Robin hood case study strategic management

Running head: ROBIN HOOD 1

Robin Hood-Individual Case Analysis Exam

Texas A&M University-Central Texas

90

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of

MGMT 501- Organizational Behavior

Due Date – September 14, 2012 Submitted – September 14, 2012

Dr. Jody Fry

Fall 2012

ROBIN HOOD 2

Robin Hood-Individual Case Analysis Exam

Situation Analysis

Robin Hood’s leadership ability and malevolence for the High Sheriff of Nottingham led

to the union of the band of Merrymen. As commander of the Merrymen, Robin Hood

maintained order and discipline by assigning specific responsibilities to his lieutenants Will

Scarlett, Little John, Scarlock, and Much the Miller’s son. This allowed Robin time to focus his

attention on keeping track of the Sheriff and his men and time to formulate plans of robbing rich

merchants and tax collectors as they traveled Sherwood Forest, as his motto was “Rob the rich

and give to the poor”.

The Merrymen grew immensely in numbers. Robin found himself losing control of his

men as they began displaying a lack discipline and awareness. Additionally, food, money, and

provisions became insufficient as the group got larger. Robin Hood realized something had to

change immediately in Sherwood Forest as the Sheriff and his administration were gaining

momentum.

In addition to the problems Robin faced with the Merrymen, he had to make one of his

biggest management decisions ever. He could join the Barons in their conspiracy to release King

Richard from jail in return for future amnesty, possibly facing the wrath of the Sheriff and Prince

John if something went wrong, or proceed with providing leadership to his men with hopes of

overthrowing the Sheriff and his administration. Robin ultimately goal was restoring

Nottingham to the way it was before the Sheriff took charge.

Vision Statement

To restoring tranquility, equality and equitable allocations of resources for the betterment of

Nottingham’s less fortunate. Motto: Rob the rich and give to the poor.

ROBIN HOOD 3

Purpose Statement

To overthrow the High Sheriff of Nottingham and his administration in order to satisfy the needs

of its members and the townspeople.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to “Rob the rich and give to the poor” to ensure equality, equity, and equal

distribution of resources to those less fortunate in Nottinham.

Organizational Values

Robin Hood and the Merrymen unite as one to incorporate the values of their

organization’s mission statement. These values emulate how the organization identifies with the

townspeople and supports their ultimate goal in removing the Sheriff from power and restoring

peace to Nottingham. The values embodied by Robin Hood and the Merrymen are teamwork-

working together to overthrow the Sheriff and his administration from further infliction of

turmoil, loyalty and commitment- loyal and committed to the cause of confiscating goods from

the rich to give to the poor, equality- providing a balance of resources to the townspeople,

equity- justice in returning Nottingham to a harmonious state, and caring for the people- striving

not impose taxes upon farmers and the townspeople, his most important allies.

Robin Hood and the band of Merrymen are committed to overthrowing the Sheriff and

his administration. Men from all over Nottingham willingly forged an alliance against the

Sheriff displaying their readiness to serve. Their aspiration to seek justice for all those wronged

by the Sheriff and his administration is a testament to their commitment to serve. The

organization’s loyalty and commitment to its members and the townspeople establishes an

environment with a common cause. They believe in confiscating goods from the rich to give to

the poor as a means of balancing the inequities brought about by the Sheriff and his men. The

Commented [JF1]: Same as vision statement. Mission – The Merrymen’s mission was to form volunteers into a disciplined band, united against the sheriff and willing to live outside the law.

Commented [JF2]: Please list these.

ROBIN HOOD 4

Merrymen have been loyal to Robin and committed to the campaign he initiated for the well-

being of the people. The poor people of Nottingham remain loyal to the organization as they

await the dethroning of Prince John, the exile of the Sheriff and the return of King Richard.

Robin Hood and his men strive to establish a sense equity and equality as best they can to

provide a sense of balance to the poor who have suffered dearly at the hands of the Sheriff and

his men and Prince John and his spies. There is no equality because the poor remains poor and

the rich keep getting richer with no concern for those less fortunate. Robin Hood and the

Merrymen honestly care for the poor and want what’s best for them. The organization has a

genuine interest in stabilizing the welfare of the people.

Minus 1 Points

Stakeholder Analysis

The primary stakeholders are Robin Hood, Prince John, the Sheriff, the Merrymen, the

rich, and the poor. These stakeholders can benefit from the organization’s accomplishments and

can be affected by its errors. The high power and high importance stakeholders are Robin Hood,

the Sheriff and Prince John. The low power and high importance stakeholders are the Merrymen

and the poor. The high power and low importance stakeholders are the rich.

Stakeholder Expectations

Robin Hood expects that he and the Merrymen will overthrow the Sheriff and his men.

The issue is that the Sheriff and his men are gaining momentum while the Merrymen are

experiencing organizational problems. The goal is for Robin and the Merrymen to remove the

Sheriff from power, restoring Nottingham to the way it once was before he gained control.

The Merrymen expect that Robin Hood will provide necessary resources and prepare

them to defeat the Sheriff. The issue is that the Merrymen have grown significantly in numbers

Commented [JF3]: Issues? Issue: The increasing size of the band is making it more difficult for the Robin and his lieutenants to communicate and enforce the vision and values of the Merrymen organization.

Commented [JF4]: Robin Hood is at the center of the Stakeholder Analysis. The person in the center of the stakeholder analysis will be effective to the extent he/she meets or exceeds the expectations of key stakeholders.

ROBIN HOOD 5

and as a result resources have become scarce. The goal is to continuing robbing from the rich

to give to the more with hopes of possibly expanding Sherwood Forest if recruits keep pouring

in.

The Sheriff expects that his administration will continue to gain momentum and strength

to deal with Robin and the Merrymen. The issue is that the organization has grown

tremendously and could possibly bring harm upon the Sheriff and his men. The goal is to

become stronger and better organized to deal with Robin and his band.

Prince John expects that the Barons will dispute his claim to the throne. The issue is that

Prince John is not well-like by the people because he is a horrible person. The goal is to have

spies infiltrate the forest to find anyone guilty of provincial banditry and punish them.

The poor people expect that Robin and his men will overthrow the Sheriff and bring their

King home. The issue is that the Sheriff and his men are in control leaving townspeople at their

mercy. The goal is to support Robin Hood and the Merrymen in their fight against the Sheriff.

The rich expect that Robin Hood and the Merrymen will rob them every chance they get.

The issue is that the travelers were now were distancing themselves from the thieves of the forest

during their travels. The rich refuse to support Robin Hood and the Merrymen. The goal is to

find the most expedient path through the forest without encountering Robin Hood and the

Merrymen.

Minus 2 Points

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis

The most effective way of identifying Robin Hood and the Merrymen is by analyzing the

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and the threats of the organization.

Strengths

Commented [JF5]: Sherriff of Nottingham, Prince John, and the rich - Robin Hood does not have to meet their expectations to be effective. A similar analogy is the competitor stakeholder of a business. Businesses have to seek competitive advantages against their competitors, not meet their expectations.

Commented [JF6]: Barons are a stakeholder.

Commented [JF7]: Key issues related to unmet stakeholder expectations?

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The strengths faced by the organization are the large number of peoples who joined the band,

Robin Hood’s strong leadership ability, the enormous amount of support extended to the band

from the townspeople and farmers and the Barons request for Robin Hood to join them in

releasing King Richard for Robin Hood’s amnesty.

Weaknesses

The weaknesses faced by the organization are limited resources, lack of discipline amongst the

Merrymen, increases in food expenses, Robin’s personal campaign against the Sheriff, the

likelihood of imposing a fixed transit tax, and the large number of undisciplined new recruits.

Opportunities

The opportunities faced by the organization are joining the Barons in releasing King Richard,

imposing a transit tax to take care of financial needs, assigning more lieutenants to oversee the

large number of band members, and organizing and providing training to the group.

Threats

The threats faced by the organization is the lack of self-control and attentiveness amongst the

large numbers of Merrymen, the Sheriff and his administration are getting stronger, the rich are

avoiding travels through the forest, Prince John’s spies, consequences of joining the Barons in

releasing King Richard should something go wrong, the backlash from the farmers and

townspeople if a fixed transit tax is imposed.

Issue(s) Statements

Thanks to the support of the townspeople, the band of Merrymen has grown tremendously.

However, the group has grown so large that Robin no longer feels as though he has control over

them. The organization is currently a functional structure in which communication is informal.

Major issues with Robin Hood and the Merrymen are as follows:

Commented [JF8]: Threats are external to the organization.

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● Robin Hood realizes that robbing from rich who travel through the Sherwood Forest is no

longer enough to sustain the organization. He believes a fixed transit tax will help the group

financially.

●The band of Merrymen has grown so large that Robin no longer feels he has control of his men.

The group is displaying disorderly conduct.

● Food, money, forest space and other resources have become scarce as a result of the large

number of men who have voluntarily joined in the fight against the Sheriff.

●Robin Hood has been asked to join the Barons in the conspiracy to release King Richard from

jail. If something goes wrong, Robin and his men would be in grave danger.

Management Question

How can Robin Hood reorganize the band of Merrymen, replenish their resources and continue

with their current policy if they want to successfully overthrow the Sheriff and his

administration. Robin has to reorganize his men and regain control. Order and control must be

established. A decentralized regional structure needs to be implemented. More lieutenants need

to be assigned to the men to ensure they’re properly trained and provided guidance.

Organizational Behavior Analysis

Dynamics of Organizational Culture

Robin Hood and the Merrymen’s organization culture is defined by its strong belief that

all individuals are entitled to tranquility and equitable management by its leaders. Those less

fortunate have been burdened by substantial tax increases that they did not incur under King

Richard. As a result of its organizational culture, Robin Hood and the Merrymen live by and

support their motto, “Rob from the rich and give to the poor”.

Commented [JF9]: Should only draw on chapters we have covered by the time the exam is due. In this case Chs 1-4 & 15.

ROBIN HOOD 8

The organization’s cultural values consist of teamwork, unity, the well-being of

Nottingham’s poor, equality, cooperation, and group harmony and group cooperation. The

group’s shared behaviors are exhibited in the unification to remove the Sheriff and his

administrative from office, their need for order and purpose, and their willingness to volunteer

for the cause. The organization’s observable cultural symbols include freedom, efficacy,

friendliness, and decency.

Competencies for Individual, Team, and Organizational Effectiveness

The competencies needed by Robin Hood and the Merrymen that affect the behavior and

effectiveness of their organizations are the ethics competency, self-competency, diversity

competency, across cultures competency, communication competency, team competency, and

change competency. Robin Hood and the Merrymen have demonstrated their ethical

competency by assessing the importance of ethical issues in considering alternative courses of

action when the organization decided to take on the Sheriff and his administration. The group

understands that the consequences of their actions can be dire, but the welfare of those less

fortunate is a cause worth fighting for. Each individual within the group understood and acted

on his own work-related motivations and emotions when each of them made the decision to

eagerly join the band. Accordingly, Robin and the band’s self-competencies contribute to the

effective performance of the group.

The organization’s diversity competency plays a role in fostering an environment of

inclusion with other men who possessed different characteristics. The Merrymen came from all

corners of England. Although they possess different characteristics, their willingness to serve

with Robin Hood is parallel. The organizations shared perceptions, judgments, and feelings

regarding the Sheriff’s behavior and treatment of the people allow them to embrace one

Commented [JF10]: So then what is your conclusion based on this?

ROBIN HOOD 9

another’s similarities and differences. This allowed them to be successful is uniting as one for

the good of the people. The organization was able to engage in actively listening as its leader,

Robin Hood, provided necessary guidance and direction to ensure the group’s success.

Robin Hood and the Merrymen are able to set clear performance goals for the group. The

ultimate goal is to overthrow the Sheriff and restore peace to Nottingham. Lastly, the

organization is efficacious in providing leadership in the process of change. Because the group

is constantly growing, changes have to be made to maintain order and discipline.

Bases of Personality

Robin Hood’s well-rounded and respectable personality enables him to become a successful

leader of the band of Merrymen. Coming from a wealthy well-educated family, Robin is able to

relate to and see the world from another perspective as he lives amongst and lead those less

fortunate. Robin’s personality gives him purpose in fighting for what he believes is right. The

environment plays a significant role in shaping Robin’s personality. His life experiences caused

him to rally men in joining in his personal campaign against the Sheriff.

Minus 5 Points

Identification and Evaluation of Alternatives

Four alternatives that should be evaluated to address the issue of how Robin should

reorganize the band of Merrymen, replenish their resources, and continue with their current

policy to successfully overthrow the Sheriff and his administration are as follows:

1) Join the Barons in freeing King Richard from jail for amnesty.

Pros: More men to fight in support of the cause; strength in numbers.

Receive amnesty for future occurrences.

Establish a sense of loyalty to King Richard (in the King’s eyes).

Commented [JF11]: Robin’s strength competencies as a leader seem to be self, change, and communication. His organization is lacking in the team competency, seems to have a mixed group of ethics in the current situation, and has issues with the culture competency because of the inefficient team competency.

Commented [JF12]: Should draw on the relevant concepts/models that relate to personality. Two of these are the Big Five and Emotional Intelligence.

ROBIN HOOD 10

Cons: Possibility of the plan failing

Jeopardize the fate of his men if the plan fails and he’s captured.

Immediate harsh punishment if captured.

2) Impose a fixed transit tax for travelers of Sherwood Forrest.

Pros: Helps take care of the organization’s financial needs.

Cons: Causes distrust among the farmers and townspeople.

Diminishes loyalty and confidence in what Robin’s word stands for.

3) Find other areas outside the limits of Sherwood Forrest to rob travelers.

Pros: Rob rich merchants and tax collectors in new areas outside of the forest.

Surprise factor for the rich travelers and tax collectors.

Cons: Prince John’s spies may set up an ambush.

Travelers will vary their travels, resulting in less loot.

4) Restructure the group to regain order and discipline.

Pros: Provides a better fighting force.

Regulates the size of the fighting force

Assign recruits to lieutenants in different departments (similar to the Army)

Cons: Get rid of some recruits.

Some men may be angered by not being needed.

Unwanted recruits may turn their backs on Robin Hood.

Recommended Alternatives

I recommend joining forces with the Barons in releasing King Richard from jail. In my

opinion, this recommendation can satisfy a lot of the organization’s needs. If Robin decides to

join forces with the Barons the two groups together are more powerful than that of the Sheriff

ROBIN HOOD 11

and Prince John. Prince John already lives in fear of the Barons so the groups have an advantage

over their rivals. If King Richard is released he will reclaim the throne and the Sheriff, his

administration and Prince John will no longer be in power.

The Barons can provide the Merrymen with resources they’re lacking and the Merrymen

can provide the Barons with full support of the townspeople and farmers. The Barons and the

Merrymen can become allies so that in times of trouble, should the Sheriff or Prince John try to

retaliate against King, these groups will support one another.

Implementation and Timeline

The Sheriff and his administration are growing stronger and becoming better organized.

Before they can inflict more harm upon the people of Nottingham, Robin Hood and his men and

the Barons must prepare for any problems that may arise during the King’s release. Therefore,

the two groups must act immediately. In order to ensure that Robin and the Merrymen are on one

accord with the Barons in executing King Richard’s release, the men must abide by the following

training timeline to:

0-7days- Assign additional lieutenants, and departments within the Merrymen; become familiar

with Barons’ way of conducting business

7 days -14 days: Leadership Training (Baron Leaders, Robin Hood, and Lieutenants discuss

possible attack plans)

14 days-20days: Train the Force (Both groups)

21st day: Rescue King Richard

Conclusion

In conclusion, Robin Hood joined in the conspiracy with the Barons. He, the Merrymen and

the Barons conducted a small training session prior to continuing on the mission of collecting

Commented [JF13]: Good!

Commented [JF14]: This section should also draw from the concepts/models we’ve covered so far. In this case it could be from chapter 15 Pgs. 459-462

ROBIN HOOD 12

ransoms for the King’s release just in case they encountered the Sheriff and his men and Prince

John and his spies. The training session was a success and so was the King’s release. The Sheriff

was removed from office and sent into exile along with Prince John. Robin Hood received

amnesty as promised and returned to life as he once knew.

Minus 2Points