifically, Updike shows that Sammy thinks about the option of not quitting in order to not disappoint his parents, but instead goes through with quitting: “But it seems to me that once you begin a gesture it’s fatal not to go through with it”(8). Sammy’s decision to stick with a course of action that before is uncharacteristic to his nature shows that he is maturing from the young boy he once was.

This leads to the fundamental change which occurs through an epiphany that Sammy has at the end of the story where he realizes the consequence of the path he has chosen and becomes aware of the reality that awaits, hence a loss of “innocence.” The short story ends with Sammy realizing how tough the world would be to him now that he had chosen to be the hero: “And my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me from here on in”(8). A loss of innocence is felt since Sammy’s view of the world has changed from what he had thought it was or would be.

Works Cited

Doe 1

Question: How does Oroonoko embody this code of virtue (and the title “Noble Savage”)?

Jane Doe

Instructor Boutwell

English XXXX, Sec. XXXX

12 December 2012

Final Formal Essay – Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave

In the story, Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave, written by Aphra Behn, the main character Oroonoko is described as an African prince who, along with the primitive Indians and noble Africans of this region, strictly adheres to a code of virtue that many “civilized” Christians appear to either disobey or disregard. When oppressed by the adverse and negative attitudes depicted by this “civilized” white society, Oroonoko maintains his code of virtue and espouses the title of “Noble Savage” by upholding his honor, his religious beliefs, and his intellectual supremacy throughout his adversities.

First, Oroonoko maintains his code of virtue by preserving his tenet of honor regardless of his circumstances. Despite the cunning and deceitfulness of many people who try to trick him, capture him, and eventually trigger the deaths of himself and his only love, Imoinda and their baby, Oroonoko holds onto to his strong principles, which he learned in part from his French tutor growing up. Oroonoko displays these values when the slave captain requests Oroonoko visit his ship wherein the captain seized Oroonoko and intended to sell Oroonoko as a slave. Oroonoko and his men preferred death in honor to imprisonment as a slave. The captain, in order to prevent Oroonoko and his men from committing self-starvation while on the slave ship, sends a message that he, in hindsight, believes that he has wronged Oroonoko and that he will release him and his men once they are near land:

And Oroonoko, whose honor was such as he never had violated a word in his life himself, much less a solemn asseveration, believed in an instant what this man said, but replied, he expected for a confirmation of this to have his shameful fetters dismissed. (2332)

The captain responds that his deed was too horrible and worries that Oroonoko might retaliate against him:

Oroonoko replied, he would engage his honor to behave himself in all friendly order and manner, and obey the command of the captain, as he was lord of the King’s vessel and general of those men under his command. (2333)

As part of the captain’s continued treachery, he released only the fetters from Oroonoko and not from Oroonoko’s men. The captain lies and deceives Oroonoko in order to capture him as a slave. Oroonoko demonstrates honor even when confronted by the dishonor of others.

Secondly, Oroonoko maintains his code of virtue by embracing his religious beliefs; even when those who claim to be Christians personally violate him, his morals, and his people, Oroonoko remains true to his beliefs. The captain informs Oroonoko that he does not trust him to be released from his shackles because he feels that Oroonoko is a heathen since he does not believe in the same God that the captain worships. The captain gives his word to Oroonoko as a Christian and swears by the name of his great god and says that should he default on his word, he will be in everlasting torment in the next life:

Oroonoko then replied, he was very sorry to hear that the captain pretended to the knowledge and worship of any gods who had taught him no better principles than not to credit as he would be credited; but they told him the difference of their faith occasioned that distrust. (2333)

Oroonoko states that the captain errs if he believes that “he who will violate his honor will keep his word with his gods” (2333). Oroonoko declares that for a man to violate his honor, it will be “eternally offending and diseasing all mankind,” and he says, “But punishments hereafter are suffered by one’s self, and the world takes no cognizances whether this god have revenged ‘em or not, ‘tis done so secretly and deferred so long” (2333). Oroonoko uses his religious understanding and beliefs to stress to the captain that his honor is more important than the captain’s supposed Christianity.

Finally, Oroonoko maintains his code of virtue by exhibiting his intellectual supremacy over his fellowman. During the many wrongdoings which Oroonoko encounters: his grandfather’s treachery to marry Oroonoko’s wife Imoinda himself, to his wrongful kidnapping by the slave trader, and finally to the deaths of his beloved wife Imoinda, their unborn child and to his own death, Oroonoko demonstrates his superior intelligence. Behn explains that Oroonoko had “nothing of barbarity in his nature, but in all points addressed himself as if his education had been in some European court” (2317). Oroonoko spoke both English and French and had been taught by his French tutor “morals, language, and science” (2317). According to Behn:

Oroonoko was as capable even of reigning well, and of governing as wisely, had as great a soul, as politic maxims, and was as sensible of power, as any prince civilized in the most refined schools of humanity and learning, or the most illustrious courts. (2317-2318)

Oroonoko uses his magnificent intelligence to lead his men in battle, to conduct business as a slave merchant, to shield his wife and unborn child from a life of slavery, and to finally die with honor and with dignity as a noble king.

Oroonoko endures many treacherous and evil wrongdoings by his grandfather, the ship captain, and the slave owners. During all of these injustices, Oroonoko continues to maintain his code of virtue and the title of “Noble Savage” by never comprising his honor, his religious beliefs, or his intellectual supremacy during these hardships.

Sample 3

Southwest Airlines has been my favorite airline since I can remember and the discussion questions and case study forced me to reexamine why I LUV them so much from not only a studen'ts point of view but also from having been a customer. No baggage fees, their "Wanna Get Away" fares, Southwest has really opened the market to entice travelers who normally wouldn't fly vs drive but because the fares are so comparable you can't resist. As a Rapid Rewards member for five years now, the benefits to being loyal to this airline company have paid dividends for my travel. I like it so much I have even opened a credit card with them to earn extra points. Whether it is flying to Vegas to get a way for the weekend or trying to get home to see family for the holidays, Southwest consistently offers the lowest fares without compromising food, service or their awesome flight attendants. “Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has recently acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 72 cities in 37 states and is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet” (Anonymous). Southwest Airlines’ announcement to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of AirTran Airways went public September of 2010. This acquisition of AirTran, a company with a similar business strategy of low fares was a great acquisition on Southwest’s part. By acquiring AirTran Airways, Southwest has been able to offer flights to an estimated 2 million more customers to additional airports. “The Southwest and AirTran Flight Attendants have proven they can rally together for the greater good of Southwest Airlines. I'm proud to lead such a passionate and committed work group, and we're ready for all the exciting things to come” (Anonymous). With the acquisition of AirTran they have added an additional 8,033 employees, 138 aircraft, and 177 nonstop routes (Thompson, 2012). Integration of the AirTran employees into the culture of Southwest Airlines is definitely going to be the biggest challenge for Southwest to overcome. AirTran will need to be able to identify with the fun-luving culture Southwest has created and capitalized on for over thirty years. Southwest may encounter problems with instilling the culture of the Southwest airline among the AirTran employees. Although, initial reports of the integration have been overwhelmingly positive. Other than that, all I can predict for Southwest are great things on the horizon. <o:p></o:p>

References: <o:p></o:p>

D'Aurizio, P. (2008). Southwest airlines: Lessons in loyalty. Nursing Economics, 26(6), 389-92. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236938323?accountid=8289 <o:p></o:p>

Southwest airlines; southwest airlines and airtran airways flight attendants ratify seniority integration agreement. (2012). Transportation Business Journal, , 94. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/920437654?accountid=8289<o:p></o:p>

Thompson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., & Strickland, A. (2012). Crafting and Executing Strategy The Quest for Competitive Advantage Concepts and Cases. New York, New York: McGraw- Hill/Irwin <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Sample #2

Southwest Airlines began operations in 1971 flying between three Texas cities – Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. Southwest introduced the theory of low-fare flying offering $20 one-way flights. These low fares attracted businessman and leisure travelers alike, slowly skyrocketing Southwest into success. A SWOT analysis will be conducted, as well as an action plan for continued growth and development.

Strengths

· Focus on safety with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gary Kelly stating their objective for Southwest was “to be the safest, most efficient, and most reliable airline in the world” (Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble & Strickland, 2012, p. C-306).

· Industry leading employee productivity with a turnaround time of 25 to 30 minutes on an industry average of 45 minutes (Thompson et al., 2012).

· Southwest is a company focused on having a strong culture and one where the employee comes first rather than the customer.

· Relationship with union representation

· Internal advancement with 80 to 90 percent of supervisory positions being filled with internal applicants (Thompson et al., 2012).

· Focus on training with each specific job requiring a certain number of training hours, many above FAA standards.

· Operating on only one aircraft the Boeing-737. This minimizes training costs and keeps the need for spare parts for various planes down to a minimum.

·

Weaknesses

· 82% of Southwest’s employees are members of a union (Thompson et al., 2012).

· Flights are only within the United States.

· Southwest does not offer the perks that other airlines offer such as member lounges and upgraded seating.

· Purchase of tickets is only available directly through Southwest via phone or internet.

· Southwest flies only a select number of airplanes limiting the number of passengers that can be carried.

· Putting the employee over the customer could make the customer feel less valued.

Opportunities

· Flights to more cities

· International flight

· Closer look at overselling and mishandled baggage. Southwest ranks second out of the 8 leading Airlines with mishandled and third in overselling their airplanes.

· Baggage transfers are not available for flyers with connecting flights.

Threats

· Rival airlines trying to offer similar deals.

· Increased fuel prices potentially deterring customers

· Decline in air travel due to fear of flying post-911

Action Plan:

· The Research & Development team should begin looking at popular international markets. Through research on top travel destinations and average number of flyers Southwest can alternate the number of flights available to different international hubs based on peak travel times.

· Continue to focus on “Living the Southwest Way” through continued personal development and training.

· Begin offering baggage transfers to individuals with connecting flights. Traveling can be stressful, by offering to transfer customer bags to connecting flights Southwest would help reduce some of the stress travelers feel with making a connecting flight. To achieve this Southwest would have to partner with other airlines, building industry relationships.

The management at Southwest has done a great job building the company into one that is successful. Based on the findings in this case Southwest would receive a ‘B’ rating. While their corporate culture is one to be applauded and is apparent with having some of the lowest turnover rates in the airline industry; Southwest still fails to deliver on the full customer experience.

One area in which Southwest should look at is the way in which they board their planes. Thompson et al. (2012) compared the boarding process of Southwest to that of a “cattle-call”. This is something that needs to be looked at throughout the airline industry, but for Southwest the use of colored paddles and letters on boarding passes give the customer a degrading feeling. With their innovative way of thinking and ability to go where their competitors don’t the team at Southwest could make boarding a plane as fun as waiting for one.

ReferenceThompson, A., Peteraf, M., Strickland, A., & Gamble, J. (2012). Crafting and Executing Strategy; The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases, 18ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Sample 1

Southwest initiated its first flights in 1971 with round trip low-fare flights between three cities, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston (Thompson and Gamble, 2010). Today however, Southwest serves seventy-eight cities, all of them domestic, most of them medium sized, from Akron, Ohio to West Palm Beach, Florida (Popular, n.d.). Along the way, Southwest engaged in a variety of efforts to enhance its visibility and to mobilize more passengers. <o:p></o:p>

Two of those efforts, although entirely acceptable in the era, would likely raise some politically correct eyebrows in these hyper sensitive times. First, according to Thompson and Gamble (2010), they had their “flight hostesses dress in colorful hot pants and white knee-high boots with high heels” (p. C-278). These skimpily dressed young ladies likely drew a large crowd of businessmen to Southwest. Southwest also served free alcoholic beverages during daytime flights and in 1973, offered complimentary bottles of premium liquors with the purchase of a ticket for a brief period (Thompson and Gamble, 2010). <o:p></o:p>

Some more conventional marketing efforts included catchy advertising campaigns, 10-minute turn-around times by having their ground crews multi-task, the creation of the two-tier on-peak/off-peak pricing structure and the reduction of travel time to and from the large cities by maintaining their locations in the older downtown airports (Thompson and Gamble, 2010). <o:p></o:p>

These days, “Southwest, which flies more domestic passengers than any other U.S. airline, is going international” (Jones, 2012). Jones (2012) reports that after buying AirTran, Southwest, has picked up its routes to Mexico and the Caribbean. This is a shift in strategy for Southwest, which has focused on reliable low-priced service within the United States, is poised to expand into these areas with footholds in Texas and in Atlanta. <o:p></o:p>

Legal and Regulatory Hurdles<o:p></o:p>

Starting in the 70s, through today, Southwest has been embroiled in a continuing series of legal proceedings and regulatory hurdles, overcoming most of them. Its current legal issues include a complaint filed against AirTran (now owned by Southwest) for a violation of the Sherman Act in which it is alleged that AirTran conspired with Delta to monopolize air travel in imposing a $15.00 –per-bag fee for the first item of checked baggage, amongst other issues. Additionally, Southwest is continuously subjected to a variety of proceedings and claims arising from the ordinary course of business, including IRS examination (Southwest, 2012). <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

SWOT Analysis<o:p></o:p>

Strengths: Southwest Airlines has great relations with its unions. Their low-cost and efficient method of operations lends itself to lower fares. Southwest’s people management practices and the corporate culture keep their employees happy which, in turn, keeps the customers happy. With rare exception, Southwest maintains “one of the safest operations in the world” (Thompson and Gamble, 2010, p. C-306).<o:p></o:p>

Weaknesses: Most southwest employees belong to a union. When there is a union, there is always the possibility of strikes or lockouts, which can be disruptive and costly. Southwest does not offer the frills that many other airlines offer such as lounges, movies, etc. Southwest offers only one class of seating, cattle call. You cannot book a flight on outlets such as Expedia or Orbit, you must use their website.<o:p></o:p>

Opportunities: Continued expansion into the international market. Southwest can achieve this through acquisitions, such as the recent AirTran acquisition which brought them to Mexico and the Caribbean. Southwest can move beyond its self-imposed limitation of using only the 747 and use more recent plane technology, such as the Dreamliner.<o:p></o:p>

Threats: Increases in fuel prices will either threaten fare prices or reduce the number of customers. Southwest, like all airlines, is faced with the ever-growing number of government regulations which can increase fares. The saturation of the industry with competition hurts profitability.<o:p></o:p>

Action plan and set of recommendations <o:p></o:p>

Continue to expand internationally<o:p></o:p>

Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble, and Strickland (2012) list a number of reasons for international expansion, including access to new customers, lower costs through economies of scale, to exploit core competencies, to gain access to capabilities in foreign markets, and to spread risks across a wider market base. As the U.S. domestic market is increasingly saturated with low-cost providers, by expanding internationally, Southwest will find customers abroad and retain its position as a leader in the industry. <o:p></o:p>

Maintain a corporate culture that fosters loyalty and commitment<o:p></o:p>

Thompson and Gamble (2010) note that the culture at Southwest Airlines “fostered high labor productivity and contributed to Southwest’s having low labor costs in comparison to the labor costs of at its principal domestic rivals” (p. C-305). Corporate culture exerts profound influences on employees. It stands to reason then, that a good corporate culture will exert positive influences on employees, which can lead to corporate success. Corporate culture can help leaders with stability and control, competitiveness and productivity, flexibility, cohesion, and innovation. Greenberg (2010) in discussing culture states, “relative to other companies in their fields, those with strongest corporate cultures tend to have the best financial performance” (p. 348). <o:p></o:p>

Sustain a state of good labor relations<o:p></o:p>

Thompson and Gamble (2010) note Southwest is “one of the most highly unionized U.S. airlines” (p. C-301). An ever-present killer of a good corporate culture is the employee union(s). Morgan (1998) notes “foremost among all organizational countercultures are those fostered by trade unions” opining that “unions are in effect countercultures in the sense that their existence stems from the fact that the interests of the employee and employer may not be synonymous” (p. 131). By encouraging union members and negotiators to research their pressing issues and to conduct employee surveys before each contract negotiation” (Thompson and Gamble, 2010, p. C-302) as well as non-restrictive work rules and broad job classifications, Southwest will continue to foster a culture of loyalty and commitment.<o:p></o:p>

Strategy<o:p></o:p>

The recent acquisition of AirTran, the All-New Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program, and a plan to modify its reservation system to include international destinations and provide enhanced customer service all serve as a defense against high fuel prices and the bad economy. Replacing older Boeing 737 planes with the larger and more fuel-efficient Boeing 737-800 and plans to use the new fuel-efficient model Boeing 737 Max for expansion to locations of greater distance, will enhance profitability. In partnership with the Mexican carrier Volaris, Southwest provides service that allows passengers to book international flights by connecting with Volaris through most Southwest-served cities. Volaris flies to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Aguascalientes (Anonymous, 2013). <o:p></o:p>

I give Southwest a B+ for its strategy. I would have gone higher except having flown on Southwest, I often feel the cattle-call aspect of their methods and get the impression that I’m on an urban bus ride while in flight. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

References<o:p></o:p>

Anonymous. (2013, January 2). Apple, inc. [Snapshot]. In Hoovers. Retrieved January 6, 2013, from LexisNexis Academic website: http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?<o:p></o:p>

Greenberg, J. (2010). Managing behavior in organizations. (5th ed.). Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ<o:p></o:p>

Jones, C. (2012, May 23). Domestic giant southwest sticks nose into international air. USA Today. Retrieved from http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-05-23/Domestic-giant-Southwest-sticks-nose-into-international-air/55174412/1<o:p></o:p>

Morgan, G. (1998). Images of organization. (The Executive Edition). Berret-Koehler Publishers, Inc: San Francisco, CA<o:p></o:p>

Popular routes and destinations. (n.d.). In Southwest.com. Retrieved January 11, 2013, from http://www.southwest.com/html/air/routes/index.html?int=GFOOTER-DIFFERENCE-ROUTES<o:p></o:p>

Southwest Airlines CO [Form 10-Q (Quarterly Report)]. (2012, October 26). In Edgar Online. Retrieved January 11, 2013, from http://www.southwest.com/<o:p></o:p>

Thompson, A. & Gamble, J. (2010). Southwest airlines in 2010: Culture, values, and operating practices. In A. Thompson, M. Peteraf, J. Gamble, & A. Strickland (Eds), Crafting & executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases (pp. C276-C309). New York, NY: McGraw Hill<o:p></o:p>

Thompson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., & Strickland, A. (2012). Crafting & executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGra

Does the AirTran acquisition make good strategic sense for Southwest? What strategic issues and problems do Gary Kelly and Southwest executives need to address as they proceed to close the deal with AirTran and contemplate how best to integrate AirTran’s operations and AirTran’s employees into Southwest? What weaknesses or problems do you see at Southwest Airlines? The required minimum number of words for initial postings to each discussion question each week is 500

I provided a few articles below on different view points.

http://www.thebeat.travel/post/2010/10/01/Southwests-Acquisition-Of-AirTran-Why-Theyre-Doing-It-And-Why-You-Should-Care.aspx

http://www.thebeat.travel/post/2010/10/01/Southwests-Acquisition-Of-AirTran-Why-Theyre-Doing-It-And-Why-You-Should-Care.aspx

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2614

http://www.dallasnews.com/travel/columnists/tom-parsons/20101010-What-Southwest-s-purchase-of-AirTran-5821.ece

Gain an Understanding of the Case Study I suggest you do the following: 1. Download and read the "Guide to Case Analysis" in the Resources area located under Course Tools to the left of the screen. 2. Read the Case Study in your textbook entitled "Southwest Airlines in 2010: Culture, Values, and Operating Practices." I found a slide show of the case study- http://www.slideshare.net/mitahadi/southwest-airlines-2012

3. View the following videos and visit the following websites to gain a thorough understanding of the case and supporting materials.

a. A Day in the Life of Culture Committee - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7P0T9IbYKU

b. LUV in the Workplace - http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070620105/student_view0/videos.html c. Southwest Airlines - http://www.southwest.com

Prepare a Written Case Analysis

Once you have a thorough understanding of Southwest Airlines write a case analysis (1) identifying all the pertinent issues that management needs to address, (2) perform whatever analysis and evaluation (e.g., Five Forces, SWOT, PESTLE, financial ratios, etc.) as appropriate, and (3) propose an action plan and set of recommendations addressing the issues you have identified.

Specifically, address what grade would you give Southwest management for the job it has done in crafting the company's strategy? Why? What is it that you like or dislike about the strategy? Why? Does Southwest have a winning strategy? Why or why not?

The required minimum number of words for initial postings to each discussion question each week is 500.