Strategic HRM Function within SW Airlines

Introduction

The success of any corporation is significantly embedded on the activities of the human resource department. The department is mandated with the task of maintaining a favorable internal and external environment which can guarantee the progress of the institution. In addition, the management plays a huge role in setting up the department with competent and resourceful individuals who can undertake activities with minimal setbacks. The Southwest Airlines is a corporation which needs to expand its activities outside the United States while maintaining its standards and values. To achieve all these elements, it is advisable to have in place a proper management structure and adequate subdivision of duties in the institution. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the tasks which the human resource can undertake to ensure the institution expands its activities while still upholding the core values, cultural aspect and the standards which it defends. 

SWOT Analysis from the HR Perspective

The human resource can undertake a SWOT analysis to determine how best to adapt to an international environment. Jensen affirms that value maximization can be achieved through understanding the strengths of the institution, pinpointing the weaknesses, maximizing on the opportunities and ensuring that all the threats are eliminated (Jensen, 2017). In this case, the human resource department has to come up with an appropriate framework that can handle all these circumstances without affecting the output of the institution. Moreover, understanding the functioning of the global market is an important aspect as it helps the human resource to know the specific ways through which the productivity can be enhanced. Southwest Airlines has to set in place a robust human resource department which can ensure that all these aspects are checked while the quality and the level of customer satisfaction.

There are many strengths which the airline can capitalize on it its quest to join the global field. One of the most significant elements is customer satisfaction which the firm has been keen to ensure that customers get value for their money. Armstrong and Taylor argue that any corporation needs to improve on the level of service delivery as this will help to attract more customers into the institution (Armstrong & Taylor, 2017). Thus, the human resource has to collect data about customers such as quick response time, the types of services they desire and how they would require the firm to change its activities. By involving themselves with such research activities, the firm will be in a position to establish itself in the global scene. Besides, the airline has a proper employee relation, and this is a strength which the human resource can capitalize on to enhance productivity. Employee relations with the management in the twenty-first century are fundamental, and thus the growth and success of a firm depend on this act (Bull et al., 2016). Therefore, the human resource has to come up with comprehensive employee reward strategies which can ensure that the airline has an increased employee retention and motivation rate.

There are weaknesses which can be noted in the operations of the institution. In such a situation, the human resource has to scout adequate measures which can be used to elevate the status of the firm. For Southwest Airlines, one of the weaknesses is lack of enough employees. The employees are the core entities who facilitate the productivity of the firm (Rothaermel, 2016). The firm has always tried to cope with the little number of laborers, and this has lagged the performance of the firm. Furthermore, lack of professionally enough trained personnel is also a hindrance in the performance of an airline. When faced with such a situation, the human resource is mandated with the task of ensuring they come up with a strategy which can be used to recruit employees who understand the operation of the airline industry. 

There are various opportunities which can be used to enhance the performance of the institution in the long run. In Southwest’s case, the opportunity to establish its activities on the global scale is crucial. Lozano notes that the identification of the opportunities is a significant step as it ensures that the management forms a sphere of influence in the corporate environment (Lozano, 2015). The human resource department has to ensure that the area of expansion has proper government policies which can resonate well with the operations of the firm. Such a move will ensure that the firm provides quality services to the customers while also making profits in the long run. Similarly, the evolving technology is a factor which the firm has to capitalize on to make the merger successful. For instance, in the past year, there has been the production of airplanes which are associated with very minimal air pollution (Jensen, 2017). Such a plane will work as an appropriate corporate social strategy that will enhance the establishment of the institution on the global scale. Another recent advancement is the airport design which the firm can use in the new location. The models help in proper and faster ground controls. Proper utilization of the opportunities will work to establish the airline correctly in the global scene.

There are also threats which the firm will face in the process of expanding into other nations. The threat of competition is inevitable, and this will force the management to come up with unique strategies which can ensure they do not make losses with the anticipated move. To evade the projected losses, the acquisition of Horizon airline is a unique move that will ensure the airline remains productive. Furthermore, the threat of employing unqualified personnel is also evident with the sudden movement (Jensen, 2017). At this point, the human resource department has to improvise a recruiting procedure which will incorporate individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and understand the position and the drive of the institution. 

Recommendations

With the aim of increasing productivity and the position of the airline on the global scale, there are different aspects which the firm has to consider. One of the factors which need to be improved is the culture of the institution. Based on the assertions by Kavanagh and Johnson, embracing diversity is inevitable in the current business world, and therefore, any firm aiming to survive in these conditions needs a cultural perception which is diverse and accommodating (Kavanagh & Johnson, 2017). The stamen implies that Southwest airline has to do away with the culture which confined them in the United States market but instead open up for more people who will constitute the client base. As a result, the human resource has to come up with a cultural perception reflected in the mission of the establishment and houses the beliefs of a diverse group of people. 

The recruitment process is fundamental in the global expansion, and thus the human resource has to be keen in this area. To guarantee a comprehensive expansion process, it is crucial to include a recruitment plan which is fair and incorporates individuals from different cultural backgrounds. The step is vital because it will work to open up to the public in the new location. Likewise, the existing employees need to be put under training by the firm so that they gain more knowledge on how to operate in the global environment (Bull et al., 2016). Furthermore, to cut on the cost of outsourcing of competent individuals who will demand high salaries, the firm needs to come up with a comprehensive internal training program where the excess employees will be taught about the various customer requirements and the new culture of the institution. Such a move will work to increase employee motivation, competence, and retentions. 

The merger with Horizon airlines will be a unique and a bold step that will help the firm to be established in the foreign nations. In a similar way, the act will ensure that competition will not be an issue because the business will continue as usual. Furthermore, the action is comprehensive as it ensures that the client base is absorbed plus the employees in the institution. Another merit emanating from the merger is that there will be an exchange of ideas that will ensure the firm is productive and accrues profits in the long run

It is also recommendable that the firm embraces the aspect of technology as this will significantly work towards ensuring that the firm remains a competitive advantage in the global scale (Rothaermel, 2016). Besides, the practice will ensure that the firm is up to date with the needs of the clients something which is of importance in this global era. Mainly, the human resource will be responsible for coming up with suggestions which help to enhance technology usage in the institution.

Conclusion

Conclusively, human resource plays a crucial role in the entire operations of the firm in the expansion process. In this case, Southwest Airlines has to introduce other useful cultural values which resonate well with the client base where they aim to establish their business. Furthermore, concentrating on the aspect of employee and customer satisfaction are some of the fundamental elements which will ensure the firm has a decisive and swift transition.

References

Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014).  Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice . Kogan Page Publishers.

Bull, J. W., Jobstvogt, N., Böhnke-Henrichs, A., Mascarenhas, A., Sitas, N., Baulcomb, C., ... & Carter-Silk, E. (2016). Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats: A SWOT analysis of the ecosystem services framework.  Ecosystem Services , 17, 99-111.

Jensen, M. C. (2017). Value maximisation, stakeholder theory and the corporate objective function. In Unfolding stakeholder thinking (pp. 65-84) . Routledge.

Kavanagh, M. J., & Johnson, R. D. (Eds.). (2017).  Human resource information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions . Sage Publications.

Lozano, R. (2015). A holistic perspective on corporate sustainability drivers.  Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management , 22(1), 32-44.

Rothaermel, F. T. (2016). Competitive advantage in technology intensive industries. In Technological innovation: Generating economic results (pp. 233-256) . Emerald Group Publishing Limited.