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 Robinfrom 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

Pada musim semi tahun kedua pemberontakannya melawan Sheriff Tinggi Nottingham, Robin Hood
berjalan-jalan di Hutan Sherwood. Saat dia berjalan, dia merenungkan kemajuan kampanye, disposisi
pasukannya, gerakan Sheriff baru-baru ini, dan opsi yang dihadapinya. Pemberontakan melawan Sheriff
dimulai sebagai

perang salib pribadi. Ini meletus dari konflik Robin dengan Sheriff dan pemerintahannya. Namun, Robin
Hood sendiri tidak bisa berbuat banyak. Karena itu, dia mencari sekutu, orang-orang yang memiliki
keluhan dan rasa keadilan yang dalam. Kemudian dia menyambut semua yang datang, mengajukan
beberapa pertanyaan dan hanya menuntut kesediaan untuk melayani. Kekuatan, dia yakin, terletak
pada angka.

Dia menghabiskan tahun pertama membentuk grup menjadi band disiplin, bersatu dalam permusuhan
melawan Sheriff dan bersedia hidup di luar hukum. Organisasi band itu sederhana. Robin memerintah
tertinggi, membuat semua keputusan penting. Dia mendelegasikan tugas khusus kepada para letnannya.
Will Scarlett bertanggung jawab atas intelijen dan kepanduan. Tugas utamanya adalah membayangi
Sheriff dan anak buahnya, selalu waspada terhadap langkah selanjutnya. Dia juga mengumpulkan
informasi tentang rencana perjalanan pedagang kaya dan pemungut pajak. Little John menjaga disiplin
di antara para pria dan memastikan bahwa panahan mereka berada di puncak tertinggi yang dituntut
oleh profesi mereka. Scarlett mengurus keuangan, mengubah jarahan menjadi uang tunai, membayar
bagian yang diambil, dan menemukan tempat persembunyian yang cocok untuk surplus. Akhirnya,
Much the Miller's son memiliki tugas yang sulit untuk menyediakan kelompok Merry Men yang terus
meningkat.

Meningkatnya ukuran band adalah sumber kepuasan bagi Robin, tetapi juga menjadi sumber perhatian.
Ketenaran Merry Men-nya menyebar, dan rekrutan baru berdatangan dari setiap sudut Inggris. Saat
band semakin besar, bivak kecil mereka menjadi perkemahan utama. Di antara penggerebekan, orang-
orang itu berkeliaran, berbicara dan bermain game.
Kewaspadaan menurun, dan disiplin menjadi lebih sulit untuk diterapkan. “Mengapa,” Robin merenung,
“Saya tidak tahu setengah dari laki-laki yang saya temui hari ini.” Band yang berkembang juga mulai
melampaui

kapasitas pangan hutan. Permainan menjadi langka, dan perbekalan harus diperoleh dari desa-desa
terpencil. Biaya membeli makanan mulai menguras cadangan keuangan band pada saat pendapatan
menurun. Wisatawan, terutama mereka yang paling merugi, sekarang memberi hutan tempat berlabuh
yang luas. Ini mahal dan tidak nyaman bagi mereka, tetapi lebih baik jika semua barang mereka disita.

Robin percaya bahwa sudah waktunya bagi Merry Men untuk mengubah kebijakan penyitaan barang
secara langsung menjadi salah satu pajak transit tetap. Para letnannya sangat menentang gagasan ini.
Mereka bangga dengan semboyan terkenal dari Merry Men: "Rob the rich and give to the poor." “Para
petani dan penduduk kota,” kata mereka, “adalah sekutu terpenting kami.

Bagaimana kita bisa memajaki mereka, dan masih berharap atas bantuan mereka dalam perjuangan kita
melawan Sheriff? ”

Robin bertanya-tanya berapa lama Merry Men bisa mengikuti cara dan metode masa awal mereka.
Sheriff tumbuh lebih kuat dan menjadi lebih terorganisir. Dia sekarang memiliki uang dan orang-orang
dan mulai mengganggu band, mencari kelemahannya. Gelombang peristiwa mulai berbalik melawan
Manusia Merry. Robin merasa bahwa kampanye tersebut harus diselesaikan dengan tegas sebelum
Sheriff memiliki kesempatan untuk memberikan pukulan mematikan.

“Tapi bagaimana,” dia bertanya-tanya, “ini bisa dilakukan?” Robin sudah sering menghibur kemungkinan
membunuh Sheriff, tetapi peluang untuk ini sepertinya semakin jauh. Selain itu, membunuh Sheriff
mungkin memuaskan dahaga pribadinya untuk balas dendam, tetapi itu tidak akan memperbaiki situasi.
Robin berharap keadaan kerusuhan yang terus-menerus dan kegagalan Sheriff untuk mengumpulkan
pajak akan menyebabkan dia dicopot dari jabatannya. Sebaliknya, Sheriff menggunakan koneksi
politiknya untuk mendapatkan penguatan. Dia memiliki teman yang kuat di istana dan dihormati oleh
bupati, Pangeran John.

Pangeran John sangat kejam dan mudah berubah. Dia termakan oleh ketidakpopulerannya di antara
orang-orang, yang menginginkan Raja Richard yang dipenjara kembali. Dia juga hidup dalam ketakutan
terus-menerus terhadap para baron, yang pertama kali memberinya kewenangan tetapi sekarang mulai
membantah klaimnya atas takhta. Beberapa dari baron ini telah berangkat untuk mengumpulkan uang
tebusan yang akan membebaskan Raja Richard the Lionheart dari penjara di Austria. Robin diundang
untuk bergabung dalam konspirasi dengan imbalan amnesti di masa depan. Itu adalah proposisi yang
berbahaya. Bandit provinsi adalah satu hal, intrik pengadilan adalah hal lain. Pangeran John memiliki
mata-mata di mana-mana,

dan dia dikenal karena dendamnya. Jika rencana para konspirator gagal, pengejaran akan dilakukan
tanpa henti dan balas dendam akan cepat.

Suara klakson makan malam mengejutkan Rob dari pikirannya. Tercium bau daging rusa panggang di
udara. Tidak ada yang diselesaikan atau diselesaikan.

Robin menuju kemah berjanji pada dirinya sendiri bahwa dia akan memberikan perhatian penuh pada
masalah ini setelah besok
Objectives of Case Analysis Using cases to learn about the practice of strategic management is a
powerful way for you to accomplish five things:

1. Increase your understanding of what managers should and should not do in guiding a business
to success.
2. Build your skills in sizing up company resource strengths and weaknesses and in conducting
strategic analysis in a variety of industries and competitive situations.
3. Get valuable practice in identifying strategic issues that need to be addressed, evaluating
strategic alternatives, and formulating workable plans of action.
4. Enhance your sense of business judgment, as opposed to uncritically accepting the authoritative
crutch of the professor or “back-of-the-book” answers.
5. Gain in-depth exposure to different industries and companies, thereby acquiring something
close to actual business experience.

To prepare a case for class discussion, we suggest the following approach:

1. Skim the case rather quickly to get an overview of the situation it presents. This quick overview
should give you the general flavor of the situation and indicate the kinds of issues and problems
that you will need to wrestle with. If your instructor has provided you with study questions for
the case, now is the time to read them carefully.
2. Read the case thoroughly to digest the facts and circumstances. On this reading, try to gain full
command of the situation presented in the case. Begin to develop some tentative answers to
the study questions your instructor has provided. If your instructor has elected not to give you
assignment questions, then start forming your own picture of the overall situation being
described.
3. Carefully review all the information presented in the exhibits. Often, there is an important story
in the numbers contained in the exhibits. Expect the information in the case exhibits to be
crucial enough to materially affect your diagnosis of the situation.
4. Decide what the strategic issues are. Until you have identified the strategic issues and problems
in the case, you don’t know what to analyze, which tools and analytical techniques are called
for, or otherwise how to proceed. At times the strategic issues are clear—either being stated in
the case or else obvious from reading the case. At other times you will have to dig them out
from all the information given; if so, the study questions will guide you.
5. Start your analysis of the issues with some number crunching. A big majority of strategy cases
call for some kind of number crunching—calculating assorted financial ratios to check out the
company’s financial condition and recent performance, calculating growth rates of sales or
profits or unit volume, checking out profit margins and the makeup of the cost structure, and
understanding whatever revenue-cost-profit relationships are present. See Table  1 for a
summary of key financial ratios, how they are calculated, and what they show.
6. Apply the concepts and techniques of strategic analysis you have been studying. Strategic
analysis is not just a collection of opinions; rather, it entails applying the concepts and analytical
tools described in Chapters 1 through 12 to cut beneath the surface and produce sharp insight
and understanding. Every case assigned is strategy related and presents you with an opportunity
 to usefully apply what you have learned. Your instructor is looking for you to demonstrate that
you know how and when to use the material presented in the text chapters.
7. Check out conflicting opinions and make some judgments about the validity of all the data and
information provided. Many times cases report views and contradictory opinions (after all,
people don’t always agree on things, and different people see the same things in different
ways). Forcing you to evaluate the data and information presented in the case helps you
develop your powers of inference and judgment. Asking you to resolve conflicting information
“comes with the territory” because a great many managerial situations entail opposing points of
view, conflicting trends, and sketchy information.
8. Support your diagnosis and opinions with reasons and evidence. The most important things to
prepare for are your answers to the question “Why?” For instance, if after studying the case you
are of the opinion that the company’s managers are doing a poor job, then it is your answer to
“Why?” that establishes just how good your analysis of the situation is. If your instructor has
provided you with specific study questions for the case, by all means prepare answers that
include all the reasons and number-crunching evidence you can muster to support your
diagnosis. If you are using study questions provided by the instructor, generate at least two
pages of notes! 9. Develop an appropriate action plan and set of recommendations. Diagnosis
divorced from corrective action is sterile. The test of a manager is always to convert sound
analysis into sound actions—actions that will produce the desired results. Hence, the final and
most telling step in preparing a case is to develop an action agenda for management that lays
out a set of specific recommendations on what to do. Bear in mind that proposing realistic,
workable solutions is far preferable to casually tossing out off-the-top-ofyour-head suggestions.
Be prepared to argue why your recommendations are more attractive than other courses of
action that are open.