A very wide span of control typically leads to which outcome?

• A. Easier communication across the team
• B. More layers of management required
• C. Increased manager workload and less supervision
• D. Higher costs due to more supervisors

Answer: (C)

Span of control is the number of people directly managed by a supervisor. When this span is very wide, a manager has many direct reports to oversee. That increases the manager’s workload because they must track, coach, and respond to many staff, which leaves less time for each individual. With limited time for supervision, the level of supervision tends to drop, meaning guidance and close oversight are harder to provide. This combination—more work for the manager and weaker supervision—fits the outcome described.

The other ideas don’t fit as well: having many subordinates usually makes communication more challenging, not easier, since messages can get tangled among many people. A wide span reduces, not increases, the number of management layers, so it wouldn’t create more layers. And fewer managers are typically needed with a wide span, so costs tied to supervisors wouldn’t rise.