Span of management refers to which of the following?

• A. The range of tasks a manager oversees.
• B. The number of employees who report directly to one manager.
• C. The amount of budget a manager controls.
• D. The length of the management chain.

Answer: (B)

Span of management describes how many employees report directly to a single manager. This is the direct supervisory load a manager handles, often called span of control. It matters because it influences supervision quality, communication efficiency, and how quickly decisions can be made. A wider span reduces the number of management layers, which can speed up decisions but increase the manager’s direct oversight burden. A narrower span adds more layers, allowing closer supervision and greater control, but potentially slowing communication and decision-making due to more handoffs. The other concepts refer to different aspects: the range of tasks a manager oversees is the scope of responsibilities, the amount of budget controlled is financial authority, and the length of the management chain is the organization's vertical depth.