Which term defines the number of subordinates reporting directly to a supervisor?

Which term defines the number of subordinates reporting directly to a supervisor?

• A. Chain of Command
• B. Authority Span
• C. Span of Control
• D. Workload

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is how many people report directly to a supervisor. This measure is called the span of control. It describes how broad or narrow a manager’s direct oversight is. A larger span of control means more direct reports, which can streamline the hierarchy and speed up decisions but requires strong delegation and systems to keep supervision effective. A smaller span means closer supervision and more managerial levels, which can increase control but also adds more layers of management. The other terms don’t fit this idea: the chain of command refers to the path of authority through the organization, not the number of direct reports; workload describes the amount of work to be done rather than the reporting structure; and authority span isn’t a standard term used to describe this concept.

The main concept here is how many people report directly to a supervisor. This measure is called the span of control. It describes how broad or narrow a manager’s direct oversight is. A larger span of control means more direct reports, which can streamline the hierarchy and speed up decisions but requires strong delegation and systems to keep supervision effective. A smaller span means closer supervision and more managerial levels, which can increase control but also adds more layers of management.

The other terms don’t fit this idea: the chain of command refers to the path of authority through the organization, not the number of direct reports; workload describes the amount of work to be done rather than the reporting structure; and authority span isn’t a standard term used to describe this concept.