In a flat structure, the span of control is wide. What is a common consequence?

• A. Increased micromanagement
• B. More delegation and empowerment
• C. More levels of management
• D. Higher costs due to many managers

Answer: (B)

With a flat organization there are few layers of management, so one manager oversees many employees. When the span of control is wide, the manager can’t micromanage every task. To keep things running smoothly, decision-making authority is pushed down to the people doing the work, which leads to more delegation and empowerment. This happens because empowering workers is the practical way to handle a large number of direct reports without sacrificing performance. The other options don’t fit a flat setup—micromanagement is more likely when supervision is narrow, extra levels of management would create a taller structure, and costs aren’t typically driven up by having many managers in a flat arrangement.