Copy of JetBlue Presentation

summary

• “Building a values-based, high commitment organizational culture”
• “Bring humanity back to air travel”
• “First paperless airline”
• “A chance to create something new, unencumbered and fun”
• “Vision of leveraging technology and people to deliver a low-cost high service experience”

What is jetBlue's culture?

jetBlue values

• safety
• caring
• integrity
• fun
• passion

How does it contribute to company performance?

jetBlue and organizational culture layers

• charisma and leadership
• strategy, vision, and mission
• identifying important performance features, communicating them, and shaping culture
• employee treatment and alignment with the leader’s plans

What are the main ingredients of jetBlue’s approach to HRM?

3. Flexible approach to human resource management, particularly when it comes to compensation and benefits

Features of compensation at JetBlue:

-Customised packages

-Externally competitive

-Innovative benefits

What are the disadvantages of the jetBlue approach to HRM?

What could be improved?

1) Need for specific customer-service or customer-focused courses

2) Lack of stress management programs

3) Question of cost?

4) Question of time?

How is the theory of HPWS applied in this case?

High performance work systems

• The development of human capital can create sustainable competitive advantage.
• Aiming to improve employee attitudes, motivation and therefore performance.

HPWS objectives

• Increase employees’ control
• Increase employees’ wellbeing

Features

• Satisfaction
• Reduced anxiety
• Enriched jobs
• Employee voice
• Motivational Support
• Significant financial investment in employees
• Flexible practices
• Organisational commitment
• Employee discretionary behaviour
• Internal promotions

Are HPWS best practice?

Best practice at jetBlue?

• Unable to cater to every individual’s needs
• Is emotional attachment always a good thing?
• Putting people in salary brackets?

There's not one set of best practices that will fit all organisations' culture, strategy or external challenges. Even the best HR practices will not suit all employees' needs given the nature of individual differences.

References

Bellot, J. 2011, ‘Defining and assessing organizational culture’, Nursing Forum, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 29-37.

Boswell, W. R.. Bingham, J. B. & Colvin, A. J. S. 2006, ‘Aligning employees through “line of sight”’, Business Horizons, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 499.

De Witte, K. & van Muijen, J. J. 1999, ‘Organizational culture’, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 497-502.

Jarnagin, C. & Slocum Jr, J. W. 2007, ‘Creating corporate cultures through mythopoetic leadership’, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 288.

JetBlue 2012, ‘Work Here: Benefits’,<http://www.jetblue.com/work-here/benefits.aspx>

Lewis, P. S., Goodman, S. H., Fandt, P. M., & Michlitsch, J. F. (2007). ‘Management: Challenges for Tomorrow's Leaders’, 5th edition, Thomson Higher Education.

Liang, X., Marler, J., & Cui, Z., 2012, 'Strategic human resource management in China: East meets West', Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 55-70.

Line, M. B. 1999, ‘Types of organizational culture’, Library Management, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 73-75

Linnenluecke, M. K. & Griffiths, A. 2010, Corporate sustainability and organizational culture’, Journal of World Business, vol. 45, pp. 357-366.

Liu, W., Guthrie, J., Flood, P. & Maccurtain, S., 2009, 'Unions and the adoption of high performance work systems: does employment security play a role?', Industrial and Labor Relations Review, vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 109-127.

Neeleman, D. & Ford, R. C. 2004, ‘David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue Airways, on people + strategy = growth’. Academy of Management, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 139.

News.com.au (2010). ‘Flight attendant Steven Slater 'deserved his meltdown'’, August 11 2010. News.com.au, accessed on 1 September 2012.

Patel, P & Conklin, B, 2012, 'Perceived labor productivity in small firms: the effects of high performance work systems and group culture through employee retention', Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 205-235.

Simmons, L. C. 1996, ‘Organizational culture’, Mortgage Banking, vol. 56, no. 9, pp. 105-106.

Wang, J., & Verma, A., 2012, 'Explaining organisational responsiveness to work life balance issues: the role of business strategy and high performance work systems', vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 407-432.

Wood, S. & de Menezes, L., 2011, 'High involvement management, high performance work systems and well being', International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 22, no. 7, pp. 1586-1610.

Conclusion

Questions?

Quiz!

Considering elements of jetBlue's organizational culture, which type of animal-based culture does it best fit?

a) lion culture

b) hyena culture

c) chimpanzee culture

d) cat culture

a) lion culture

c) internal process model

Which of these is not in the framework for organizational culture?

a) national culture

b) leadership

c) interactions between individuals and the organization

d) all of the above are in the framework for organizational culture

d) all of the above are in the framework for organizational culture

Employee treatment and alignment with a leader's plans is one of the most noticeable organizational culture layers at jetBlue. How does jetBlue exemplify this layer?

a) employees have the freedom to do whatever they want

b) standard HR practices provide for all employees

c) the leader's values emphasize employee well being

d) none of the above

c) the leader's values emphasize employee well being

A key disadvantage of JetBlue’s current approach to HRM is that it does not link its HRM practices to its culture/values?

a) true

b) false

b) false

What are the main ways that JetBlue management communicate with employees? Select the most appropriate answer.

a) Telephone calls and letters

b) Emails, monthly briefings, satisfaction surveys, Q&A sessions (face-to-face)

c) Telephone calls and brainstorm sessions

d) Video-conferencing

b) Emails, monthly briefings, satisfaction surveys, Q& A sessions (face-to-face)

What are JetBlue’s values?

a) safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion

b) safety, teamwork, enthusiasm, compliance, and fun

c) profit, individualism, integrity, passion, compliance

d) caring, communication, positive attitude, fun, passion

a) safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion

What are the two key objectives of HPWS?

a) increase the control that employees have over their work & increase employee welfare through reward and greater involvement

b) minimise costs of recruitment and turnover & increase control over employees’ behaviour

c) increase control over employees’ behaviour & Increase employee welfare through reward and greater involvement

d) minimise costs of recruitment and turnover & Increase the control that employees have over their work

a) increase the control that employees have over their work & increase employee welfare through reward and greater involvement

Features of HPWS DO NOT include

a) enriched jobs

b) internal promotions

c) reduced financial investment in employees

d) reduced anxiety

c) reduced financial investment in employees

In general, organisations that are more unionised tend to have less of a HPWS focus.

a) true

b) false

a) true

A factory producing soap bars for the local community best represents which type of model?

a) human relations model

b) open systems model

c) internal process model

d) rational goal model

presented by Maria Markoulli, Michelle Kizer, and Samantha Roberts

Organizational culture discourse

• First introduced from an anthropological perspective (Pettigrew 1979).
• Basic framework for understanding organizational culture is developed by De Witte and van Muijen.

jetBlue – founded in 1999

Broad categorizations

• animal perspective
• formal approaches

2. Training and development of employees'core competencies

4. Employee engagement, communication and evaluation

1. Linking key HR practives with business culture, values and business strategy

back to the values

• safety
• caring
• integrity
• fun
• passion