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Final Case: Robin Hood
The first year Robin Hood has successfully” forged the group into a disciplined band, [with the]
organization [set up being] simple” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). The organizational structure of the group that
Robin Hood formed is a typical top-down management style, “Robin ruled supreme, making all important
decisions. He delegated specific tasks to his lieutenants. Will Scarlett in charge intelligence and scouting.
Little John kept discipline” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) and took care of archery training. “Scarlock took care
of the finances and Much had the difficult task of provisioning the ever increasing band of Merry Men”
(Lampel, 1991, C-300). While the bands increase in number “was a source of satisfaction for Robin,
[was] also a source of concern” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).
Group Problems
The main problem is the growth of the band and while Robin hoped that strength was in having a
large number of members. With Robin not being more selective in his recruitment process he has caused
problems with not knowing who his men are which makes rule enforcement and discipline harder to
obtain in the group. The growth of the band is “beginning to exceed the food capacity of the forest and
supplies had to be obtained from outlying villages. The cost of buying food was beginning to drain the
band’s financial reserves [while their] revenues were in decline” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). Along with a
decline in resources with the increased size of the group “Travelers, with the most to lose” (Lampel,
1991, C-300) were now avoiding going too close to the forest, which has reduced the group to robbing
poorer travelers.
New Mission
The group was formed from Robin’s personal “conflict with the Sheriff and his administration”
and the Merry Men’s famous motto: “Rob the rich and give to the poor” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) has
become the core for the group. While initially this motto has served the group well with the new larger
size of the group this core mission statement of “Rob the rich and give to the poor” (Lampel, 1991, C-
300) has to be either be revised to accommodate the new larger group or the structure of the group will
need to be changed to continue to meet this motto.
If the group’s objective is still a part of Robin’s grudge against the Sheriff than displacing the
Sheriff should be one of the group’s main goals. In addition the group has to stay focused on their long
term goal to remove Prince John from power. While to organization’s structure was great to start off with
changes must be made in order to better serve the growing needs of the group.
Porter Five Forces Model
(HubPages, 2013, ¶ 5).
The two main threats the group faces are competitive rivals and threats to supplies. The Sheriff
and his support pose a threat to the operations of the Merry Men. “The Sheriff was growing stronger and
becoming better organized. He now had the money and the men and was beginning to harass the band,
probing for its weaknesses” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). Supplies are at a high level of being threated since
those who are providing supplies to the group could be captured and punished by the Sheriff and his
support which would cause an even bigger strain on the supply chain. The bargaining power of suppliers
is high for Robin Hood and his group since they are all “willing to live outside the law” which caused a
level of threat for his suppliers who are enabling him to continue his illegal operations.
A threat from buyers is very low since Robin’s group gives to the poor and they have no reason to
threaten the group as long as Robin does not tax them. The chances of new entry are very low since the
group is participating in illegal activities and because of the size of the group new individuals would
likely to join rather than oppose such a large group. The threat of substitute products is not even a threat
since the residents of Sherwood Forest are the people that the group is helping out.
SWOT Analysis
(Christina Cecil, 2015)
Strengths
 The huge number of members in the group has given Robin a way to combat the Sheriff’s
administration. With “the fame of his Merry Men spreading, and new recruits were pouring in
from every corner of England” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) Robin’s group has grown significantly.
 The group also has strong leadership in Robin and a strong management team including Will
Scarlett in charge of intelligence and scouting, Little John in charge of discipline and archery
training, Scarlock who oversees the finances, and Much responsible for provisions (Lampel,
1991, C-300).
 The group has brand recognition with “the fame of [Robin’s] Merry Men” because of this new
recruits are easy to come by and they are well known in the community.
Weaknesses
 Due to a lack of structure in the organization which has led to “vigilance declining and discipline
becoming harder to enforce” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).
 Supplies being depleted and revenues declining since “travelers, especially those with more to
lose, were now giving the forest a wide berth” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).
 Possibility of Spies infiltrating the group since Robin has stated “I don’t know half of the men I
run…these days” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).
 The Sheriff not only has his own organization but he has the support of Prince John and “other
powerful friends at court” (Lampel, 1991, C-301).
 Robin’s recruitment process for the Merry Men is a weakness. At first, he “sought allies, men
with grievances and a deep sense of justice. Later he welcomed all who came, asking few
questions and demanding only a willingness to serve” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) this has caused
problems in the group.
Opportunities
 Join the plot to get King Richard out of prison “in return for future amnesty” (Lampel, 1991, C-
300) by doing this it would also solve the problem with the Sheriff.
 Enforce a fixed transit tax to increase revenues even though it seems to be an unpopular choice
among his lieutenants.
 Geographically expand the operations of the group to increase revenues.
 Teach the men new skills such as growing additional food to help subsidize the lack of game
available in the forest.
Threats
 The Sheriff’s organization “growing stronger and becoming better organized” (Lampel, 1991, C-
300).
 The size of the group makes it vulnerable to attacks and is causes resources to deplete.
 With the size of group and “Prince John [having] spies everywhere” Lampel, 1991, C-301) a
chance of spies being in the group is a growing threat.
 Little John is having issues in trying to maintaining discipline among the group because of the
groups new size has led to “men milling about, talking and playing games” (Lampel, 1991, C-
300) between raids.
 If Robin was “to join the conspiracy” and if the “plan failed the pursuit would be relentless and
retributions swift” (Lampel, 1991, C-301).
 If Robin were to impose the transit tax the group could lose support.
Transition Tax Proposition
The idea of adopting a fixed transit tax to whomever passes though the Sherwood Forest seems
like a good idea however, “his lieutenants strongly resisted this idea, arguing that the farmers and
townspeople are [their] most important allies. How can we tax them and still hope for their help in our
fight against the Sheriff?” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). With the mission of the group being to both “steal
from the rich to give to the poor” and “fight against the Sheriff” then a transit tax should not be placed.
Why Not Kill the Sheriff?
While “killing the Sheriff might satisfy [Robin’s] personal thirst for revenge, it would not
improve the situation” (Lampel, 1991, C-301) and while this may have been the initial motive for forming
the Merry Men the group has since become its own entity. If the group was to kill the Sheriff there would
be no guarantee that Prince John would not put someone even worst in power in his place. Besides killing
the Sheriff does not help the group in getting King Richard released from prison.
Join the Conspiracy?
If Robin was to join forces with the Baron he would be guaranteed future amnesty. While it may
be a good idea there are many pros and cons to this mission. If Robin were to be a part of this dangerous
mission he would have to be even more careful since “Prince John had spies everywhere and he was
known for his vindictiveness. If the conspirators’ plan failed the pursuit would be relentless and
retribution swift” (Lampel, 1991, C-301).
Pros Cons
Once King Richard is back in power he could
address the needs and concerns of the people
that have been ignored.
The mission is very dangerous and could be
followed with swift retribution.
The Sheriff would likely be removed from
power and would no longer be a threat to the
group.
Robin in participating would be risking what
the Merry Men stood for in their “Rob the rich
and give to the poor” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).
There would no longer need to steal from the
rich to give to the poor.
The Baron could go against his word and not
keep his deal of giving Robin future amnesty.
Promised future amnesty for Robin’s help. The Merry Men would no longer have a
purpose in stealing and would have to either
disband or re-think their strategy.
(Christina Cecil, 2015).
In this chart the cons outweigh the pros and in the best interest of the organization Robin would
be better off not joining the mission but possibly helping to raise the funds needed to pay the
ransom in helping get King Richard out of “jail in Austria” (Lampel, 1991, C-301).
Geographical Expansion
With the expansion of the encampment it has now become a target for attacks from the Sheriff.
“Decentralization is a type of organizational structure in which daily operations and decision-making
responsibilities are delegated by top management to middle and lower-level mangers within the
organization, allowing top management to focus more on major decisions” (Joseph, 2015, ¶ 1). By
recruiting more qualified leaders to help decentralized the group with a central location operation where
intelligence gathering and finances would be kept. The rest of the group could then be divided into sub-
bands that will operate in smaller regions around Sherwood Forest. This would allow Robin to better
coordinate movement within the group and “can facilitate the process of expansion” (Joseph, 2015, ¶ 6).
This also reduces the chance of attack since the band will be split up into smaller groups all working
together. This decentralization of the group would also eliminate the issues with food distribution. With
this change in the organization Robin must also be aware of the problems that can occur because of
extended communication and must make sure that his leaders are all actively involved in the plans for
group and the new group structure.
Action Plan Recommendations & Implementation
Decentralization of the organization is something that needs to be done. Robin also needs to
appoint some of his men to do scanning of the new recruitments and go back to the original goal of
finding “men with grievances and a deep sense of justice” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) by establishing this and
other guidelines such as recruiting new members with farming skills. The group will be better able to
control the growth of the organization as well as better protect against spies being able to get into the
group.
In dealing with the issue of a lack of a discipline in the group and increase in training and leaders
what will conduct training and enforce discipline is something that is needed and can be addressed with
decentralization of the organization. Since there are other issues with wealthy travelers avoiding going
through the forest Robin could have a group set up and trained specifically for raids that will seek out
alternative routes that wealthy travelers may take. This group that is specifically designed for raids would
need to work closely with the Will Scarlet and anyone else that becomes appointed to intelligence gather.
This is important in that it will allow this section of the group to know where best to conduct the raids and
will give them the upper hand in knowing what moves the Sheriff is making.
By combining efforts to fix the issues with training, recruitment, discipline, and concentrated size
of the group. Decentralization of the group would help in these areas and allow Robin to better organize
and maintain the group’s growth. With breaking up the group into smaller groups with one core central
location operation in Sherwood Forest training issues and discipline needs will all be meet and the group
will be better able to defend against attacks from the Sheriff and his men.
References
Cecil, C. (2015, Oct. 21). SWOT Analysis Chart. Created using PowerPoint Presentation Program. Case
Study Robin Hood, 1-8.
Cecil, C. (2015, Oct. 21). Pros and Cons Table. Created using Word Document. Case Study Robin Hood,
1-8.
HubPort.com. (2013, Sept. 27). Michael Porters Five Forces Model For Competitive and Strategic
Analysis of any Industry. Retrieved from
http://dommcg.hubpages.com/hub/Porters-Five-Forces-Model-For-Competitive-Analysis
Joseph, C. (2015). The Advantages of a Decentralized Organizational Structure. Hearst Newspapers,
LLC. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-decentralized-organizational-
structure-603.html
Lampel, J. (1991). Robin Hood. In Thompson, et al. (19th ed.). Crafting & Executing Strategy (p. C300-
C301). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

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Robin Hood Case Study

  • 1. Final Case: Robin Hood The first year Robin Hood has successfully” forged the group into a disciplined band, [with the] organization [set up being] simple” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). The organizational structure of the group that Robin Hood formed is a typical top-down management style, “Robin ruled supreme, making all important decisions. He delegated specific tasks to his lieutenants. Will Scarlett in charge intelligence and scouting. Little John kept discipline” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) and took care of archery training. “Scarlock took care of the finances and Much had the difficult task of provisioning the ever increasing band of Merry Men” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). While the bands increase in number “was a source of satisfaction for Robin, [was] also a source of concern” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). Group Problems The main problem is the growth of the band and while Robin hoped that strength was in having a large number of members. With Robin not being more selective in his recruitment process he has caused problems with not knowing who his men are which makes rule enforcement and discipline harder to obtain in the group. The growth of the band is “beginning to exceed the food capacity of the forest and supplies had to be obtained from outlying villages. The cost of buying food was beginning to drain the band’s financial reserves [while their] revenues were in decline” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). Along with a decline in resources with the increased size of the group “Travelers, with the most to lose” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) were now avoiding going too close to the forest, which has reduced the group to robbing poorer travelers. New Mission The group was formed from Robin’s personal “conflict with the Sheriff and his administration” and the Merry Men’s famous motto: “Rob the rich and give to the poor” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) has become the core for the group. While initially this motto has served the group well with the new larger size of the group this core mission statement of “Rob the rich and give to the poor” (Lampel, 1991, C- 300) has to be either be revised to accommodate the new larger group or the structure of the group will need to be changed to continue to meet this motto. If the group’s objective is still a part of Robin’s grudge against the Sheriff than displacing the Sheriff should be one of the group’s main goals. In addition the group has to stay focused on their long term goal to remove Prince John from power. While to organization’s structure was great to start off with changes must be made in order to better serve the growing needs of the group.
  • 2. Porter Five Forces Model (HubPages, 2013, ¶ 5). The two main threats the group faces are competitive rivals and threats to supplies. The Sheriff and his support pose a threat to the operations of the Merry Men. “The Sheriff was growing stronger and becoming better organized. He now had the money and the men and was beginning to harass the band, probing for its weaknesses” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). Supplies are at a high level of being threated since those who are providing supplies to the group could be captured and punished by the Sheriff and his support which would cause an even bigger strain on the supply chain. The bargaining power of suppliers is high for Robin Hood and his group since they are all “willing to live outside the law” which caused a level of threat for his suppliers who are enabling him to continue his illegal operations. A threat from buyers is very low since Robin’s group gives to the poor and they have no reason to threaten the group as long as Robin does not tax them. The chances of new entry are very low since the group is participating in illegal activities and because of the size of the group new individuals would likely to join rather than oppose such a large group. The threat of substitute products is not even a threat since the residents of Sherwood Forest are the people that the group is helping out.
  • 3. SWOT Analysis (Christina Cecil, 2015) Strengths  The huge number of members in the group has given Robin a way to combat the Sheriff’s administration. With “the fame of his Merry Men spreading, and new recruits were pouring in from every corner of England” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) Robin’s group has grown significantly.  The group also has strong leadership in Robin and a strong management team including Will Scarlett in charge of intelligence and scouting, Little John in charge of discipline and archery training, Scarlock who oversees the finances, and Much responsible for provisions (Lampel, 1991, C-300).  The group has brand recognition with “the fame of [Robin’s] Merry Men” because of this new recruits are easy to come by and they are well known in the community. Weaknesses  Due to a lack of structure in the organization which has led to “vigilance declining and discipline becoming harder to enforce” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).
  • 4.  Supplies being depleted and revenues declining since “travelers, especially those with more to lose, were now giving the forest a wide berth” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).  Possibility of Spies infiltrating the group since Robin has stated “I don’t know half of the men I run…these days” (Lampel, 1991, C-300).  The Sheriff not only has his own organization but he has the support of Prince John and “other powerful friends at court” (Lampel, 1991, C-301).  Robin’s recruitment process for the Merry Men is a weakness. At first, he “sought allies, men with grievances and a deep sense of justice. Later he welcomed all who came, asking few questions and demanding only a willingness to serve” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) this has caused problems in the group. Opportunities  Join the plot to get King Richard out of prison “in return for future amnesty” (Lampel, 1991, C- 300) by doing this it would also solve the problem with the Sheriff.  Enforce a fixed transit tax to increase revenues even though it seems to be an unpopular choice among his lieutenants.  Geographically expand the operations of the group to increase revenues.  Teach the men new skills such as growing additional food to help subsidize the lack of game available in the forest. Threats  The Sheriff’s organization “growing stronger and becoming better organized” (Lampel, 1991, C- 300).  The size of the group makes it vulnerable to attacks and is causes resources to deplete.  With the size of group and “Prince John [having] spies everywhere” Lampel, 1991, C-301) a chance of spies being in the group is a growing threat.
  • 5.  Little John is having issues in trying to maintaining discipline among the group because of the groups new size has led to “men milling about, talking and playing games” (Lampel, 1991, C- 300) between raids.  If Robin was “to join the conspiracy” and if the “plan failed the pursuit would be relentless and retributions swift” (Lampel, 1991, C-301).  If Robin were to impose the transit tax the group could lose support. Transition Tax Proposition The idea of adopting a fixed transit tax to whomever passes though the Sherwood Forest seems like a good idea however, “his lieutenants strongly resisted this idea, arguing that the farmers and townspeople are [their] most important allies. How can we tax them and still hope for their help in our fight against the Sheriff?” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). With the mission of the group being to both “steal from the rich to give to the poor” and “fight against the Sheriff” then a transit tax should not be placed. Why Not Kill the Sheriff? While “killing the Sheriff might satisfy [Robin’s] personal thirst for revenge, it would not improve the situation” (Lampel, 1991, C-301) and while this may have been the initial motive for forming the Merry Men the group has since become its own entity. If the group was to kill the Sheriff there would be no guarantee that Prince John would not put someone even worst in power in his place. Besides killing the Sheriff does not help the group in getting King Richard released from prison. Join the Conspiracy? If Robin was to join forces with the Baron he would be guaranteed future amnesty. While it may be a good idea there are many pros and cons to this mission. If Robin were to be a part of this dangerous mission he would have to be even more careful since “Prince John had spies everywhere and he was known for his vindictiveness. If the conspirators’ plan failed the pursuit would be relentless and retribution swift” (Lampel, 1991, C-301). Pros Cons Once King Richard is back in power he could address the needs and concerns of the people that have been ignored. The mission is very dangerous and could be followed with swift retribution.
  • 6. The Sheriff would likely be removed from power and would no longer be a threat to the group. Robin in participating would be risking what the Merry Men stood for in their “Rob the rich and give to the poor” (Lampel, 1991, C-300). There would no longer need to steal from the rich to give to the poor. The Baron could go against his word and not keep his deal of giving Robin future amnesty. Promised future amnesty for Robin’s help. The Merry Men would no longer have a purpose in stealing and would have to either disband or re-think their strategy. (Christina Cecil, 2015). In this chart the cons outweigh the pros and in the best interest of the organization Robin would be better off not joining the mission but possibly helping to raise the funds needed to pay the ransom in helping get King Richard out of “jail in Austria” (Lampel, 1991, C-301). Geographical Expansion With the expansion of the encampment it has now become a target for attacks from the Sheriff. “Decentralization is a type of organizational structure in which daily operations and decision-making responsibilities are delegated by top management to middle and lower-level mangers within the organization, allowing top management to focus more on major decisions” (Joseph, 2015, ¶ 1). By recruiting more qualified leaders to help decentralized the group with a central location operation where intelligence gathering and finances would be kept. The rest of the group could then be divided into sub- bands that will operate in smaller regions around Sherwood Forest. This would allow Robin to better coordinate movement within the group and “can facilitate the process of expansion” (Joseph, 2015, ¶ 6). This also reduces the chance of attack since the band will be split up into smaller groups all working together. This decentralization of the group would also eliminate the issues with food distribution. With this change in the organization Robin must also be aware of the problems that can occur because of extended communication and must make sure that his leaders are all actively involved in the plans for group and the new group structure. Action Plan Recommendations & Implementation Decentralization of the organization is something that needs to be done. Robin also needs to appoint some of his men to do scanning of the new recruitments and go back to the original goal of finding “men with grievances and a deep sense of justice” (Lampel, 1991, C-300) by establishing this and other guidelines such as recruiting new members with farming skills. The group will be better able to
  • 7. control the growth of the organization as well as better protect against spies being able to get into the group. In dealing with the issue of a lack of a discipline in the group and increase in training and leaders what will conduct training and enforce discipline is something that is needed and can be addressed with decentralization of the organization. Since there are other issues with wealthy travelers avoiding going through the forest Robin could have a group set up and trained specifically for raids that will seek out alternative routes that wealthy travelers may take. This group that is specifically designed for raids would need to work closely with the Will Scarlet and anyone else that becomes appointed to intelligence gather. This is important in that it will allow this section of the group to know where best to conduct the raids and will give them the upper hand in knowing what moves the Sheriff is making. By combining efforts to fix the issues with training, recruitment, discipline, and concentrated size of the group. Decentralization of the group would help in these areas and allow Robin to better organize and maintain the group’s growth. With breaking up the group into smaller groups with one core central location operation in Sherwood Forest training issues and discipline needs will all be meet and the group will be better able to defend against attacks from the Sheriff and his men.
  • 8. References Cecil, C. (2015, Oct. 21). SWOT Analysis Chart. Created using PowerPoint Presentation Program. Case Study Robin Hood, 1-8. Cecil, C. (2015, Oct. 21). Pros and Cons Table. Created using Word Document. Case Study Robin Hood, 1-8. HubPort.com. (2013, Sept. 27). Michael Porters Five Forces Model For Competitive and Strategic Analysis of any Industry. Retrieved from http://dommcg.hubpages.com/hub/Porters-Five-Forces-Model-For-Competitive-Analysis Joseph, C. (2015). The Advantages of a Decentralized Organizational Structure. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-decentralized-organizational- structure-603.html Lampel, J. (1991). Robin Hood. In Thompson, et al. (19th ed.). Crafting & Executing Strategy (p. C300- C301). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.