Wharton School Publishing
The Power of Dedicated Employees
People
matter most. You know that. But most companies would rather slash costs,
cut headcount, replace well-paid employees with lower-paid staff or outsourced
workers, and reduce customer service. No wonder so many fail — while
others focused on doing the right thing remain profitable and growth
oriented for decades.
In Do the Right Thing: How Dedicated Employees Create Loyal Customers and Large Profits, James F. Parker shows why "doing the right thing" isn't just naïve "feel-goodism"; it's the most powerful rule for business success. In this book, Southwest Airlines' former CEO proves why doing what's right is the number one rule of business success. James F. Parker tells how after 9/11, Southwest made three pivotal decisions — no layoffs, no pay cuts, and no-hassle refunds for any customer wanting them. The result — Southwest remained profitable and its revenue passenger miles for 4Q01 held steady while the rest of its industry nearly collapsed. And Southwest's market cap soon exceeded all its major competitors combined. These pivotal decisions grew naturally from Southwest's culture of mutual respect and trust. Parker offers deeply personal insights into that culture, revealing how those same principles are used by other people and organizations, showing you that it's really not that hard to Do The Right Thing!
In the book, Parker examines why doing what's right is the surest way to optimize and sustain value and offers strategies for putting people first. He shows how to find great leaders at every level of the organization as well as how to hire for attitude and train for skills. He looks at approaches for achieving unprecedented levels of teamwork (and fun!).
Download the first chapter for free.
