Alaska Airlines is one of the largest airline companies in the United States. Its high passenger traffic makes it the fifth largest airlines in the country and also one of the most profitable. With its headquarters in Seattle, Alaska Airlines has stayed committed to its mission of providing passengers with the best flying experience at cost-effective rates. Founded in 1932, Alaska Airlines has overcome many odds to become the profitable business entity that it is today (Avolio, Patterson & Baker, 2017). One of the methods that have made the company resilient despite several turbulent times is its ability to change its business model and operations so as to increase its operational efficiency. According to Avolio, Patterson and Baker, the most recent change in the company’s operation came in 2007 when the company’s leaders decided to introduce new models that would improve the quality of customer service and operational efficiency (2017). This paper aims at looking at the changes that took place in 2007 concerning Kotter's 8 step model of change.
Alarmed by the steady draining of customer loyalty and goodwill, the top executives of Alaska Airlines organized a meeting where they would discuss the future of the company and come up with steps which would save the company from going under. The executives adhered to the Kotter’s model of change when they created urgency, citing the potential threats to the success of the airline, opportunities for change, and having an honest dialogue involving key stakeholders in the company. Since the airline had recently recovered from a record operational low, the executives had to come up with measures that would prevent the company from slipping back to where it was before (Avolio, Patterson & Baker, 2017).
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After the discussions, the executives came up with a three-phase recommendation. They decided that the Seattle hub was vital to their sustainability and that it needed to be fixed. They also agreed to look for a person who would be responsible for the fixing of the Seattle hub and that the person must be able to exercise their mandate across the board, breaking the barriers that existed among silos. The executives communicated their plan to the rest of the organization, and after a few weeks, they appointed the staff vice-president of operations to become the new vice president of Seattle operations (Avolio, Patterson & Baker, 2017). There was also a clear communication sent out to everyone at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport that they would report directly to and support the new vice president of Seattle operations (Avolio, Patterson & Baker, 2017). The new vice president was able to bring together all the leaders of Seattle and instructed them to follow a data-driven process while handling their clients. This led to a total turn around in the Airline as customer satisfaction rates began increasing and operations became efficient.
An example of a strategic vision would be an increase in the number of flights from Los Angeles to Mexico City by the year 2022. Such a strategic vision can only be attained if several values such as hard work, commitment, effective communication, and frequent discussions or consultation are implemented. Through hard work and dedication, everyone within an organization performs their duties to the highest possible standards without necessarily being supervised (Ramasamy & Ganesan, 2017). This makes it easy for the vision to be achieved. The ability to consult provides solutions to stressful situations. According to Avolio, Patterson, and Baker (2017), the central vision of Alaska Airlines was to increase operational efficiency and the quality of customer service. The company’s vision is instrumental in furthering my change effort because, through efficient operations, the airline can effectively be able to introduce additional flights from Los Angeles to Mexico City. The main outcomes from the strategic vision would be to increase the international presence of Alaska airlines and also an increase in revenues due to the increased ticket sales. The strategic vision to increase the number of flights from Los Angeles to Mexico City will be a success only after the demand for the newly introduced flights will correspond or exceed the number of flights allocated to the Los Angeles- Mexico city route.
The communication of change is critical to an organization that wants to adopt new practices or procedures. Ramasamy and Ganesan (2017), state that there are several things needed for effective communication of change within an organization. Foremost, it is important to create a communication plan which will determine which topics need to be communicated and their target audience. This makes it possible to relay relevant information to the right people. Additionally, it is crucial to identify the most appropriate medium of communication from every target group. Examples include face to face communication or through e-mails. Another requirement for effective communication of change within an organization is the scheduling of the types of information according to the process deployment plan before determining the people who will deliver the information and those who will be responsible for executing the new plan.
Different actions can be used to encourage two-way communication within an organization. One of the methods is the understanding of each employee and the things that are of value to them. This helps in providing the employees with the information that they need to be successful, and as a result, they will be confident enough to share with others in case of any challenges that they face (Ramasamy & Ganesan, 2017). It is also essential to create the right channels that will enable smooth communication among employees. The support direct supervisors will require providing them with all the resources that they need for effectively communicating change within an organization. Continuous reassurance must be used to address any concerns about change that might arise from the employees. For the change effort to be successful, every employee must be involved from the top managers to the flight attendants (Ramasamy & Ganesan, 2017).
It is evident that organizational change is needed once in a while to make sure that businesses stay competitive within their fields. From the case study of Alaska Airlines, it is evident that the company used the Kotter’s 8 step model of change to improve the efficiency of its operations successfully.
References
Avolio, B. J., Patterson, C., & Baker, B. (2017). Alaska airlines: Navigating change . Ivy Publishers. Retrieved from https://studydaddy.com/attachment/58345/cmdhg681pw.pdf
Ramasamy, R., & Ganesan, R. (2017). A critical analysis of John P. Kotter's change management framework. Asian Journal of Research in Business Economics and Management , 7(7), 181-203. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318481875_A_critical_analysis_of_John_P_Kotter's_change_management_framework
