Name of Institution: University of Liverpool Programme Name: MSc International Management (Health Care) Module 1 Week 4 Assignment: What

special organisation features do these companies have that make them different? Evaluate the effectiveness of these features in helping the companies concerned to achieve better performance. What evidence is there to support this? Student Name: James Orin Bunbury Jr. Student ID #: 15939211 Date: February 22, 2012

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The existence of an organizational design, which holistically engenders organizational learning, and effective application, must begin with a culture and environment of boundary departments (Delong & Fahey, 2000; Bunderson & Sutcliffe, 2002; quoted in IJMR, 2009), which support the mining of data and information for deutero-learning (Aygyris & Schn, 1978, quoted in Docherty et al. 2002; Druskat & Pescosolido, 2002; Schn, 1975; quoted in IJMR, 2009), through the management of knowledge synthesis, and driven by an inherent sense of organizational citizenship behaviour individuals (OCBI) and organizational citizenship behaviour organization (OCBO) (Williams & Anderson, 1991; quoted in Moss, 2009), a prerequisite for the production of stated or explicit knowledge (IJMR, 2009); Learning can be a precursor for tacit knowledge, if routine ex ante and ex post analyses, and training are a part of the processes in the organizing of activities (Lipshitz et al. 2002, 2006; Popper & Lipshitz, 2000; Murry et al. 2001; quoted in IJMR, 2009). This allows for successful strategy (innovation) (Kuratko et al. 2001, quoted in IJMR, 2009), to be integrated with tacit knowledge, to create competitive advantage, the product according to Lipshitz et al. (2006), in the pursuit of Schumpeterian rent (profit). In my endeavour to compare, contrast, and conduct any analysis on Southwest airline and Semco, I would employ the composite casual map, in IJMR (2010), for guidance and comparison. Seeking to ascertain, whether the stated ten independent variables, known to produce (a) the perceived need to change, (b) productive learning, and (c) sustained productive learning (IJMR, 2010), have a causal relationship in these firms. Thus demonstrating, the presence or absence of some, or all of the components of organizational learning implementations; these being (a) commitment to learning policy, (b) tolerance for failure policy, commitment to workforce policy, (d) new member socialization policy (IJMR, 2010). Southwest Airline, founded in 1966 (Child, 2005, p. 395), and operationalized in 1971, is an open organizational design (Freiberg & Freiberg, 1996; quoted in Messina, 2008). In contrast SEMCO in the last 20 years has embraced an open structure (Fenton, 2002). [1] Organizational Learning Mechanism (OLM), use in Southwest is evident, and is geared to improve cross functional performance, as such team performance rather than individual performance is measured, and [2] OLM training often embodies the acculturating of new employees (Gittel, 2003, quoted in Messina, 2008). Likewise at Semco, similar can be said (Child, 2005, p. 398). [3] Supervisor communication and support at Southwest and Semco, are evident in the following, (a) information from leadership meeting is share with employees (Freiberg & Freiberg, 1996, quoted in Messina, 2008), (b) workers and management are privy to the same information necessary for decision making (Freiberg & Freiberg, 1996, quoted in Messina, 2008; Child, Page 2 of 5

2005, pp.397-398). At both companies, they are routinely engaging in problem solving, giving support, encouragement, and advice where and when necessary (Gittel, 2003, quoted in Messina, 2008; Child, 2005, pp.397-398). [4] Formalized cross-functional team roles, encourages learning, and robust relationships centered around shared values, knowledge, and respect at both Southwest airlines and Semco (Gittel, 2003, quoted in Messina, 2008; Child, 2005, pp. 397-398), moreover at Southwest cross-functional team evolution gave birth to boundary spanner agent, with freedom to be adaptive and proactive, allowed for empirical findings such as flight departure performance, turnaround times, staffing productivity, fewer bags misplacement, and fewer customer complaints, thus doing more with less (Gittel, 2003; West, 2005, quoted in Messina, 2008). Similarly at Semco, a six to ten member employee team was responsible for all forms of production (Child, 2005, p. 397) [5] Efforts at procedural justice, is evident in Southwest airline commitment to employees, through [a] equal opportunity for growth and development, caring, compassion, and respect is guaranteed (Freiberg & Freiberg, 1996, quoted in Messina, 2008). At Semco however, while the rights to hire and fire occurs at the team level, a privilege reserved for Southwest management only, all action and activities at Southwest are policy directed, at Semco no traditional policy manual exist (Child, 2005, p. 398; Freiberg & Freiberg, 1996, quoted in Messina, 2008). [6] Southwest airline recognition of citizenship behaviour, is evident in the creativity and innovation, encouraged of employees, by Southwest airlines; motivating employees to act outside of the functioning responsibility, by directing their energies and attention to the overall process (Freiberg & Freiberg, 1996; & Gittel, 2003, quoted in Messina, 2008). However, with no fixed functioning responsibilities at Semco, recognition of citizenship behaviour is Semco encouragement to its employees to be proactive and innovative, always willing to speak their ideas (Child, 2005, p. 398). [7] Southwest organizational and managerial support, operates within in myriad facets, in the handling of trainees, and staff professional and private lives, having an organizational culture that not only celebrates the richness of its diversity, but through positive spillover activities brings families and communities together (Gittel, 2003; & West, 2005, quoted in Messina, 2008).These however is not evident at Semco. [8] Southwest staff extra-role recognition, is holistic in its endeavour, and valued in teamwork; as such relational competence of each staff is developed Gittel, 2003; & West, 2005, quoted in Messina, 2008). Because of the absence of functioning responsibility of each staff at Semco, one cannot accurately determine where staff extra-role begins. [9] Individual and group reward systems, at Southwest range from less common such as profit sharing scheme, which align employee interest with that of the company, to the more common such as medical benefits, retirement savings plan, and unique benefits such spacePage 3 of 5

available free flying (Employee, 2007; & Benefits, 2008, quoted in Hall, 2008). However, at Semco, a quarter of all profit goes to profit sharing, the amount accrued to each staff is determined by a select committee (Child, 2005, p. 397). [10] New member socialization occurs through acculturation of newly hired employees (Gittel, 2003), for Semco, there is no evidence of this format. In concluding, it can be said that upon examination of these two companies Southwest and Semco, and their business environs, a number of confluencing factors both explicit and implicit, help shaped the employees environment, work experience, benefits, and performance. Proactivity, and innovativeness, lagging indicators of workplace democracy (Fenton, 2002), are the drivers of continual learning in a democratic organization. Southwest airlines, and Semco democratic organization possess their idiosyncrasies, however this can be viewed as shades of organization democratization contextual to its needs.

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Bibliography: Aric Hall, 2008, Organizational Pay Analysis: A Case Study of Southwest Airlines,

(online) http://www.arichall.com/academic/papers/om5218-paper.pdf accessed 28/2/2012

Dr. Simon Moss, (2009), Organizational Citizenship Behaviour, (online) http://www.psychit.com.au/Psychlopedia/article.asp?id=272 accessed on 22/2/2012 G. Stephen Taylor, Gary F. Templeton and LaKami T. Baker, Factors Influencing the Success of Organizational Learning Implementation: A Policy Facet Perspective, International Journal of Management Reviews 12, (2010): 353-364, University of Liverpool Library, accessed February, 2012. Jim Messina, 2008, Southwest Airlines: A culture worth understanding, (online), http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=4&oq=Southwest+&ie=UTF8&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS441US441&q=southwest+airline+organizational+structure&gs_upl=0l0l0l 8561lllllllllll0&aqi=g4s2 accessed 22/2/2012 John Child, Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practices (350 Main Street, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005), pp. 395-398. Peter Docherty, Jan Forslin, Abraham B. Shani, SALTSA (Program), Creating Sustainable Work Systems: Emerging Prescriptive and Practice,(Psychology Press, 2002), Google e-book, http://books.google.com/books?id=eEubXrv9nDMC&dq=deutero+learning+definition&source=g bs_navlinks_s accessed on 22/2/2012 Traci L. Fenton, 2002, The democratic company: Four organizations transforming our workplace and our world, (online) http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Decision_Making_and_Democracy/Democratic_Company.pdf accessed 27/2/2012

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