Reference no: EM13926791

*Answer each question individually and cite any and all references in APA Format.

Part A:

Read the Robin Hood case C1 (Attached).

1. Was Robin a good leader? How does leadership impact the strategic management process?

2. What is the impact of social responsibility on the strategic management process?

3. The Trojan Horse: A Timeless Strategic Model

The story of the Trojan Horse has been told throughout history. It has been recanted in children's books and dramatized in movies. Recall the films Helen of Troy and most recently, Troy, starring Brad Pitt.

An Epic written by Virgil within The Aeneid, somewhere between Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, it is a story of war between the people of two cities separated by the sea. Its lesson is timeless and worth our while.

The Greeks were weary. After ten long years of fighting, they had not yet won their battle against the Trojans. Odysseus had an idea, a plan for victory. First, they would feign retreat. Then, they would trick the Trojans into thinking they had come to present a gift to Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Carefully, the Greeks crafted their strategy.

The Greeks built their "gift," a massive wooden horse. History has it that the structure, containing a trap door and holes where the eyes were located, was large enough to hold 30 soldiers in its body and two spies in its eyes. They transported the horse from Greece, across the sea, to the front gates of Troy. There it stood for the Trojans to observe.

Opening the gates, the Trojans examined the horse. Indeed, they believed that this was "gift" for Athena. They pulled it by the long rope attached to the front of the horse, right into their own city of Troy. It was so big that they had to remove a piece of the city wall to get it through the gates. They left it at the temple of Athena. The Trojans then had a party to celebrate the end of the war.

Meanwhile, the Greek soldiers remained motionless until nightfall. In darkness, they climbed out of the horse and attacked the sleeping city of Troy. They destroyed the city, taking its people captive. The war was over. The Greeks had won!

What lessons about strategic management can we learn from this epic?

 

Part B:

1. In this segment, I would like to focus on the definition of competitive advantage. The purpose of strategic management is to create and sustain competitive advantage. What then, is the competitive advantage that your chosen company seeks to create?

2. Walmart remains low cost industry leader because it has devised a system comprised of cross-docking and inbound logistics which so far no one has been able to imitate. The company is true to its motto: "always low prices." No matter what item you are looking for, it is always available at Walmart for a lower price. Find a gallon of milk at Walgreen's for $1.79 and Walmart will offer it for $1.76. It's only three cents, but you will choose Walmart every single time! Have you ever wondered how competitors' prices are tracked and monitored?

What happens when someone comes along and matches or imitates Walmart's system?Your thoughts?

Case 1: Robin Hood*

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, erupting out of Robin's conflict with the Sheriff and his administration. Alone, however, 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 only demanding 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. Scarlock took care of the finances, converting loot into 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 Merrymen.

The increasing size of the band was a source of satisfaction for Robin, but also a source of concern. The fame of his Merrymen was spreading, and new recruits poured 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 Merrymen 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 Merrymen could keep to the ways and methods of their early days. The Sheriff was growing stronger and 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 Merrymen. 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, while killing the Sheriff might satisfy his personal thirst for revenge, 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 Lion-heart 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's spies were everywhere. If the plan failed, the pursuit would be relentless and retribution 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.