Span of Control
A specific number of employees are under the supervision of supervisors in business and human resources management. The control span is the number of workers who, depending on the organization, directly report to a manager or supervisor. Gaining knowledge about the various facets of the control span could aid you in managing your team more skillfully. This article will define span of control, go over what span of management means, look at direct and indirect types, point out additional variables that impact it, and look at some of the span of control examples.
Understanding Span Of Control Meaning
The number of workers that each manager in an organization is in charge of overseeing is known as the span of control or span of management. The classic control span model suggests that there are around five to six employees for each manager, however the modern model often estimates 15 to 20 employees per manager. In order to better and more efficiently manage expenses, personnel, and corporate tasks and goals, modern firms may adopt a larger control span.
Factors Affecting Span Of Control
Organization size: Because it dictates how many workers a manager oversees, an organization's size can have an impact on the control span. For instance, because control span is dependent on the number of experts employed by a business, a larger one can have a greater control span than a smaller one.
Organizational culture: A corporation with a flexible culture may have a larger control span than one with a hierarchical structure, which may have the opposite effect. Establishing a company's culture can be useful in figuring out its control span.
Work type: You may ascertain the control span by looking at the kind of work that a company performs. A business may have a larger control span, for instance, if its duties are more routine and less difficult, or it may have a narrower control span if its tasks are more complex and involve frequent decisions. Competencies and skills of the manager: The control span can be determined by a manager's abilities and competencies, particularly their amount of experience. A manager with more experience, for instance, might have a wider control span than a manager just starting out in their career, who might have a narrower control span.
Types Of Span Of Control
Wide-span of control
A manager or supervisor with a wide span of control is in charge of a sizable number of subordinates. Many people can be effectively monitored and controlled at once by a manager possessing a broad span of influence. An organization becomes taller when the number of steps or levels in the vertical chain of command increases due to the shorter span of control. Businesses with flat hierarchies are more likely to have a broad range of authority.
Narrow Span of Control
A single supervisor over a small number of subordinates is said to have a tight span of control. Due of its application in the upper and middle management levels, it is also known as the Executive span. Organizations select a limited scope when the task is complex and demands additional assistance from the superior.
Back to Glossary