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Robin Hood
Joseph Lampel
Copyright 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Strategic Management: Text and Cases, 4e
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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
1. What is strategy?

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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
2. What strategic problems does Robin Hood have?

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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
3. What is the role of the organizational leader as
strategist and articulator of global goals?
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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
4. What are some issues in the organizations
external environment?

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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
5. What is the relationship of the organizations
internal structure to its environment?

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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
6. How do group values or culture influence
strategy making?

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Robin Hood
Discussion Question
7. What strategy can Robin Hood implement?

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Robin Hood
Q1. Purpose of Strategy
Strategic management consists of the
analyses, decisions, and actions an
organization undertakes in order to create
and sustain competitive advantages
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Robin Hood
Q1. Purpose of Strategy, cont.
Key Attributes of strategic management:
Directs the organization toward overall goals and
objectives
Includes multiple stakeholders in decision making
Needs to incorporate short-term and long-term
perspectives
Recognizes trade-offs between efficiency and
effectiveness
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Robin Hood
Q 2. Strategic Problems
Profit squeeze
Revenue is down and costs are rising

Cracks in the culture of the organization

Issues
How to avoid detection of the growing organization?
What to do about the growing strength of the Sheriffs
forces?
Accept the Barons offer to join in freeing King Richard?
Impose a fixed transit tax?
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Robin Hood
Q 2. Strategic Problems, cont
Expand operations away from Sherwood Forest?
- Organizational communications and leadership?
Kill Sheriff?
- Mission linkage, replacement?
Accept Barons offer?
- Amnesty issues, loyalty of stakeholders?
Fixed transit tax?
- Mission linkage?

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Robin Hood
Q3. Leaderships Strategic Role
Robin Hood needs to:
Define the Organizational Mission
- it may have changed. Rebellion has been routinized into
banditry.
Identify Stakeholders
- focus may need to be broadened beyond Robins private
grudge to include the needs of the district, the region, or the
nation
Establish Goals
- depending on the stakeholders, these may include replacing
the Sheriff or changing the political order
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Robin Hood
Q 4. Analyze External Environment
Assess Resources the forest has finite resources
- inputs into the organization (travelers to rob)
have dwindled, especially since the rich
travelers have started avoiding it
- trained manpower is scarce

Assess Physical Environment current growth has
created a large encampment that can be seen for
miles, now a target for attack
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Robin Hood
Q5. Analyze Internal Organization
Current Structure
- functional with each lieutenant a specialist
- communication is informal, Robin has no direct
link to first line recruits

Possible New Structure
- decentralized regional operations, sub-bands with
small headquarters to coordinate movements
- increases flexibility, reduces chance of attack,
eliminates food distribution problems
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Robin Hood
Q6. Culture and Values
Founding Values
- originally a missionary organization, if Robin
pursues profit maximization now, the group will
become thieves
- original purpose created unity and spirit of daring

Group Culture
- group members will probably resist stealing from
their brothers and fathers
- members have a need for order and purpose, need to
feel that their participation is quasi-voluntary
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Robin Hood
Q7. Strategic Implementation
Have a meeting with the Merrymen
- explain the strategic dilemma and long term
issues

Increase organizational discipline

Avoid contact with Sheriff

Prepare for the possibility of ceasing operations by
providing outplacement training
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Robin Hood
Q7. Strategic Implementation, cont.
Recruit qualified leaders for new decentralized
structure
- involve lieutenants in the solution

Recognize that mistakes will occur
- anticipate costs of implementation, especially the
problems of extended communication

Pursue alliances beyond the current band of
Merrymen
- negotiate a possible change in the political order,
negotiating amnesty, returning the band to legality