Question

Please read case and answer question related to it.

It was in the spring of the second year of his insurrection against the High Sheriff of Nottingham that Robin Hood took a walk in Sherwood Forest. As he walked, he pondered the progress of the campaign, the disposition of his forces, the Sheriff’s recent moves, and the options that confronted him.

The revolt against the Sheriff had begun as a personal crusade. It erupted out of Robin’s conflict with the Sheriff and his administration. However, alone Robin Hood could do little. He therefore 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. Strength, he believed, lay in numbers.

He spent the first year forging the group into a disciplined band, united in enmity against the Sheriff and willing to live outside the law. The band’s organization was simple. Robin ruled supreme, making all important decisions. He delegated specific tasks to his lieutenants. Will Scarlett was in charge of intelligence and scouting. His main job was to shadow the Sheriff and his men, always alert to their next move. He also collected information on the travel plans of rich merchants and tax collectors. Little John kept discipline among the men and saw to it that their archery was at the high peak that their profession demanded. Scarlett took care of the finances, converting loot to cash, paying shares of the take, and finding suitable hiding places for the surplus. Finally, Much the Miller’s son had the difficult task of provisioning the ever-increasing band of Merry Men.

The increasing size of the band was a source of satisfaction for Robin, but also a source of concern. The fame of his Merry Men was spreading, and new recruits were pouring in from every corner of England. As the band grew larger, their small bivouac became a major encampment. Between raids the men milled about, talking and playing games. Vigilance was in decline, and discipline was becoming harder to enforce. “Why,” Robin reflected, “I don’t know half the men I run into these days.”

The growing band was also beginning to exceed the food capacity of the forest. Game was becoming scarce, and supplies had to be obtained from outlying villages. The cost of buying food was beginning to drain the band’s financial reserves at the very moment when revenues were in decline. Travelers, especially those with the most to lose, were now giving the forest a wide berth. This was costly and inconvenient to them, but it was preferable to having all their goods confiscated.

Robin believed that the time had come for the Merry Men to change their policy of outright confiscation of goods to one of a fixed transit tax. His lieutenants strongly resisted this idea. They were proud of the Merry Men’s famous motto: “Rob the rich and give to the poor.” “The farmers and the townspeople,” they argued, “are our most important allies. How can we tax them, and still hope for their help in our fight against the Sheriff? Robin wondered how long the Merry Men could keep to the ways and methods of their early days. 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. The tide of events was beginning to turn against the Merry Men. Robin felt that the campaign must be decisively concluded before the Sheriff had a chance to deliver a mortal blow. “But how,” he wondered, “could this be done?”

Robin had often entertained the possibility of killing the Sheriff, but the chances for this seemed increasingly remote. Besides, killing the Sheriff might satisfy his personal thirst for revenge, but it would not improve the situation. Robin had hoped that the perpetual state of unrest and the Sheriff’s failure to collect taxes would lead to his removal from office. Instead, the Sheriff used his political connections to obtain reinforcement. He had powerful friends at court and was well regarded by the regent, Prince John.

Prince John was vicious and volatile. He was consumed by his unpopularity among the people, who wanted the imprisoned King Richard back. He also lived in constant fear of the barons, who had first given him the regency but were now beginning to dispute his claim to the throne. Several of these barons had set out to collect the ransom that would release King Richard the Lionheart from his jail in Austria. Robin was invited to join the conspiracy in return for future amnesty. It was a dangerous proposition. Provincial banditry was one thing, court intrigue another. Prince John had spies everywhere, and he was known for his vindictiveness. If the conspirators’ plan failed, the pursuit would be relentless and retributions swift.

The sound of the supper horn startled Robin from his thoughts. There was the smell of roasting venison in the air. Nothing was resolved or settled. Robin headed for camp promising himself that he would give these problems his utmost attention after tomorrow’s raid. “That’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?” said Harris Rosen, president of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. “Exemplary service. What we’ve discovered, and I’m sure that others have identified as well, is that there is a distinct relationship between enthusiastic, happy associates and the company that they work for.” Rosen, 76, was the founder, president, and chief operating officer of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. Founded in 1974 in Orlando, Florida, Rosen began with the purchase of one hotel in June of 1974 during the 1970’s OPEC oil embargo and a slumping tourist market. In 2016, he presided over a chain of seven hotels and two wholly owned subsidiaries in the greater Orlando, Florida, metropolis.

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Robin Hood Discussion Question

1. What problems does Robin Hood have? What issues need to be addressed? Do Robin Hood and the Merryman need a new mission? New Objectives? A New Strategy?
2. What strategic options does Robin Hood Have? Is continuing with the present strategy an option or is the present strategy obsolete?
3. Why not try to end the campaign by killing the sheriff?
4. What are the pros and cons of accepting the offer of the barons to assist in securing King Richards release from Prison?
5. What action plan would you recommend to Robin? How should Robin implement the recommended plan? What action steps will need to be taken to make recommended strategy work successfully?

Answer 1

1. Robin Hood’s main problem is that a lack of organization has arisen as a result of the Merrymen becoming too large of a group. As a result, discipline has become a problem which is an issue that needs to be addressed with his lieutenants. Another result of the expansion has been a lack of food that will eventually cause tension with the Merrymen. As a result of this food scarce, Robin Hood has thought about moving away from the Merrymen mission statement and begin taxing the common folk. This is detrimental to any organization, and Robin Hood will have to evaluate the potential positives and negatives of such a change. Additionally, Robin Hood must figure out how to deal with a Sheriff and a Prince who are not effectively leading the people. While this is not a problem that Robin Hood can directly influence, the ruling of the powers above him will ultimately lead to actions taken out by the Merrymen. Robin Hood must address how we will maintain order throughout the group, continue to provide financial and provisional support, and handle the situation of the Sheriff and the Prince.

Yes they do need a new mission. While “Robbing from the rich and giving to the poor” has worked in the past for them, in order to truly make changes, he must develop a plan that revolves around more than just stealing. His objectives seem to be fine. Giving back to the poor in order to help them maintain a decent lifestyle and getting the Prince out of power. However, it is his strategy that truly needs to change. As previously mentioned, he must use his power to work the rich and poor to force the Prince to change his ways or step down.

2. In regards to strategy, Robin Hood must weigh the benefits and risks of the following:

I) Form a strategic alliance with the barons to rescue King Richard

II) Expand the organization into areas outside Sherwood Forest

III) Kill the Sheriff as a defensive strategic move

IV) Switch to a fixed transit tax for an offensive strategic move

The current strategy of the group is becoming obsolete at a hurried pace, as wealthy patrons are avoiding the forest.   With a growing army of men to feed, Robin must develop a new strategy or significantly alter current practices.

Robin has considered killing the Sheriff to end the feud, but decided against it because it would only satisfy his thirst for revenge without improving the matter. The next Sheriff would undoubtedly be just as bad if not worse because the Sheriff’s association is devoid of values. Also, with the Sheriff’s high-powered friends and increasing resources, the chances of succeeding in the slaying are dim. If there is an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the Sheriff, retribution will be fierce.

3. Working with the barons to free King Richard would provide Robin Hood with amnesty and a resolution to the campaign against the Sheriff. However, if the plan proves unsuccessful, King John will unleash his vicious and volatile side to ensure Robin Hood’s demise.

4. To achieve the goals of the organization and return to a law-abiding life, Robin should accept the offer of the barons to work on freeing King Richard.

While this is the riskiest strategy, the rewards are great. To implement the plan effectively, Robin Hood needs to immediately send some of the new men home, so as not to attract any more attention to the group. With the remaining members, Robin Hood should spend some of the gang’s free time.

Assuming that the choice is to pursue negotiations with the barons and participate in their efforts to restore King Richard to the throne, there are several actions that Robin should take:

1. Have a meeting with the Merrymen and explain fully the strategic dilemma that the organization finds itself in for the long term and the tough choices that have to be made. Let everyone know that the futuredoes not look promising, that things cannot continue going as they have been, and that the time has come to chart a new course.

2. Stop accepting recruits immediately and begin a program to downsize the organization.

3.Encourage people to leave the organization voluntarily. Perhaps Little John should come down hard on those who are not inclined to observe strict discipline as a way of making some people unhappy enough to leave.

4.Employ a harvest strategy to maximize short-term cash flow. Perhaps make scattered raids outside Sherwood Forest to shore up sagging revenues.

5. Pursue negotiations with the barons to secure amnesty for all the remaining Merrymen, the justification being that their efforts have helped generate the monies that Robin Hood can contribute to the ransom for King Richard.

6.Avoid further conflict with the Sheri and lessen the urgency for the Sherif to secure reinforcements.Try to buy enough time in the campaign against the Sherif for the efforts to secure the King’s release to bear fruit.

7.Prepare to cease operations as soon as circumstances permit. Help the Merrymen find alternative career occupations. Try to bring the organization to a graceful end. Have key lieutenants develop an orderly exit strategy.

8.Robin should personally devote most of his time and effort to assisting the barons gain King Richard’s release and making sure that the promise of amnesty is honored.