Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Essays

Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Essays Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Paper Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Paper 1. Describe how Robin Hood developed his initial strategy for competing with the sheriff of Nottingham and discuss how he implemented it. Critique this approach. The original problem definition of high taxation that faced the people gave way for a new market which was stormed by Robin Hood. Seemingly an unlawful act, his mission was to â€Å"steal from the rich, and give to the poor†. As he entered the market, he was faced with rivalry of the prince and the sheriff. Robin Hood and his band of Merry men stole from the rich and gave to the poor which is in actuality is entirely opposite to the actions of his rivals. As Robin Hood entered the existing niche market he gained popularity and support amongst the common folk as he was supplying a unique good/service. He provides a free service to the poor after his operating expenses are accounted for. Also, the people had a preference for his product and tactics were not easily matched or copied by the competition. By obtaining this support, this strategy was to his advantage against Prince John and the sheriff. The opinion of numerous common folk would have persuaded Prince John to change the law of unfair taxation. Robin quickly realized that there was little he could do himself; which led to development of the organization by stimulating human resources. He sought close allies who would follow his vision of vengeance for the sheriff and the prince. These men would act as direct subordinates, however as time progress, admittance was allowed with less scrutiny whereby the only determining factor was loyalty. He believed strength lay in numbers. Robin implemented his strategy of ‘strength in numbers’ by seeking discipline from his band of men which ensured unity in the organization. This was achieved through a specific department within the organizational hierarchy. As a result they became more powerful in their battle against the sheriff. This forced the Merry Men to live outside the law which was also desired to gain sufficient discipline in the group. This organization was fairly simple. Critique By acquiring a large extent of subordinates, Robin obtained a work force that is not necessarily trained as he allowed any to join who asked few questions. In doing so, extra man-hours would have to be spent in training. Also if prescreening of the new entrants existed, the idea of using the entrants with existing skills can give way for a more efficient organization. I. e. farmers would have been used not for war but for food. As the largest internal dilemma faced the band was an increased group size infrastructure, supplies and other physical resources would quickly diminish. Thus cutting cost should be priority, thus tradeoffs can be made by employing skilled workers for defined job. E. g. famers and hunters With the ideal of improper interview, his organization could be easily infiltrated by his competitors thus relieving their plan and strategies. 2. Identify organizational characteristics and environment characteristics that would lead you to think robin hood is wise to considering a change in strategy as he enters his campaign second year? Robin’s organization could be seen as one of a hierarchy, he is the highest person in the organization which can put him in roles such as C. E. O. or chairman. His responsibility is to delegate specific task to his lieutenants, each has their own functions which contributes to the success of the merry men as a unit. For example Will Scarlett was assigned the important task of shadowing the sheriff and notifying the merry men of the sheriff next move. Figure 1: Robins Organizational Hierarchy The motivation of the band was vital to keeping them interested in the purpose of the vendetta. Motivation theory seeks to explain all kinds of motivated behavior in different situations, including behavior in the organizations. Since the majority of behavior is sense motivated, individuals are greatly influenced by their environment. Maslow’s theory of human motivation, all people have a need or desire for self respect, self esteem, and respect from others. This directly applies to the Merry Men, for they sought respect and were proud of their famous motto â€Å"Rob from the rich and give to the poor†. The resourced based model was important in the success of the group; five factors were looked at which the band demonstrated resources, capability, competitive advantage, attractive industry, strategy formulation and implementation. The resource of the group came from the merchants that travel through the forest, initially the resource was always available but t was quickly becoming sparse as merchants was choosing a different route. The men were properly trained to plan their robbery and skillful in their archery, however, the influxes of new recruits were beginning to strain the reserves of the group as training and food was costly. Robin and the merry men had the support from their customers which were the peasants and farmers but now as income was low and the maintenance cost was high they would have to tax the very people which they helped meaning that the peasants and farmers could turn on them and add to their troubles. Understanding the resource base of the group I could see why a change in strategy was wise. Figure 2: Resourced Based Model Robin and his organization were in crisis due to lack of a proper corporate strategy. The merry men were growing, with large number of new recruits but the organic structure is not cohesive. Communication and discipline is being broken down, table 3 below shows some options robin could use and their SWOT analysis. | Opportunities | Threats | Strengths| SO Strategies: Kill the Sheriff * Wipe him out, no more problems * Has the men to do it When the sheriff is gone, disband. ST Strategies: Join the barons * Has the fighting force * Get access to capital markets * Maybe ends the conflict quicker| Weakness | WO Strategies: Limit size of band * Turn the fighting band into a group of elites * Maintains discipline * Solves food issues * Basically, curtail growth| WT Strategies: Disband * Give up the cause, return to normal life * Robin flees to another country to escap e punishment| Figure 3: SWOT Matrix Problems Robin and his organization faced: * Lack of discipline Maintenance cost * Shelter/space shortage * Food shortage * training * security and vigilance (whoever wanted to join was taken in and there could be traitors and spies) These problems need to be address if the band is to have any chance against the sheriff and prince John. 3. Assume that Robin Hood has asked you to help him devise a new strategy. Identify a set of factors for him to consider in revising strategy. It was evident from the story that Robin Hood needed to change his approach owing to both internal and external factors. An uncontrolled workforce along with unsuitable supplier location led to the brink of economic viability. Changing the overall goal of his organization to fixed transit taxation would decrease his competitive advantage over the Sheriff. As a result the cost of amenities which Mr. Hood provided to the common folk would increase. If he chooses this path he would lose his loyal supporters which kept him in control of the monopolized market. The farmers and townspeople would then favor Prince John’s governance and rely on his pity for commodities. In the event of this situation Robin Hood’s main foe, The Sheriff would become stronger in light of his political connection with the prince. Although his work force was constantly growing, its productivity was diminutive. He claimed that he was not familiar with a large population of his organization. It would be in Robin’s best interest to restructure his work force. He would gain an advantage by decentralizing the team into several self sustaining units; each unit consisting of team manager, lieutenants and miscellaneous subordinates. Akin to a franchised organization, each team unit would be operating under the Robin Hood brand name, have the same goal as Robin, and operate within the limits of Robin. This structure would be less demanding to co-ordinate and allow him to devise alternate strategies. Since Robin also had a problem with a definitive Sherwood Forest location, this structure would also aid his disguise from his suppliers, the rich merchant travelers and the Sheriff. It is an imprudent choice for Robin to divert from his core competency and profound skill of banditry. The change in profession may lead to a lack of enthusiasm which would reflect poorly through the eyes of his followers and his brand name. References: Analyzing Strategic Management Cases Date Accessed: 02nd February 2011 The Business Operations of Robin Hood and the Merry men Author: Sumeet Malhotra Date updated: 2010 Date Accessed: 05th February 2011 ROBIN HOOD a Case Study Author: Misti Walker   Date updated: 05th September 2009 Date Accessed: 05th February 2011 Case Study 24 Robin Hood Book Winning In The Market Place Second Edition   Date update: 2011 Date Accessed: 07th February 2011 Robin Hood Case Analysis Author: Aaron labin, Curt Matthews, Rich Miller scribd. com/doc/37469551/Robin-Hood-Final Date updated: 14th April 2009 Date Accessed: 07th February 2011

How Our Aligning Behavior Shapes Everyday Life

How Our Aligning Behavior Shapes Everyday Life Sociologists recognize that people do a lot of unseen work to make sure that our interactions with others go as we wish them to. Much of that work is about agreeing to or challenging what sociologists call the definition of the situation. Aligning action is any behavior that indicates to others the acceptance of a particular definition of the situation, while a realigning action  is an attempt to change the definition of the situation. For example, when the house lights dim in a theater, the audience typically stops talking and turns their attention to the stage. This indicates their acceptance and support for the situation and expectations that go with it and constitutes an aligning action. Conversely, an employer who makes sexual advances to an employee is trying to change the definition of the situation from one of work to one of sexual intimacy - an attempt that may or may not be met with an aligning action. The Theory Behind Aligning and Realigning Actions Aligning and realigning actions are part of sociologist Erving Goffmans dramaturgical perspective in sociology. This is a theory for framing and analyzing social interaction that uses the metaphor of the stage and a theater performance to tease out the intricacies of the many social interactions that comprise everyday life. Central to the dramaturgical perspective is a shared understanding of the definition of the situation. The definition of the situation must be shared and collectively understood in order for social interaction to happen. It is based on commonly understood social norms. Without it, we wouldnt know what to expect of each other, what to say to one another, or how to behave. According to Goffman, an aligning action is something a person does to indicate that they agree with the existing definition of the situation. Simply put, it means going along with what is expected. A realigning action is something that is designed to challenge or change the definition of the situation. It is something that either breaks with norms or seeks to establish new ones. Examplesof Aligning Actions Aligning actions are important because they tell those around us that we will behave in expected and normal ways. They can be totally commonplace and mundane, like waiting in line to purchase something at a shop, exiting an airplane in an orderly fashion after it has landed, or leaving a classroom at the ringing of the bell and heading to the next one before the next bell sounds. They can also be seemingly more important or momentous, like when we exit a building after a fire alarm has been activated, or when we wear black, bow our heads, and speak in quiet tones at a funeral. Whatever form they take, aligning actions say to others that we agree with the norms and expectations of a given situation and that we will act accordingly. Examplesof Realigning Actions Realigning actions are significant because they tell those around us that we are breaking from norms and that our behavior is likely to be unpredictable. They signal to those we interact with that tense, awkward, or even dangerous situations may follow. Importantly, realigning actions can also signal that the person making them believes that the norms that typically define the given situation are wrong, immoral, or unjust and that another definition of the situation is required to repair this. For example, when some audience members stood and began singing at a symphony performance in St. Louis in 2014, the performers on stage and most audience members were shocked. This behavior significantly redefined the typical definition of the situation for a classical musical performance in a theater. That they unfurled banners condemning the killing of young Black man Michael Brown and sang a slave hymn redefined the situation as one of peaceful protest and a call to action to the mostly white audience members to support the fight for justice. But, realigning actions can be mundane as well and can be as simple as clarifying in conversation when ones words are misunderstood. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.