Span of control refers to the number of subordinates that a manager or supervisor is responsible for overseeing. In other words, it is the number of people who report directly to a manager. The concept of span of control is important in organizational design and management because it affects the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization.
The ideal span of control varies depending on the specific context and needs of an organization, as well as the capabilities and experience of the manager. A narrow span of control, in which a manager oversees a small number of subordinates, allows for more individualized attention and support for each team member, as well as easier communication and decision-making. On the other hand, a wide span of control, in which a manager oversees a larger number of subordinates, can lead to increased efficiency and cost savings due to fewer management layers.
However, there are also potential drawbacks to a wide span of control. With a large number of subordinates, a manager may have difficulty providing adequate supervision and support, leading to decreased motivation and productivity among team members. Additionally, a wide span of control can lead to a lack of communication and coordination among team members, as well as difficulty in tracking progress and holding team members accountable.
Ultimately, the appropriate span of control for an organization will depend on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the work, the skills and experience of the manager and subordinates, and the overall goals and objectives of the organization. In order to determine the optimal span of control, managers should carefully consider these factors and seek feedback from their team members.
In summary, span of control is an important concept in organizational design and management, as it affects the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. While a wide span of control can lead to cost savings and increased efficiency, it is important for managers to carefully consider the specific needs and capabilities of their team in order to determine the optimal span of control.
Span of Control: Importance, Principles and Factors
Importantly, these sessions also provide clients a chance to identify root causes that have led to misaligned spans of control, which can then be addressed as part of their redesign effort. If the limit of span of control is crossed, we have inadequate supervision and control. Hence, at higher level of management we have limited span of control. Supervisor A supervisor archetype has a moderate level of individual responsibility and has leadership from others for execution. This module provides an insight into the span of control through its concept, types, factors affecting, advantages, limitations and V. He or she may do a large amount of individual work and be responsible for situations where there are no clear guidelines, while direct reports are typically also very senior and independent. It can be of two types, such as a narrow and a wide span of control.
How to identify the right ‘spans of control’ for your organization
Direct reports conduct the same type of work but activities may be conducted differently. Whereas, an inexperienced manager with limited skills can handle a few employees. Because this term is related to the management and controlling of employees, the meaning of the word is the total number of subordinates that a manager or supervisor can manage. Check out our span-of-control planning template, with an example, to help guide you as you determine the right number of direct reports for company managers: Conclusion When it comes to span of control, there is no secret number that works best for every manager, team, and company. By applying these managerial archetypes to current manager roles, you can identify opportunities to rightsize their spans of control, ultimately increasing the effectiveness, efficiency, speed, and productivity of the entire organization. Different Span of Control Examples Let us understand the concept of span of control with the help of an example.
A note on calculating the average span of control
Proper span of control is a behavioural and situational question. A narrow span of control provides managers and employees with more time for one-on-one communication as well as more opportunities for employee advancement, but it can also create more opportunities for delayed decision-making, increased bureaucracy, and the Factors Impacting Span of Control Within each organization, there is an ideal number of direct reports each manager can capably handle, but the reality is that the need for a wide or a narrow span of control varies depending on a number of factors. The Type of Organisation and Management: Clear and comprehensive plans and policies at all levels reduce the volume of personal decision making of a manager. In some cases, for example, we have found that too-small spans of control have proliferated because managerial designation has been perceived as the only—or easiest—way to recognize and promote high performers. Subordinates join with some level of analytics background, but need support and apprenticeship to become familiar with the business, the strategy, and the customers for this company to be effective at their work. Teams conduct the same type of work and similar activities. Data are presented which demonstrate that different operational definitions of the term will produce not only greatly different mean values of the span of control, but also different correlation coefficients with other important structural variables.
Spans and Layers for the Modern Organization
Although a wide span of control requires fewer managers and may facilitate an easier delegation of responsibilities, having a large number of direct reports can be overwhelming for managers, and it can also create confusion around Narrow span of control: More common in a traditional organizational hierarchy, a narrow span of control provides each manager with fewer individuals to manage as well as more layers within the organizational structure in general. Example 2: Senior vice president of finance This is a senior leader in finance in a large organization who has direct reports at the vice president level. Physical conditions, quality of communication, for example, can change the span of control, i. Self-sufficiency can be achieved only after several years because work requires skills developed over an extensive apprenticeship. This article argues that it is a useful concept for measuring the closeness of contact between a superior and his subordinates. When a span is too wide, upper managers become disconnected from frontline issues. Recognizing these critical underlying issues is the first step to improving organizational efficiency.
Span Of Control
It is obvious that a single executive cannot supervise effectively too many subordinates. Special issues have explored qualitative methods, organizational culture, the utilization of organizational research, the distribution of rewards in organizations, and critical perspectives on organizational control. Conducting a spans and layers analysis Managing spans of control and organizational layers has always been a hot issue during organization design. But delayering, as a stand-alone event, is unlikely to bring sustainable business value. Span of control is the term commonly used in business management and public administration.
What is Span of Control
Few emergency or complex decisions are required. Thoughtful reviews of books relevant to organization studies and management theory are a regular feature. Facility of Staff Help: If a manager gets staff help in performing his reserved responsibilities planning, organising, motivating, etc. How similar or different is the work of individual direct reports? For example, company cultures that are informal and flexible may encourage a wider span of control that gives employees more autonomy to act. Founded in 1956 by James Thompson, the Administrative Science Quarterly is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal publishing theoretical and empirical work that advances the study of organizational behavior and theory. A retail company hired Will as an inventory manager. Example: Functional vice president Such a role typically needs a great deal of experience in the industry and business, and they bring their experience to bear.
