Robin_Hood_Case

CASE 20: ROBIN HOOD The organizational structure of the Merrymen is that of a typical top-down management style, with Robin Hood as the CEO and a few lieutenants serving in roles that have been delegated, i.e. information gathering, discipline, finances and provisioning. The four tasks that have been delegated and Robin Hood’s personal vendetta serve as the basis for many of the problems encountered by the Merrymen. The two main threats facing Robin Hood are the intensive threat of competitive rivals and threats to suppliers. Prince John and the Sherriff are Robin’s main rivals and pose a definite threat to his operation. They are in direct competition with each other, and their actions have to constantly be monitored. They pose a high level threat, because of the threat of an attack, taxations to the residents of the forest, and their persistent efforts to capture Robin Hood and his Merrymen. Suppliers are a high level threat, because at any point those who support Robin Hood could be captured by Prince John and the Sherriff, thus cutting off supplies. Also, the bargaining power of suppliers is high simply because of the business Robin is involved in. His business is illegal and therefore a high level threat to anyone who supplies to him. Threat from buyers is currently a low level threat because an objective of Robin’s is to give to the poor. They have no reason to pose any threat unless at some time Robin Hood begins to tax them. The threat of new entry is also low given the legality of this endeavor. Individuals will likely be more willing to join Robin Hood as opposed to forming their own faction. Although it is obviously more common to have a threat of new entry when in control of the market while making a profit, in this particular situation it is relatively low given Robin Hood‘s rapport within the forest. The threat of substitute products has been identified as a low to moderate threat. The residents of the forest are assumed to be the customers. Two variables that that make them a threat include: The further increases in taxes via Prince John and the perceived possibility that Robin may fail. In the event of either of these things transpiring, the most probable alternative would be the majority of the people leaving the forest. This is a low to moderate threat because although Robin’s current status is relatively stable; his customers face the real possibility of being forced into making alternative decisions. Robin Hood and His Merrymen’s Strategy ARC has identified the Merrymen’s current competitive approach as a differentiation approach. They rob from the rich and give to the poor, which differentiates the group from its major competition who does the exact opposite. This is also a strength the Merrymen has; their distinctive competence. They have positioned themselves to fill a niche and until recently have done very well at this. His buyers definitely prefer his product over the competition and his tactics are not easily matched or cheaply copied by his competition. He has created brand loyalty and provides a very unique product; possibly one of the most unique products in history. He provides a free service to the poor after his operating expenses are accounted for. He has also created a high perceived value for his product. Recommendations We have developed several recommendations for the Merrymen to aid in the success of the group. It is our belief that the current strategy is one that can again be successful but many changes need to be implemented to ensure this strategy’s success. The Merrymen need to build off the strengths it has. Manpower is the largest resource any group can have, but the quality of the manpower is an area of concern. Implementation of the original recruitment process or an advanced recruitment process is the first necessary fix. Just letting anyone be a participant of the group has been the source to several of the issues plaguing the Merrymen. Candidates should have a particular set of skills to allow entry. If there is a food shortage, pre-screen candidates for skills such as farming. Discipline has been identified as another issue. This can be eliminated through the better screening process and better training. For this all to work, there must be a better management system put in place. Five to six managers is not enough for a group of this size. The better screening process would help identify candidates with the skill sets that would be suitable for the management needs of the group. Since the largest internal issues facing the group have stemmed from its size, identify the candidates who can help manage the discipline, resources, provisions and intelligence gathering. Departmentalization is a must. The brand recognition the Merrymen have can also serve as a source of strength in regards to recruiting. Since the group is so well known, a call to action for specific skill sets can result in a flood of qualified candidates to help manage and maintain the group. The external threats, weaknesses and opportunities the Merrymen have are formidable, but proper action can be used to manage these. The lack of food and provisions can first be solved by recruiting farmers and hunter/gathers to the group who solely focus on these issues. This would also help eliminate the expenses the group incurs as trading and bartering for provision could be gradually eliminated. Since revenues are in decline, any money-saving action is beneficial. Concurrent with this issue, expansion of the raiding area is a must. Since merchants are now circumventing the forest, the raids need to be taken to them. Simple logic informs you to go where the money is. This is another area where recruitment can help, as the group needs to train specific individuals to focus solely on the raids and the guerilla-warfare tactics they use. The part of the group that conducts raids should also work very closely with the intelligence gathering portion. Once again, proper recruitment and training will result in a part of the group who can focus on this important aspect. The intelligence can be used to know when and where raids are conducted and what moves the sheriff is making. However, all the groups need to be properly trained in combat for when the need arises. These groups should continue to be managed separately. Killing the sheriff would not end the campaign because it has grown beyond the scope of just the sheriff. This was the innovation that helped form the Merrymen but it has since transformed into its own entity. The death of the sheriff would result in only fulfilling the revenge of Robin Hood and has no benefit to the group as a whole. Throughout the study, we have made recommendations on what action plan and implementation steps Robin Hood needs to take to continue the Merrymen. Proper execution of these plans will result in a continued group and prosperity to those involved. We feel the biggest area for improvement is the recruitment and training aspect. Since the largest resource the group has is its manpower, utilization can yield great results.