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Teaching Note: Case 1 – Robin Hood
Case Objectives
1. To provide an introduction to the conceptual framework of strategic management
2. To introduce students to the process of problem identification and potential
See the table below to determine where to use this case:
Chapter Use Key Concepts
1: Strategy Concept Leadership for strategic management; sustainable competitive
advantage; vision, mission, strategic objectives; external
Case Synopsis
Robin Hood and his Merry Men are now in trouble because wealthy travelers (their
source of revenue) are avoiding the forest. As is often common in an entrepreneurial
organization, the Merry Men were highly motivated by Robin Hood’s leadership.
Therefore, Robin had previously relied on informal communication to organize and
implement operations. Robin is pleased with the growing size and influence of his
organization. However, growth has meant that specialized duties have begun taking up
most of the men’s time, leaving a command vacuum between Robin and the first line
Teaching Plan
Most students are familiar with the Robin Hood story, so it’s possible to ask them to read
this short case in class during the 1st or 2nd class meeting. Either use the PowerPoint slides
It’s up to the instructor whether or not to assign Chapter 1 prior to discussing the case. If
the case is read before the chapter is read, then the instructor has the option to ask
Summary of Discussion Questions
Here is a list of the suggested discussion questions. You can decide which questions to
assign, and also which additional readings or exercises to include to augment each
1. What is strategy?
2. What strategic problems does Robin Hood have?
3. What is the role of the organizational leader as strategist and articulator of global
goals?
4. What are some issues in this organization’s external environment?
5. What is the relationship of the organization’s internal structure to its environment?
6. How do stakeholder values or culture influence strategy making?
7. What strategy can Robin Hood implement?
Discussion Questions and Responses
Chapter 1: Introduction and Analyzing Goals and Objectives
1. What is the purpose of strategy?
Strategy is all about the ideas, decisions, and actions that enable a firm to succeed. See
Chapter 1, Exhibit 01: Strategic management consists of the analyses, decisions, and
●strategy directs the organization toward overall goals and objectives;
●includes multiple stakeholders in decision making;
Strategic management involves
●Analysis of strategic goals (vision, mission, strategic objectives), and of the
●Decisions - Formulation about what industries to compete in, and how to compete
●Actions - Implementation to allocate necessary resources and design the
An interesting question that the instructor can ask at this point is: What business is Robin
Hood’s organization in? Some students might say philanthropy, some might say robbery.
2. What strategic problems does Robin Hood have?
If strategy is all about the ideas, decisions, and actions that enable a firm to succeed, what
might Robin Hood need to assess as he ponders his likelihood of future success? As
Robin Hood’s organization has grown, food resources are becoming scarce and it has
Issues that need to be addressed include:
●Has Sherwood Forest become too small to sustain operations?
●How to avoid detection of the now “major encampment”?
●What to do about the growing strength of the Sheriff’s forces?
●How to address organizational communications and redefine the leadership focus?
Decisions that need to be made include:
●Should Robin Hood impose a fixed transit tax in order to increase revenue?
●Should Robin Hood kill the Sheriff?
●Should Robin Hood accept the barons’ offer to join in freeing King Richard?
Consequences to be considered include:
●What might happen if Robin expanded operations beyond Sherwood Forest?
●Does the change in the external environment mean that the original mission is no
longer valid?
●If Robin Hood decides to kill the Sheriff, accept the barons’ offer or impose a tax
on travelers, how do each of those actions link to the original mission?
●If the mission changes, to what degree does Robin Hood have to worry about the
loyalty of stakeholders?
If Robin Hood expands operations beyond Sherwood Forest, that may solve his revenue
and resource problems, but it will create issues with organizational communications – he
can’t keep track of his men now, so what will happen if the physical environment changes
even further? Would his existing organizational structure still work with a larger group? It
The major issue concerns the rapid growth of the organization and the changing external
environmental conditions. In the space of two years the organization grew from
3. What is the role of the organizational leader as strategist and articulator of
global goals?
Leaders face a large number of complex challenges. Leaders must be proactive, anticipate
change and continually refine changes to their strategies. This requires a certain level of
“ambidextrous behavior”, where leaders are alert to opportunities beyond the confines of
See Chapter 1, Exhibit 06. The primary role of the organizational leader is to articulate
vision, mission, and strategic objectives. Robin Hood needs to evaluate his initial vision
of the organization’s purpose: what was the original goal that evokes a powerful and
Robin Hood’s organizational mission may have to change: a mission encompasses both
the purpose of the company as well as the basis for competition and competitive
advantages. Organizations must respond to multiple constituencies – multiple
If the vision and mission have to change, Robin Hood must establish strategic objectives
to operationalize the mission statement. That is, objectives help to operationalize the
Therefore, Robin Hood needs to redefine the organizational vision and mission since it
may have changed - rebellion may have become routinized into banditry. He must also
4. What are some issues in this organization’s external environment?
Strategy analysis is the first step in the strategic management process. It precedes
effective formulation and implementation of strategies, involves careful analysis of the
There are obvious resource constraints. Sherwood Forest has finite resources: the inputs
into the organization (travelers to rob) have dwindled, especially since the rich travelers
have started avoiding it. Robin Hood’s band are spending past gains on present problems
Regarding the physical environment, the current growth of the organization has created a
large encampment that can be seen for miles, and is therefore now a target for attack. The
5. What is the relationship of the organization’s internal structure to its
environment?
See the Chapter discussion of the trade-offs between effectiveness and efficiency. Given
the growth of the operation and other changes in the external environment, Robin Hood’s
His current structure is functional, with each lieutenant a specialist. Communication has
been informal, and Robin currently has no direct link to his first line recruits. This
Robin might want to consider a possible new structure: his lieutenants could do double
time as staff and line personnel, fulfilling their staff duties in off-peak periods, but
available for line duty during field operations. Robin might also want to consider creating
6. How do stakeholder values or culture influence strategy making?
During strategic analysis, the leader does “advance work” to anticipate unforeseen
environmental developments, identify unanticipated resource constraints, assess changes
in his or her preferences for how to manage. During strategy formation, depending on the
Therefore, leaders must pay attention to all stakeholder needs, including the group’s
Regarding the organizational culture, it was based on founding values that embraced a
missionary outreach to the community. The original purpose created unity and a spirit of
daring among the Merry Men. Robin is considering abandoning the higher (more
affluent) segment of his market for a deeper exploitation of a very large segment with
7. What strategy can Robin Hood implement?
The basic question strategic management tries to answer is: How can we create
competitive advantages in the marketplace that are not only unique and valuable but also
If the organization is still Robin's extension of a personal grudge, then displacing the
Sheriff should be the primary mission of the Merry Men. If the organization is acting on
behalf of the district then replacing the Sheriff with a more benign administration should
be the priority. If however the Merry Men's existence is an expression of widespread
Robin should have a meeting with the Merry Men to explain the strategic dilemma and
long-term issues. He needs to increase organizational discipline, which could be done by
creating a clearer organizational structure with strategic controls that enforce the mission.
It is crucial for the students to appreciate the contradictory pressures that implementation
generates. The new decentralized structure will call for more intricate communication and
command systems. It increases flexibility, but also increases the probability of breakdown
While restructuring is going on, Robin must begin to consider other aspects of his
strategy. He should examine the possibility of diversifying beyond the confines of his
Robin must also prepare for the possibility of ceasing operations by providing
outplacement training. He should pursue alliances beyond the current band of Merry
Finally, Robin should recognize that mistakes will occur. Therefore he should anticipate
the costs of implementation, especially the problems of extended communication. Robin
Ultimately, however, Robin Hood must consider the long-term course of action. If the
Merry Men were a profit-maximizing organization in the classic sense they would be
satisfied with keeping the Sheriff off balance; or perhaps work toward his replacement
