OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Politcal Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the political frame
2. Apply the political frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

The continuing COVID-19 pandemic affects Southwest Airlines in many ways,

including passenger safety, canceled flights, and employee shortages. Southwest must
protect employees and passengers from a highly contagious airborne virus. Still,
protective measures like mask mandates contribute to verbal and physical violence
against employees and other passengers. Flights were canceled due to weather, illness,
and staffing shortages. After thousands of employees left Southwest at the beginning of
the pandemic, Southwest is ramping up its hiring efforts to meet customer demand.

My role in the organization is external, as a shareholder and a frequent customer.

Southwest has always been my go-to airline to travel to nearby cities as a former
Southern California resident. As I started to formulate my investment strategy, Southwest
quickly emerged as a good investment compared to other airlines. Southwest's years of
operation, profitability, and return on investment made me feel like it was an outstanding
stock to buy and hold for the long term.
2) Describe how the politics of the organization influenced the situation.

The internal political structure of Southwest Airlines consists of its executive

team and employees, but they have divergent interests. Southwest’s flight attendants are
represented by a union, and when the air rage incidents began to spike during the
pandemic, the union proposed several solutions to diffuse the incidents. The union
proposed creating no-fly lists, banning unruly passengers from flying with the aggrieved
airline. This practice is currently used by individual airlines, so the union proposed
creating a shared list to prevent passengers banned from one airline from flying on
another. Southwest executives pushed back on that idea but stated it would continue to
work with other airlines and federal agencies to find a solution to the problem (Martín,
2021). One solution Southwest employed was suspending in-flight alcohol sales, which

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 was initiated in 2020. The flight attendant union is concerned because Southwest will
resume alcohol sales on February 16, 2022.

Externally, Southwest Airlines must abide by the Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA), a government regulatory agency. The FAA’s mission is to provide the safest,
most efficient aerospace system in the world (Federal Aviation Administration, 2018).
Airlines report air rage incidents to the FAA, and in January 2021, the agency adopted a
zero-tolerance policy. The policy imposes civil fines to unruly passengers, with more
than $1 million fines issued to passengers last year. There is evidence the penalties have
led to a decline in incidents, but it has not made a substantial decrease. The US Congress
held a committee meeting in late 2021 to address the increase of air rage incidents, which
found that the primary triggers were too much alcohol among passengers and mask
mandates (Martín, 2021).

3) Recommend how you would use organizational politics for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

The flight attendants appropriately used their power sources. They used their
alliances and networks within Southwest and other airlines to push for the alcohol ban
and no-fly list. The union can use coercive power to disrupt the airline’s schedules until a
more substantive change occurs. I think the most powerful device the Southwest Airlines
employees haven’t used is framing. Framing is the ability to shape meaning and articulate
myths that express identity, beliefs, and values (Bolman & Deal, 2017, p. 193).
Southwest has used a heart as a symbol, the stock exchange symbol LUV, and co-
workers are known as co-hearts (Sampson, 2019). Southwest looks for employees that
have a “warrior spirit, servant’s heart, and fun-LUVing attitude.” (Sampson, 2019). I
would recommend the flight attendants use these symbols and slogans to frame their
issue; if Southwest loves its employees, it should do all it can to eliminate abuse and
violence from its passengers.

I believe if the flight attendants, crew, and gate agents banded together to apply
political pressure internally, Southwest’s executive leadership team would be moved to
seek external assistance with the air rage issue. The bottom-up political action will
prompt Southwest to lobby the FAA for steeper penalties for violent passengers. The
airlines should partner with the flight attendants union and their direct competitors to
drive federal legislators to make air rage a federal crime. A disturbance against flight
personnel affects the safety of all passengers, and all employers have a responsibility to
ensure the safety of employees who handle the general public.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

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 After learning about the political frame, I believe the employees of Southwest did
what they could to handle air rage incidents. I was disappointed to learn Southwest was
reluctant to pursue a national no-fly list, although I understand some legal issues related
to anti-trust regulations. I feel there were other things the Airline could’ve done to protect
its employees. The pandemic was stressful for everyone, and it also turned into an
ongoing political debate. But it does not give the public permission to be abusive towards
employees for merely doing their jobs and ensuring safety for all passengers.

Reflecting on the possible actions Southwest could’ve taken, I think they

should’ve appealed to passenger’s morals. The airline loves its employees and can take
measures that protect their safety. For example, a disclaimer or agreement for customers
acknowledging the rules of the aircraft and federal mandates are non-negotiable, and
passengers that object can find an alternative travel method. I would also include that
failure to adhere to Southwest’s flying policies will result in removal from the aircraft
and a permanent ban from the airlines. I’m sure that information is somewhere in the fine
print, but it’s something that needs to be pointed out before purchasing a ticket.
Southwest can emphasize that they want the flight to be comfortable and safe for
everyone on the aircraft, and this policy is a step toward ensuring that.

References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership (6th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from
https://app.perusall.com/courses/ogl-481-org-leadership-pro-seminar-i-2022-spring-a-
401108891/9781119281849?chapter=cover

Federal Aviation Administration. (2018, May 2). Retrieved from U.S. Department of
Transportation: https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/safetyfirst/federal-
aviation-administration

Martín, H. (2021, October 4). Facing 'air rage' when you fly? One airline has a solution.
Retrieved from Tampa Bay Times:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/10/04/facing-air-rage-when-you-fly-one-
airline-has-a-solution/

Sampson, H. (2019, October 16). Southwest’s plan to conquer the airline industry, one joke at a
time. Retrieved from The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/10/16/southwests-plan-conquer-airline-
industry-one-joke-time/

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 Reference or References
(Choose appropriate Title if Applicable and Delete the Rest)