Span of Control in an organisation

1. SPAN OF CONTROL

2. Span of Management or Span of
Control
 It refers to number of subordinates that can
be adequately and effectively supervised by
one supervisor/manager.
 In other words it refers to the number of
subordinates that report directly to a single
manager or superior.
 The term Span of Management is also known
as ‘Span of Control’& ‘Span of Supervision’.
 But span of management is a better term
because control & supervision are elements
of management.

3. Span of Management or Span of
Control
 Narrow Span of Control: Narrow span of control
involves a hierarchical organizational structure wherein
small number of subordinates report to a single
manager. Thus, it leads to a taller organization
structure with many hierarchical levels.
 Wide Span of Control: Wide span of control involves a
relatively flat organizational structure with fewer
hierarchical levels and good number of subordinates
reporting to a single manager.

4. NARROW AND WIDE STRUCTURES
NARROW
STRUCTURE
WIDE
STRUCTURE

5. SIGNIFICANCE –SPAN OF
CONTROL
 It is necessary to decide the appropriate span for every
executive.
 If the no. of subordinates reporting directly to a manager is
very large, he may not be able to exercise effective
supervision & control.
 On the other hand, if the no. is too small, full use of the
manager’s abilities may not be made & the subordinates
may not get adequate autonomy of work.
 It’s however, difficult to decide to appropriate span of
management. In actual practice spans vary widely & there
is no best or ideal no. that can be applied in all situations.

6. SIGNIFICANCE –SPAN
OF CONTROL
 Choice of the span of control has a significant
effect on the size and shape of the
organization structure.
 If the span is narrow, there would be several
levels of authority in the org. The org. str. Will
be a TALL pyramid.
 On the other hand, a wide span of means
fewer levels & FLAT/WIDE structure.

7. Factors determining the
span of control
 The competence of supervisor and subordinate
 Degree of interaction between supervisor and
subordinate
 The nature of activities to be supervised
 Degree of standardization
 Physical distribution of the employees
 Time available for supervision.

8. Factors determining the
span of control
 Nature of stability or complexity of work- Narrow
 Type of technology.
 Capacity of subordinates.
 Degree of decentralization
 Planning
 Communication techniques.
 Time available for supervision.

9. Advantages- Narrow Span of Control
 CLARITY
When a manager has fewer people to handle, he is in
personal contact with each one of them. He is clear
about the roles & responsibilities of each.
 ORGANIZED STRUCTURE
Things are pretty organized with regard to who has to
do what, who reports to whom, etc. when there are
few people to handle.
 DEPARTMENTISATION
The business which requires different departments for
different tasks can adopt this structure. The benefit of
specialization can be availed.

10. Disadvantages- Narrow Span of
Control
 EXPENSIVE
The salaries of managers are high. More managers lead to more
remuneration expenses.
 COMMUNICATION
The communication between managers becomes difficult. As
they are at the same level, ego clash & other issues persist.
 BUREAUCRACY
As the levels increase, there is more bureaucracy as each
decision passes through every level of organization. More people
have access to key information.

11. Advantages- Wide Span of Control
 DECISION MAKING
It leads to quick decision making. Due to fewer levels, fewer approvals
are required. Thus, management can respond to the issues faster.
 BUREAUCRACY
Due to lesser levels, bureaucracy is reduced. Hence a positive
atmosphere prevails in the organization.
 DEVELOPMENT
The lower levels are prepared to become future managers as they
report directly to competent higher authorities.
 COORDINATION
Coordination becomes easy. As a number of people take orders from the
same person, there is less misunderstanding regarding who does what.

12. Advantages- Wide Span of Control
 REDUCED COSTS
Fewer management layers reduce the costs of compensation.
 FLEXIBILITY
The employees are not bifurcated into specific teams or sub-
teams. They have to do all the tasks together. This makes them
flexible in the long run.
 MOTIVATION
The manager feels motivated as he in charge of many people. The
employees feel motivated when they work in larger groups; the
social needs get satisfied well.

13. Disadvantages- Wide Span of
Control
 TRAINING MANAGERS
A manager has to be dynamic and flexible. He has to work under
pressure of being responsible for the work of many people.
Sometimes this requires training. As a result, time, energy, and
money are invested in it.
 CHAOS
There are chances that in larger teams, there may be
mismanagement or miscommunication. This may lead to chaos.
 DISPUTES
The more the people involved, the more will be the viewpoints.
The perceptions do not match all the time. The chances of
disputes increase.
 OVERSIGHT
While handling such a large team, there is a fair
chance of overseeing some issues or errors.