Which term describes the number of people a manager directly supervises?

Which term describes the number of people a manager directly supervises?

• A. Span of control
• B. Responsibility
• C. Empowerment
• D. Delegation

Answer: (A)

Span of control is the number of people a manager directly supervises. This concept shapes how organizations design their structure: a wide span means the manager oversees many subordinates and the organization is flatter, while a narrow span leads to more levels of management. The idea being tested is exactly about counting direct reports—the core idea of how many people fall under a manager’s immediate supervision. Responsibility refers to duties someone is obliged to perform, not how many people report to a manager. Empowerment means giving employees the authority to make decisions, which affects autonomy rather than the number of direct reports. Delegation is the act of assigning tasks to others, which can shift workload but doesn’t by itself define how many people report to the manager.

Span of control is the number of people a manager directly supervises. This concept shapes how organizations design their structure: a wide span means the manager oversees many subordinates and the organization is flatter, while a narrow span leads to more levels of management. The idea being tested is exactly about counting direct reports—the core idea of how many people fall under a manager’s immediate supervision.

Responsibility refers to duties someone is obliged to perform, not how many people report to a manager. Empowerment means giving employees the authority to make decisions, which affects autonomy rather than the number of direct reports. Delegation is the act of assigning tasks to others, which can shift workload but doesn’t by itself define how many people report to the manager.