Delayering refers to removing one or more levels of management from a tall structure to make it flatter.

• A. Adding levels of management
• B. Reorganising processes without changing level count
• C. Removing one or more levels of management from a tall structure to make it flatter
• D. Increasing span of control without changing levels

Answer: (C)

Delayering is about trimming the hierarchy by removing one or more management levels, which creates a flatter organizational structure. This removal of layers typically speeds up decision-making, reduces costs, and often shifts responsibility closer to frontline staff. The statement captures the defining action of delayering—making the chain of command shorter by cutting levels.

The other ideas describe different changes: adding levels would deepen the hierarchy rather than flatten it; reorganising processes without changing the number of levels changes how work flows but not how many layers exist; increasing span of control means a manager oversees more people without adding layers, which can be a consequence of delayering but isn’t the act itself.