What is a disadvantage of a tall organizational structure?

• A. Slower communication
• B. Higher costs
• C. Better decision-making speed
• D. More empowerment

Answer: (A)

A tall structure means many layers of management, so information has to travel through several levels before it reaches the people who need it and before decisions come back. That makes communication slow—messages take longer to be passed up and down, approvals hang up in the chain, and responses to changes can be delayed. The idea is to keep the flow of information efficient, and the extra layers in a tall organization naturally hinder that flow, causing slower communication. While higher costs can be a downside of having more managers, the most direct consequence tied to a tall structure is the slower pace of communication, and that’s why it’s seen as the main disadvantage here.