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Academy Documents

Kindly access the Students' Policies & Forms by clicking on the button below. The following documents, among others, can be found there: Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, Students' Privacy Notice, Deferral, Suspension, and Cancellation Policy, Assignment Extension Policy, Re-Sit Policy, Complaints Procedure Policy, Equality Policy, and Student Disciplinary Policy.

Students' Policies & Forms

Sessions' Venue

All sessions will be held at 21 Academy's Training Centre in Naxxar - Class 3

21 Business Centre, No. 20., Triq in-Nutar Debono, Naxxar NXR 2525

Monday sessions 09:30 - 12:30hrs (compulsory signature)

Weekday sessions 17:30 - 20:30hrs

Weekend sessions 09:00hrs - 17:00hrs

Lecture Schedule & Notes

Lecture notes will be available during the week following the respective lecture. Schedule dates are indicative and may change. All changes, if any, may be communicated via email, SMS or telephone calls.

Lecturer/s  

Mr. Paul Gauci

Lecture Summaries & Suggested Reading 

Lecture 1 - Mastering Strategy: Art and Science

• Self Assessment sitting 1

Following this session students will learn to:

• What is the difference between strategic management and strategy
• Why does strategic management matter
• What are intended, emergent, and realized strategies
• What is the history of strategic management
• What is the basic strategic management process
• How do you use the techniques which are used in the development and formation of strategies
• How do you enable an Ethical Organization
• What is Corporate Governance, Corporate Ethics, and Social Responsibility

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 2 - Assessing Organisational Performance

Following this session students will learn to:

• What are organizational vision, mission, values, and goals, and why are they important to organizations
• How should one analyze the performance of their organization
• What is competitive advantage and how is it calculated
• Recognize a competitive advantage in real-world scenarios.

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 3 - Evaluating the External Environment

Following this session students will learn to:

• What is the macro environment and why is it important to organizations
• How is the PESTEL framework used and applied to evaluate the external environment
• How is the Porter’s Five Forces tool used to perform a competitive analysis of an industry
• What are strategic groups and how are they useful to evaluating the competitive environment
• How do you analyse market factors, and identify their impact on profitability and strategic positioning

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 4 - Evaluating the Internal Environment

Following this session students will learn to:

• What is the Resource-Based View and why is it important to organizations
• How is the VRIO tool applied to strategic resources
• In what ways can intellectual property serve as a value-added resource for organizations
• What are isolating mechanisms and how can they contribute to a firm’s competitive advantage
• How can the Value Chain be applied to achieve a competitive advantage

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 5 - Selecting Business-Level Strategies

Following this session students will learn to:

• How is the SWOT framework used for determining strategic issues and strategies
• What is a strategic issue and how is it identified and expressed
• How to evaluate and develop the ability to identify strategic issues and design appropriate courses of action.
• Why is an examination of generic strategies valuable
• What are the four main generic strategies
• What is a best-cost strategy

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 6 - Innovation Strategies

Following this session students will learn to:

• What is Entrepreneurial Orientation
• Why should companies innovate
• What are the four types of innovation
• What are the four stages of the product life cycle and crossing the chasm
• What are the ways firms might cooperate with their competitors
• How do you critically explain the importance of integrational thinking in the understanding of strategy and its formation and development in complex organisations

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 7 - Selecting Corporate-Level Strategies

Following this session students will learn to:

• What is corporate-level strategy and how does it differ from business-level strategy
• What is vertical integration and what benefits can it provide
• What are the three types of diversification and when should they be used
• What are four methods that a firm can use to implement its corporate strategy
• What is portfolio planning and why is it useful
• How can you execute an effective strategy through Organizational Design
• How do you consider all the different functional areas within an organisation as part of an integrative approach
• How can you synthesize the knowledge gained from other business modules, bringing together into a comprehensive understanding of the concepts supporting competitive advantage

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 8 - Tutorial Session 01

• Self Assessment sitting 2

During this session students will:

• Go through and discuss the correct answers of the Self-Assessment
• Discuss the contents of the presentation being prepared for the Group Presentation

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 9 -  Tutorial Session 02

During this session students will:

• Discuss the contents of the presentation being prepared for the Group Presentation
• Discuss the Assignments being drafted as part of the assessment method

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 10 -  Tutorial Session 03

During this session students will:

• Discuss the contents of the presentation being prepared for the Group Presentation
• Discuss the Assignments being drafted as part of the assessment method

Core Reading List

• Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. and Scholes, K., (2019). Exploring Strategy. 12th ed. Pearson Education.
• Greasley, A., (2013). Operations Management. 3rd ed. Wiley
• Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. and Ghoshal, S., (2013). The Strategy Process. 2nd ed. Pearson

Supplementary Reading List

• De Wit, B. and Mayer, R., (2020). Strategy. 7th ed. Cengage Learning
• Puranam, P. and Vanneste, B., 2018. Corporate Strategy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Stacey, R., (2015). Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 7th ed. Pearson
• Kim, W. and Mauborgne, R., (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press

Lecture 11 - Assessments

During this session students will:

• Receive the scored self-assessment
• Deliver the group presentations and answer to questions from both students and tutor
• Go through the last assignment issues, if any.

Methods of Assessment

Self Assessment 15% of final score - Students will be expected to sit for a multiple-choice test during the module's first lecture on 16 November 2025. Students will be handed out the test sheet and their answers during session 8 on the 9 December 2025 and will be asked to correct their own submission.

Group Presentation 20% of final score

Reflective Notes 10% of final score

1 Assignment 55% of final score

Assignment

You are required to choose one of the three questions available in the Assignment Submission Form made available by clicking the button below. The assignment must be submitted no later than Friday, 2 January 2026 at 23:59 hrs., along with the Assignment Submission Form. Please ensure that you indicate the question you have addressed on the Assignment Submission Form.

Assignment Submission Form

For guidance on how to plan, draft, and submit your assignment, please refer to the 21 Academy presentation on Writing and Submitting Your Assignment by clicking the button below.

Writing and Submitting Your Assignment

We are also providing the 21 Academy's Assignments Rubric for your reference. This rubric is a performance-based assessment tool that tutors will use for grading, and it will help you understand the requirements of the assignment and how it will be assessed.

Assignments Rubric

Group Presentation

You will be asked to design and deliver a group presentation about a business you plan to create together. This will be the same group you worked together with in class. The presentation should be delivered in 20 minutes and each member of the group should deliver part of the presentation. The presentation will be delivered on Saturday, 20 December 2025, between 9.00 and 12.00 hrs.

Presentation Submission Form

A Presentation Rubric is being made available for your guidance below. This is a performance-based assessment tool. Tutors will use the rubric to assist them to allocate scoring, while it allows students to understand what is required in the presentation and how your presentation will be graded.

Presentation Rubric

Your presentation should also be submitted in PDF format on Turnitin by not later than 24 hours before it is being delivered. Do not scan the presentation but convert/save it directly to PDF.

Note that the submitted presentations will be scanned for plagiarism.

Reflective Notes

Each student should submit Reflective Notes about their experience during the preparatory phase of the Group Presentation.

From here, you can download 21 Academy's Reflective Notes template in

Word Format or PDF Format

In any case, the document has to be submitted to the academy through Turnitin no later than the day before the presentation is meant to be delivered in class. The Reflective Notes have to be submitted to the academy through Turnitin by not later than Friday, 19 December, 2025, at 23.59 hrs.

If you need information on how to write and keep your reflective notes for your involvement in the group work to prepare the presentation, please refer to the Induction Presentation 03.