Service-e-Writing

In your final project, you will be developing a change plan for Alaska Airlines. In order to begin developing this change plan, you will need to analyze the case study and diagnose the problem. This discussion will help you to become more familiar with the six parts of the Analysis and Diagnosis section of the final project case study: Problem Impact Organizational Needs Variables Underlying Causes Gaps Choose one of the parts above and become an expert on that part of the Final Project and the information related to that part from the case study.  For your initial post, identify which section you are an expert on, summarize your understanding of what is being required of you for your chosen part as well as related content from the case study, and address the corresponding prompt for your section, located in the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric document under critical element I: Analysis and Diagnosis.  Submission: 2-4 paragraphsW14722 ALASKA AIRLINES: NAVIGATING CHANGE Bruce J. Avolio, Chelley Patterson and Bradford Baker wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. This publication may not be transmitted, photocopied, digitized or otherwise reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the copyright holder. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Business School, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 0N1; (t) 519.661.3208; (e) [email protected]; www.iveycases.com. Copyright © 2015, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2017-07-20 In the autumn of 2007, Alaska Airlines executives adjourned at the end of a long and stressful day in the midst of a multi-day strategic planning session. Most headed outside to relax, unwind and enjoy a bonfire on the shore of Semiahmoo Spit, outside the meeting venue in Blaine, a seaport town in northwest Washington state. Meanwhile, several members of the senior executive committee and a few others met to discuss how to adjust plans for the day ahead. This group included Bill Ayer, president and chief executive officer (CEO); Brad Tilden, executive vice-president (EVP) of finance and chief financial officer; Glenn Johnson, EVP of airport service and maintenance & engineering; the company’s chief counsel and executives from Marketing and Planning, Strategic Planning and Employee Services. They were concerned that the airline was steadily draining its reserves of customer loyalty and goodwill, which until recently had seemed abundant — even boundless. Alaska Airlines had recovered from an all-time operational low, where only 60 per cent of flights were on time and seven bags per 1,000 passengers were reported as having been mishandled (defined by the Department of Transportation as checked baggage that was lost, pilfered, damaged or delayed). The airline was now back to the lower end of its pre-crisis status quo of 70 to 75 per cent on-time flights and four mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers.1 Both these important metrics continued to vary from one day to the next. Although the situation on the ramp was stable for the time being, it was still fragile, with the ground crew handling baggage and also performing ground service in between flights. After focusing many resources on operations to improve the airline’s operational results, the executives wondered what might happen if performance were to slip again. Would the airline slip farther and faster than before? What would it take to again recover to the current status quo? Would customers continue to be forgiv