Which statement best describes a tall structure?

• A. It has many levels of management and a narrow span of control
• B. It has few levels of management and a wide span of control
• C. It is typically used for highly external outsourcing models
• D. It avoids hierarchical reporting altogether

Answer: (A)

Understanding how the number of management levels and the span of control shape how an organization is organized helps explain what a tall structure is. A tall structure features many levels of management, with a narrow span of control where each manager supervises only a small number of subordinates. This creates a deeper hierarchy with more layers of authority. The result is closer supervision and clearer career paths, but communication takes more steps and decision-making can be slower and more costly because information has to pass through several levels. In contrast, a flat structure has fewer levels and a wide span of control, which speeds up decisions but reduces the depth of supervision. Statements about outsourcing or avoiding hierarchical reporting don’t describe this hierarchy pattern, so they don’t fit.