Around the Dell “Doing the Right Thing”
In 2001, Southwest Airlines was the only airline in the world that turned a profit in the fourth quarter after the disastrous terrorist attacks that turned planes into weapons. How did Southwest do it? James F. Parker, CEO and vice
chairman of the board of Southwest Airlines from 2001 through 2004, said it was by putting employees and customers first. The airline offered full refunds to customers who were scared to fly. “We were the only air- line that made that decision,” Parker told a packed house in Memorial Ballroom for the Richard P. Gifford Lecture in Business Ethics in October. Not only did many customers de-
James Parker
cline a refund, some even sent letters with $20 tucked inside. Over the years, the low fares and good customer service had created a loyal following, Parker said. The company also treated its employees well. South- west Airlines was the only airline that didn’t lay off people or cut salaries. Southwest Airlines shares 30 per- cent of its net profits with its employ-
ees. It also has 30 percent lower oper- ating costs than other airlines. “The secret of our success was our dedi- cated employees,” Parker said. Under his leadership, Southwest
Airlines was named one of America’s three most admired companies, one of America’s 100 best corporate citi- zens, and one of the world’s most socially responsible companies. “You can’t make people do the right
thing if they don’t want to do it,” Parker said. “What you can do is make people want to do the right thing.” While on campus, Parker met in-
formally with School of Business and Economics (SOBE) students to discuss a variety of topics, including business ethics. Dr. Joe Turek, dean of SOBE, said he felt compelled to invite Parker to LC after reading his book, Do the Right Thing: How Dedicated Employees Create Loyal Customers and Large Profits (Wharton School Publishing, 2007).
German Week
The Franco-German reconcilia- tion has made war impossible, Nicolas Thiriet, Foreign Affairs counselor and counselor for Eu- ropean and Eurasian Affairs at the French Embassy, said during a joint lecture with Hans-Ulrich von Schroeter, U.S.A. deputy di- rector of the German Informa- tion Center at the German Embassy. Speaking on “French and Ger-
Hans-Ulrich von Schroeter and Nicolas Thiriet
man Relations within the Euro- pean Union,” during German Week in November, the two
diplomats described the “painful pasts” of both their countries and lauded the reconciliation that has taken place since World War II. “The European Union is an
enormous success story,” said von Schroeter. “It has achieved the unimaginable, and that is to make the continent one.” Both men pointed to the free move- ment of goods and people re- sulting from the EU. “Now we have sister cities and school ex- changes, and people can go from one European country to
another without restrictions,” von Schroeter said. “France and Germany consult
before every important decision,” Thiriet said, “and when France and Germany agree, something happens.”
WE B E X C L U S I V E Watch a student-produced video of German a cappella ensemble Vocaldente who kicked off German Week with a performance in Dillard Theatre.
www.lynchburg.edu/spring2012
6 LC MAGAZINE Spring 2012
PHOTOS BY JOHN MCCORMICK
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