Robin Hood Case Study free essay sample

Running Head: ROBIN HOOD CASE STUDY University of Maryland University College Analysis of the Robin Hood Case Study Introduction This paper will identify Robin Hood’s organizational strategy by using the Balanced Scoreboard approach, based on the framework of performance measurement. According to Thompson (2005), â€Å"the scoreboard approach to objective settings advocates using a company strategic vision and strategy as the basis for determining what specifics strategic and financial outcomes are appropriate measures of the progress a company is making† (p. 30). This approach will examine the following four objectives: (a) internal business process, (b) the customer, (c) financial, and (d) innovation. An analysis of Robin Hood case study will expand on each of these objectives by addressing the issues in the case study that resulted in the band’s failure and by providing recommendations to improve organization. Issues within the Organization The Robin Hood case study had numerous issues within his organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Robin Hood Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first issue was the organization’s mission. Robin Hood’s mission was to welcome and seek members to pursue a personal vendetta against the Sheriff and his administration. Subsequently, the relationship between Robin Hood and the band members became chaos. The band members turned against Robin Hood’s principles and the communication failed when attempting to plan a new strategy. Another issue within the Robin’s organization was the low-profit revenues, which caused limited resources and low productivity among the Merrymen. The last issue is the decision-making process within the organization. Robin Hood took charge by making all the decisions and denied the members’ creativity of being more independent. Applying the Balance Scoreboard Approach According to Thompson (2005), â€Å"identifying a company’s strategy is reflected in its actions in the marketplace and the statements senior managers about the company’s current business approaches † (p. 4). As shown in Table 1, identifying a company’s strategy is an important factor and the most fundamental concept that business must posses in order to achieve success (See Appendix A). By identifying the organization’s strategy, the Balanced Scoreboard approach will give Robin Hood a prominence to developing a formal company mission, strategic objectives and strategies to achieve the organization’s goals. Internal Business Process To satisfy the customers, what business processes must Robin excel at? Robin Hood needs to rethink his strategic planning. Strategic planning is very critical to organizations because strategies are the basis for the development of a working business process. Thompson further states â€Å"strategic planning is the process of deciding the competitiveness moves and approaches that will increase the business† (p. 15). Robin Hood’s organization can obtain goal by developing a short and long-term target. writing services websites When seeking a short-term target that would help the company’s strategy, Robin Hood should consider changing the organization’s mission statement. Robin Hood’s mission was a personal revenge towards the Sheriff. Changing the mission statement will allocate a committed team of leaders. If committed team of leaders existed, the organization can create a formal strategic planning process. To further this process, Thompson suggests â€Å"(a) analyze the environment and vision, (b) identify the organizational strengths and resources, (c) craft a strategy, (d) implement and execute the strategy, and (e) monitor the performance† (2005, p. 8). Smith further substantiates this short-term target by stating that â€Å"committed leadership is the single most important ingredient in the successful implementation of strategic principles and practices because leadership helps establish a sense of urgency around change initiatives, generates short-term wins, consolidates wins, and anchors new approaches to business and work in the organizational culture† (2003, p. 66). The leaders within the case study were reluctant to change the policy of taxing the farmers and townspeople. They were very proud of their motto by â€Å"Rob the rich and give to the poor†. If the Merrymen’s Lieutenants were more committed leaders, they would understand in the long-term that implementing strategies can reposition the organization to become more strategic focus. Customer To achieve our vision, how should Robin appear to the customers? Robin must develop a discipline process for assessing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Smith reported â€Å"in an era of rapid change and intense competition, the companies that establishes and maintains the clearest and most consistent loyalty of their customer requirement on an ongoing basis, are going to become and remain market leaders† (2002, p. 24). Although Robin’s mission was to take revenge on the Sheriff, he later realized that this fight was for the people that joined his organization. Robin started to provide customer service to the people by looking after their welfare and fighting the injustice that had been imposed by the Sheriff of Nottingham. The valuable benefits of employee loyalty can only be achieved through high levels of effective communication. To better address the people, Robin’s must effectively communicate a new strategic vision. Thompson reported â€Å"an effectively communicated vision is management’s most valuable tool for enlisting the committed of the company personnel actions that will make the vision a reality† (2005, p. 24). Robin’s new mission is as follows: ? The vision of the company is to lead the way to a healthier world. The company will live up to the commitment by fighting injustice. By carry out this vision at every level of the organization, the company will be recognized as the best justice organization in the competitive market. The company will achieve this by: ? Continuing growing and improving our organization ? Attracting, developing, and motivating the best people ? Making solid decisions to attract business Implementing a new vision will bring better a customer value to Robin’s organization. Financial To succeed financially, how should Robin appear to the customers? Robin scheme to rob from the rich and give to the poor was not a long-term strategy to finance his goal. Robin Hood needs to improve the financial performance within the organization by demanding quantifiable results. According to Thompson (2005), â€Å"the organization can obtain quantifiable results by (a) identifying the financial ways to obtain short-term benefits, and (b) understanding where the organization can generate savings, (c) and having a clear understanding of the financial impact of the organization† (p. 27). Robin Hood can demand quantifiable results by asking the people within the organization for a small nominal fee on a monthly basis. The nominal fee will help the organization to gain resources and keep the business up and running. In the long run, the organization can reduce the labor risks of the organization. Innovation To achieve our vision, how will Robin sustain his ability to change and improve? The last objective is innovation. Innovation is crucial, as is maintaining clear plans and making realistic forecasts and living up to them. Organization cannot afford to rest on their success; they need to continually build on their competitive advantages to remain ahead in the rat race and save themselves from being put out business. Robin Hood needs to strive for constant innovative expertise by changing his motives and finding ways to improve the change of business. Robin should consider joining the barons to fight freedom of King Richard. By doing this, Robin could conqueror Prince John and the Sheriff at the same time. Recommendations In order to determine the recommendations, an assessment of Robin Hood organization can be made by providing a summary of the risks within the organization that needs immediate attention. First, Robin Hood made all the decisions, which caused chaos within the organization. Consequently, this style caused to hinder Robins expansion possibilities. Yet another risk that must be addressed is the value of the Merrymen, which decrease significantly since the Sheriff has taken over. Therefore, limited resources and cash flows have hindered Robins operations. The first recommendation is Robin Hood must change his leadership style. His authoritative style caused a lot confusion within the organization. His follow the leader concept allowed disorder to overpower the ultimate goal and did not allow autonomy and creativity to develop within the Merryman. Yet another recommendation would be to develop a new management team of Lieutenants and Sergeants. This combination will help Robin Hood bridge the gap between the different operations. In order to establish a successful strategy and implementation efforts, Robin must utilize the team’s environment to promote collaboration and idea-building within the organization. According to Thompson, â€Å"idea solution is a team effort in which each organization unit strives to produce results in the area of responsibility that concentrate to the achievements of the company’s performance targets and strategic vision† (2005, p. 31). The establishment of teams will enhance the growth prospects and promote unique collaboration that may not have otherwise existed. It is imperative to have cross-functional teams so that the communication throughout Robin Hood’s organization is conveyed. This recommendation, along with the previous recommendation, could also help Robin Hood to control the environment for structuring and developing a better strategic plan. The last recommendation is something that may be deemed quite risky. Since the Sheriff has proven to be the most successful organization, I would suggest Robin Hood consider a joint venture with the Sheriff. Even though the Sheriff has his own competitive advantage of having political connections, I am optimistic enough to believe that this joint venture could prove cost-effective for both organizations. Conclusion As evident from this paper, the prime keys for Robin Hood’s organization in maintaining that edge to remain â€Å"in business’, but, also to make financial gains, involve adopting measures that help to stay current, motivated, and resourceful. Robin Hood can achieve this by applying the Business Scoreboard Approach, which can (a) clarify and translate the vision and strategy, (b) communicate and link objectives and measures, (c) plan, set targets, and align the strategic initiatives, and (d) enhance the strategic feedback and learning. When an organization correctly assesses its strategy in the marketplace, the opportunities for growth is enhanced. References Smith, D. , Blakeslee, J. (2002). Strategic six sigma: Best practices from the executive suite. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Thompson, A. , Strickland, A. (2005). Strategic management: Concepts and cases (14th ed. ). New York: Mc-Graw Hill. Appendix A Table 1. Factor to Identifying a Company’s Strategy |Factors to Identifying a Company’s Strategy | |Actions to diversify the company’s revenues and earnings. |Actions to strengthen the competitive capabilities | |Actions and approaches that define how the company’s manages the finances | |Efforts to purse new markets opportunities | |Actions form from a strategic alliance | |Actions to gain sales, more performance, and better quality | |Actions to respond to changing market conditions and external circumstances | |Actions to enter into a new geographic or products. |