Robin Hood case study

Robin Hood case study, by Joseph Lampel, is a very complex tale of a leader whose organization is experiencing sudden distraught, miscommunication, and external attacks. Robin Hood is very similar to any modern day leader who is charged with the task of taking an organization through great leaps in order to reach and sustain success. While reading through the case study, a business oriented person can easily identify many complex issues that need evaluating and improvement.

In this study of the Robin Hood story, I will focus our attention on the three key issues, and how I would apply management procedures, policies, and practices in order to create the biggest positive impact on the organization. The three areas of concern that I feel will have the biggest impact once improved are: 1) how to better organize the internal structure and gain control of the organization, 2) how to generate more revenue, keep expenses under control, and control the inventory of goods and supplies, and 3) what to do when faced with the decision to join another organization, destroy the competition, or retreat to another market.

Something we should consider when analyzing the Robin Hood case is whether or not Robin Hood will actually have the time, resources, and knowledge to carry out our plans. For the sake of argument, we will act as if Robin Hood has the opportunity to take a look at this organization and make these changes. As in the real business world, leaders must make quick decisions - and sometimes these decisions have very big long-term effects. We'll also consider the ripple effect that each decision may cause, and we'll act as if Robin Hood is able to spend the necessary amount of time needed to analyze the situation, make a decision, and successfully implement his decisions.

Taking into consideration the case proposed, we can note that Robin Hood is the head of a famous band which was initially created in order to oppose the malicious and unjust proceedings of the Sheriff. The organization's mission statement is "Rob the rich to give to the poor." The members are organized on levels of responsibility. Their all mighty leader is Robin Hood and the other supervisors are called lieutenants. They are in charge of several tasks. Thus, Will Scarlet is in command of the intelligence and scouting. He monitors the Sheriff and his men and he also keeps an eye on the rich merchants and tax collectors. Little John is liable for the discipline of his subordinates and their archery skills. Scarlock is accountable for the finances and the conversion of plunder to money. Much, the Miller's son takes care of recruiting new members.

Therefore, the organization mentioned above resembles a nowadays company. There is a top manager, which is usually called Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and some middle managers which are in charge of the different departments of the firm. We can identify the operations department, the finance department and the human resources. All these should work together in order to ensure an efficient activity of the company.

However, Robin Hood, as the top manager, ascertains some problems inside his group. These have emerged from the continuous increase of the band. The problems mentioned refer to the great number of members which are harder to maintain under control and which also spend time useless, playing games instead of screening the surroundings. Another matter of concern consists of the dwindling of the food resources. These are becoming meager in comparison with the number of men. Because of the quandary, Robin Hood must find the best solutions and the top methods of implementing them.

The first issue taken into account is the initiative of designing smaller teams. This change should lead to improved levels of efficiency. Developing a more horizontal organization involves a greater degree of decentralization and also a better focus on each of the tasks riveted. The band should be organized on three levels of management: top, middle and first-line. At the top should stand Robin, then at the middle he should position his best subordinates (each of them being in charge of a major department such as: human resources, research and development, finance, operations etc.). Finally the first-line category of managers should also include efficient individuals, each of them being responsible for a distinctive activity inside each of the major departments. Smaller teams should lead to a better execution of the tasks. Also, a certain degree of decentralization should improve the quality of the work performed. People are encouraged to come up with new ideas in order to resolve the problems which they encounter on a daily basis. They are closer to the reality and they are the first to perceive the opportunities and threats as to act in accordance to them.

Being leaders of small groups, the persons are strongly in touch with the current situation. They can act quickly and resolve the problems before they augment. Also, a certain degree of decentralization is necessary for the reduction of time needed to respond to the necessities of the band. People are, therefore, working at their full capacity.

The lieutenants, as middle managers, must keep an eye on all of the small groups within their department. They are the communication channel between top management and first-line management. They design plans and allocate the resources according to the needs of each small branch and they also report to the top. As an example of dividing the responsibilities, we can select the human resources department. Inside it, there should be several branches differentiated as follows: a) one should take care of recruiting new members, b) another one should see to the training of the new members in accordance to their current skills and the future needs of the band, c) another should be responsible for organizing periodical training sessions in order to boost the men's proficiency etc.

If we refer to the financial sector, another series of groups should be enforced. This can be the following: a) one should collect all the pillage, meaning cash and cargo, b) another should spread the cash, c) another should be in charge of finding the most suitable places for hiding the surplus etc.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, creating smaller groups can also lead to a better coverage of the surface of the Sherwood Forest. Some groups may respond of the same activities but within distinct areas of the forest. Thus, the space could be divided into sectors and each of them assigned to a group of middle, first-line managers and their subordinates. Obviously, all should report to Robin Hood.

As in the case of a real company, the activity is performed more successfully when the major goal is achieved by splitting the objective into several distinctive ones. The division of labor is a good approach in order to obtain high-quality results. Even if in reality it may sometimes lead to monotony, under the conditions offered by the case, labor division will bring more benefits than drawbacks.

Due to the fact that the number of members is high and also more people are willing to join the band, the process of recruiting should be more complex. In addition to the initial criteria of enrollment, several others should be enforced. Previously, Robin was seeking men with grievances and a deep sense of justice. He was asking only for the willingness to serve. Under the present conditions, the entrance within the band should require more restrictions, from the moment on. The steps which should be applied are the following: 1) an interview with the prospective member about his past experiences, 2) an interview regarding the purpose of his enrollment, 3) a test to observe whether he possesses the abilities required inside the band, 4) a simulated task or a real life situation presented to him in order to establish his manner of conduct. These trials should lead to a composition of more prepared men inside the group.

Another problem which Robin must deal with is the indiscipline among his fellows. Instead of acting vigilant, they spend their time playing games or doing other activities which are not at least related to their jobs. Therefore, Robin should institute a specific group of trustworthy subordinates which have the role of monitoring the activity of all groups. By introducing controls, Robin could make sure that each task is performed accordingly to his requests. Thus, from time to time, the group of controllers could attend one of the small groups when they are on duty and observe their slipups.

In this tumultuous life, certain people may not be reflecting their inner nature. For that reason, some subordinates could be disloyal and maybe betray Robin by informing the Sheriff or the merchants and tax collectors of his plans. In order to depict these treacherous people, Robin could check them from time to time and notice any unnatural behavior.

Even though the segment of activity doesn't vary, the people involved in it should be continually trained. Therefore, periodical training sessions are a must in order to improve the skills acquired by the men.

Moving on to the means of generating revenue and controlling the inventory of goods and supplies, we should mention that the first step consists of rationing the supplies in the forest. Due to the increased number of Merrymen living within the Sherwood Forest, the supplies gathered are insufficient in liaison to their needs. We can consider the supply of products (the loot) as being roughly constant. An augmented demand confronted with a constant supply leads to a shortage of products. In order to deal with this matter, Robin could keep a tighter control over the supplies and allocate them more strictly.

However, if the number of men decreases as a result of the intense controls, the demand will also decrease and, thus, the products will be enough. It is up to Robin to decide how much level of control he wishes to impose and also how many men he needs in order to serve his purpose. Even if a decrease in the number of men will resolve the problem with the food supplies, their treachery is another reason of concern. It is not acceptable to have so many disloyal people. In order to establish the cause, Robin may find a fault in his recruitment method or maybe see that people are dissatisfied with his conduct and achievements.

As is the case of a company, when the supply is low and the demand is high, then the price increases and the desired level of products cannot be achieved. If we make a comparison to the financial status of a company, we can note that many inefficient employees will lead to an inefficient allocation of the resources. Money is spent without the achievement of the desired results. The company is confronted with costs higher than the revenues. Consequently, the business is heading towards its dissolution, meaning its bankruptcy. If we take into consideration the balancing of the resources with the employees by removing the incompetent men, it is beneficial up to a certain point. If the number of staff employed doesn't suffer major reductions, then the process is cost-effective. But, if the analysis leads to the remains of only few employees it is possible for the company not to be able to conduct its business for a period of time.

We have previously discussed the ways of balancing the demand and supply by means of reducing either the quotas of food or the number of men. Now, we will go on with applying a different method, meaning raising awareness about the needs of financing. Since Robin Hood's purpose is to improve the lives of the poor, he is sure to find support among the villagers. However, the people which share his view have reduced possibilities of sponsoring his band. In fact, they are the ones who expect benefits from his side. Nevertheless, there may be others which own a kind heart and are willing to come to his rescue. Also, there may be various people supporting the goal of getting the king back and, therefore, willing to give some money or food to the Merrymen.

This second approach involves finding ways of getting more resources. In the case of a company, it can contract credits or issue bonds and shares. The process of issuing shares is somehow similar with the money given by the townspeople. The investors in a company buy the shares with the view of getting future benefits (profits, social benefits etc.). Therefore, the townspeople expect from Robin to bring the King back on the throne and, consequently, improve their life by removing the tyranny of the Sheriff and Prince John. Their aid is based on trust and on their expectance of future gains.

Robin can also change his way of doing affairs by transforming the outfight confiscation of goods into a fixed transit fee. This approach is seen as beneficial by some of the men and opposed by others who believe that taxing the townspeople and the villagers will lead to their discontent. Robin Hood finds himself in a tough condition. Should he institute the tax or continue with the previous method of stealing from the rich? As an aid to his future decision, we know that the travelers started avoiding the forest and, therefore, the men were left with few sources of supplies. Also, the confiscation involved a rougher method of claiming the goods. Maybe, sometimes it also involved the usage of violence on the people not accustomed with the actions of the Merrymen.

In comparison with a firm, the previous decision resembles the choice that a company may make, meaning to change the pricing policy. Instead of charging a high price and expecting a low volume of sales or a low demand for the services, the company chooses to institute a lower price but to benefit from the increasing demand. The firm must make the best choice in accordance with its profile, its production capabilities (or its service offering capabilities), its target markets and the current situation on the market.

I believe that a fixed tax is more reasonable than the robbery of all the good possessed by the travelers. As we can depict, the number of travelers through the forest is decreasing even if their detouring traveling costs are big. Instead of being left with nothing, these men preferred to pay more but to keep their goods. An obvious result of this fact is that, after a period of time, the Merrymen could be left without resources. On the other hand, a fixed tax would involve a greater number of visitors. I believe that they would accept the tax (a cost that they already pay when choosing to detour the forest) and they will gain some time (lose the inconvenience of spending a lot of time detouring the forest). It is true that the fixed tax would involve receiving money from the persons which are supposed to offer their help against the Sheriff. Nevertheless, these fees are distributed to the poor people, so they are given back to the townspeople. Another issue is the fact that if those people are supporters of the king and are against the Sheriff, they do this because of their inner feelings, their inner convictions and not on the basis of their taxation. They are aware that the Sheriff is corrupt; they know for sure that their lives would improve once the king is brought back.

A different approach of the situation could mean splitting the band into two groups. Each group should have as territory one distinct forest. Therefore, the coverage area would become wider and there would be more chances of getting supplies. A more extended region is sure to provide more travelers. However, this splitting could involve a loose control for Robin. He would find it harder to keep in touch with both groups split into two forests.

The previous idea can be translated into a business language as extending the company's market inside the country where it is currently operating or even going global. If the firm perceives expansion opportunities, then it should take advantage of them and take the business to a more elevated level. By covering a wider area, the company will find a wider market and, subsequently, a greater demand. This expansion must take into consideration the external environment which imposes certain rules or presents specific benefits. Due to the fact that no market fully resembles another, each of them comprises advantages and disadvantages. The factors that determine these implications are: political, social, economical and technological. As in the case of the two forests, one of them may be more intensely visited and the other may not be as important as the first. In one of the forests, the men may be easier to identify and in the other they may enjoy better concealing. However, the coverage of both of them is the best approach in order to get the maximum gains.

So as to put an end to all the vicious activities of the Sheriff and of Prince John (the Sheriff's supporting authority), Robin has to evaluate three alternatives. He can kill the Sheriff, join a conspiracy against Prince John or pay the ransom. In order to determine the best solution, we should assess each of them.