Company Culture Drives Productivity: A Study on How Company Culture Impacts the Bottom Line

Abstract

This study of company culture and its impact on the bottom line of an organization begins with an analysis of the Service Profit Chain. The Service Profit Chain is a management theory that develops a quantifiable set of relationships that directly link profit and revenue growth to not only customer loyalty and satisfaction, but to employee loyalty, satisfaction, and productivity (Heskett 1997). The crux of the theory rests on the ability of a company to create a culture and workplace that is designed to satisfy and empower employees to perform at their highest ability. This study then progresses into a case analysis of Southwest Airlines to show how a company can benefit financially by successfully creating a culture that empowers its employees and follows the model set forth by the Service Profit Chain. The heart of this study is to show that culture is not an aspect of a business that should be written off, but rather, a momentous factor that can lead to more satisfied and productive employees with the ultimate result of increasing the profitably of a company.