Examples of some questions that can come in the bMZ2025 exam: Sample Questions:
NOTE: These are not the actual questions that will come in the exam but just practice
questions!
Question on Organization and Management (for max. 10 points)
BACKGROUND:
According to Hitt, an organization is “an interconnected set of individuals and groups who
attempt to accomplish common goals”. Mintzberg’s theory distinguishes a number of
organizational configurations that have a number of basic parts. Each of the basic parts exerts a
particular “pull”. When conditions favor a particular pull, the organization is drawn to design
itself as a particular configuration. For each of Mintzberg’s theoretical configurations one basic
part is the key part.
Mintzberg’s theory distinguishes a number of organizational configurations. In his most recent
work, the main configurations are: Simple structure (persoal enterprise/entrepreneurial
organization); Machine bureacracy (programmed Machine), Professional Bureacracy
(Professional assembly); Adhocracy (Project Pioneer).
The provided “Case 1 University Hospital Maastricht” – see student portal - gives information on
the organization of this hospital, in which features of one or more configurations according to
Mintzberg can be recognized.
QUESTIONS:
a) Mintzberg describes a number of basic parts of configurations. We selected two basic
parts: strategic apex and operating core.
- First, briefly explain the function of each of these two basic parts.
Answer:
- Strategic apex are the main managers of the organization; they range from the
team leaders to the CEO. These managers oversee the whole system and have
some sort of control. The main managerial functions here are planning,
organizing, controlling and directing.
- The operating core consists of the people who perform the basic work of
producing the products and rendering the services. They also turn inputs into
outputs
, - Then, explain what these basic parts have to do with “division of labor”.
Answer:
- Your strategic apex instructs your workforce on how to do their work.
- Division of labor is one of the two main aspects of an organization. The other one
is coordination. Division of labor mainly depends on differentiation or
specialization. It depends on who does what and who can do what.
- Managers can take the role to divide the labor among the operating core
depending on who does what to ensure the efficient production of goods and
services.
From lecture:
- Strategic apex → set overall strategy, make major decisions and provide direction to the
organization. They also determine the overall strategy of the organization = determines
the division of labor. What tasks are necessary and what departments and units should be
created to perform those tasks.
- Operating core → are the employees that perform the day to day work (e.g. producing
goods). This is where the labor is divided. Example: in specialized organizations,
employees here are assigned specific narrow tasks = high degree of division of labor.
b) Mintzberg emphasizes that there are nine essential ‘design parameters’ (also known as
‘elements of design’). One of these job specializations.
- Describe what job specialization entails.
Answer:
- Job Specialization refers to the number of tasks in a given job and the worker’s
control over these tasks.
- Specialization is a means of making the most efficient use of employees’ skills
and successfully improving them through repetition. This also contributes to the
efficient use of resources within an organization.
From lecture:
- Horizontal specialization → the extent that the job encompasses a few narrowly defined
tasks
- Vertical specialization → the extent that the worker lacks control of the tasks performed.
- Professional jobs are specialized horizontally but not vertically.
NOTE: These are not the actual questions that will come in the exam but just practice
questions!
Question on Organization and Management (for max. 10 points)
BACKGROUND:
According to Hitt, an organization is “an interconnected set of individuals and groups who
attempt to accomplish common goals”. Mintzberg’s theory distinguishes a number of
organizational configurations that have a number of basic parts. Each of the basic parts exerts a
particular “pull”. When conditions favor a particular pull, the organization is drawn to design
itself as a particular configuration. For each of Mintzberg’s theoretical configurations one basic
part is the key part.
Mintzberg’s theory distinguishes a number of organizational configurations. In his most recent
work, the main configurations are: Simple structure (persoal enterprise/entrepreneurial
organization); Machine bureacracy (programmed Machine), Professional Bureacracy
(Professional assembly); Adhocracy (Project Pioneer).
The provided “Case 1 University Hospital Maastricht” – see student portal - gives information on
the organization of this hospital, in which features of one or more configurations according to
Mintzberg can be recognized.
QUESTIONS:
a) Mintzberg describes a number of basic parts of configurations. We selected two basic
parts: strategic apex and operating core.
- First, briefly explain the function of each of these two basic parts.
Answer:
- Strategic apex are the main managers of the organization; they range from the
team leaders to the CEO. These managers oversee the whole system and have
some sort of control. The main managerial functions here are planning,
organizing, controlling and directing.
- The operating core consists of the people who perform the basic work of
producing the products and rendering the services. They also turn inputs into
outputs
, - Then, explain what these basic parts have to do with “division of labor”.
Answer:
- Your strategic apex instructs your workforce on how to do their work.
- Division of labor is one of the two main aspects of an organization. The other one
is coordination. Division of labor mainly depends on differentiation or
specialization. It depends on who does what and who can do what.
- Managers can take the role to divide the labor among the operating core
depending on who does what to ensure the efficient production of goods and
services.
From lecture:
- Strategic apex → set overall strategy, make major decisions and provide direction to the
organization. They also determine the overall strategy of the organization = determines
the division of labor. What tasks are necessary and what departments and units should be
created to perform those tasks.
- Operating core → are the employees that perform the day to day work (e.g. producing
goods). This is where the labor is divided. Example: in specialized organizations,
employees here are assigned specific narrow tasks = high degree of division of labor.
b) Mintzberg emphasizes that there are nine essential ‘design parameters’ (also known as
‘elements of design’). One of these job specializations.
- Describe what job specialization entails.
Answer:
- Job Specialization refers to the number of tasks in a given job and the worker’s
control over these tasks.
- Specialization is a means of making the most efficient use of employees’ skills
and successfully improving them through repetition. This also contributes to the
efficient use of resources within an organization.
From lecture:
- Horizontal specialization → the extent that the job encompasses a few narrowly defined
tasks
- Vertical specialization → the extent that the worker lacks control of the tasks performed.
- Professional jobs are specialized horizontally but not vertically.
