Robin Hood Case Study - Homework

April 13, 2022 ROBIN HOOD CASE STUDY 1. What problems does Robin Hood have? What issues need to be addressed? o The problems that Robin Hood faces began with the personal vendetta against the Sheriff. One of the main issues that needs to be addressed is that the fact that their small bivouac is becoming a major encampment due to their rapid growth. The band he had formed grew rapidly which caused the population to overuse the supply the land provided. The decline of the band’s vigilance also arises from this growth and is another issue that should be addressed. The increasing costs of purchasing goods is limiting the band’s financial reserves which is why Robin Hood should address their financial situation. The overall increase of employment and operational costs is due to the rapid growth of the band which ultimately led to the problems listed above. 2. Do Robin Hood and the Merrymen need a new mission? new objectives? a new strategy? o I believe that Robin Hood and the Merry men are in desperate need of a new mission. Their current mission has been shown to be ineffective and unproductive. The objective to have the Sheriff of Nottingham removed from office brought about some unwanted attention and is a very complicated and risky task. Robin Hood and the Merrymen have a mission that can result in very high reward but requires them to take on huge risks. A new strategy should also be implemented to help mitigate the risks of the financial burden and overall risk of the band. 3. What strategic options does Robin Hood have? Is continuing with the present strategy an option or is the present strategy obsolete? o Robin Hood’s present strategy has proven to be obsolete, and a new strategy is necessary. The options that Robin Hood has are plentiful and can really turn around this organization’s outlook. The risks involved in the current plan are not successfully accounted for and are resulting in concerning financial and operational complications. A new plan must be implemented to focus on crucial factors such as the bands financials, population growth, and increased operational costs that will benefit this organization in the long run. 4. Why not try to end the campaign by killing the Sheriff? o Although killing the Sheriff was a possible strategy for Robin Hood it was never formally implemented. The risks that arise from murdering the sheriff would heavily outweigh the reward in this scenario. For example, if this strategy was executed and resulted in failure, the band would have substantial consequences. If this attempt were successful, what is stopping the next sheriff from being just as unwanted and despised as the previous one. In conclusion, killing the sheriff seems like a strategy that would just fill Robin Hood’s desires and not benefit the entire organization as a whole. 5. What are the pros and cons of accepting the offer of the barons to assist in securing King Richard’s release from prison? o Accepting the offer of the barons to assist in securing King Richard’s release from prison can bring about both positive and negative outcomes. The collaboration between the two can provide Robin Hood and the Merrymen with a pardoning from Prince John. This can also result in establishing a great relationship with the prince and all his personal connections. Despite the positive outcomes, the negative outcome can result in Prince John’s retribution which will not be a sympathetic one and Robin Hood and the Barons should highly consider this risk. 6. What action plan would you recommend to Robin? Do a SWOT(TOWS) analysis to develop strategic options. SWOT (TOWS) Analysis Firm Strengths (S)  Rapid growth of Merrymen  All merrymen share a common objective  Good leadership with strategic delegation of tasks Firm    Weakness (W) Declining vigilance Declining Financial reserve Shortages in food and natural resources  Conflict within the band and organization Opportunities (O)  Increased applicants  Potential support from local groups  Acquiring more land SO SO1: The rapid growth of merrymen can help the band acquire a more skilled workforce. Instead accepting anyone who desires to join, the band should require some specialized skill sets to increase overall productivity. SO2: Accepting support from local groups can mitigate their risk exposure to the Sheriff. The sheriff’s focus would not solely be on Robin Hood and the Merrymen but the other local groups as well. WO WO1: The possibility of acquiring more land can result in the merrymen being more widely dispersed and assign specific tasks and expectations for the groups on different portions of the land. The support from these local groups can provide many opportunities for Robin Hood to minimize these weaknesses. Threats (T)  Being caught by King John  Sheriff increasing competition ST ST1: Robin Hood must utilize his leadership amongst all the Merrymen to mitigate the risks associated with being caught by King John. They must all fully understand the strategies and their aspirations. The Sherriff increasing competition can be mitigated in the case Robin Hood obtains allies from local groups. These forces can all help combat the Sheriffs connections within the community. WT WT1: The declining vigilance, financial reserves, and resource shortages can all indirectly attribute to being caught by King John. Robin Hood must establish effective leadership to establish a strategy that aims to address the firm’s weaknesses. If an effective strategy is implemented, the bands exposure to the risks associated with King John will be mitigated. 7. How should Robin implement the recommended plan? What action steps will need to be taken to make the recommended strategy work successfully? o The first action step I recommend Robin Hood is to schedule a meeting with all of his lieutenants to ensure everyone has their priorities straight. One of the main focuses of this meeting should be to address ways they can raise additional capital, in order to successfully release King Richard. Robinhood should not only meet with his lieutenants, but also meet with other local organizations and the Barons. Robin Hood should focus on negotiating with these organizations on leasing portions of land so that his bivouac is not a major encampment. This should be the main focus of Robin Hood’s agenda because acquiring more land will result in a decrease if vigilance and provide his people with the ability to produce their own goods and resources. Robin Hood should implement these action steps in his recommended plan to ensure he can provide the band with long-term success and financial support.