Company OverviewThe mission of Southwest Airlines is a dedication to the highest quality of service delivered with warmth, friendliness, individual pride and entrepreneurial spirit (Mission…, 2007) . The company also provides learning and personal growth opportunities to every employee. Creativity and innovation are very important and strongly encouraged in order to improve efficiency. Employees should be afforded the same concern, respect and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share with the customer. Southwest Airlines was initially created to provide an inexpensive alternative to the high fares of intra-Texas air carriers (Freiberg, 1996). South West fares were originally intended to compete with car and bus travel. It was a small airline and it would stand the test of time. As a no-frills, discount airline, it would provide stiff competition to larger airlines. Their strategy was to operate low cost, with no food, no movies, no first class, and no reserved seats. They created their own market and increased turnaround times at the gate, avoiding hub-and-spoke airports and opting for direct flights over short distances. Through this market approach, Southwest holds the majority of market share in the markets it serves. Although many companies are in business to make a profit, Southwest says their primary goal is not profit maximization. However, they have always been profitable by making air travel affordable to those who could not previously afford it (Freiberg, 1996). Southwest says the customer comes second, which shows its dedication to its employees. By taking care of its employees, the company encourages its employees to take care of customers. Employees are... middle of paper ...... employees can improve your service levels. Accessed online February 9, 2007 at: http://www.ecustomerserviceworld.com/earticlestore_articles.asp?type=article&id=110.Employee Benefits Summary, Southwest Airlines (2007). Accessed online February 23, 2007 at: http://www.southwest.com/careers/benefits.html.Freiberg, K. and Freiberg, J. (1996). Nuts! Southwest Airlines' crazy recipe for business and personal success. Austin: Bard Press. Gittell, J. H. (2003). The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill. Southwest Airlines Mission (2007). Accessed online February 25, 2007 at: http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/mission.html. Wilson, TB (1999). Rewards that promote high performance. Accessed online February 18, 2007 at: http://www.wilsongroup.com/ecr/case/SouthwestAirlines.pdf.