A flat organizational structure is characterized by few levels of management and empowers the employees. It enables the organization to take action more quickly and generates lower costs. A flat structure has quick communications but can result in a heavy work load for managers.
A tall organizational structure is characterized by many levels of management. It often features employees working in temporary or permanent teams or work groups of various sizes. Some of the drawbacks of a tall structure include a more complicated system of communication, more risk that communication becomes garbled as it moves through the levels, and more time is needed to implement decisions.
