Span of control (10 marks!!)

The number of people under a manager is an important feature of an organization's structure. The number of subordinates who report directly to an executive or supervisor is called the Span of Control.

The implications of differences in the span of control for the shape of an organization are straightforward. If the holding size is constant, narrow spans build a Tall organization that has many reporting levels, whereas wide spans build a Flat organization with fewer reporting levels

The span of control can be too narrow or too wide, however the optimal span of control would maximize effectiveness of operation because it is (1) NARROW enough to permit managers to maintain control over subordinates but (2) NOT SO NARROW that it leads to over control as an excessive number of managers who oversee just a small number of subordinates.

The decision of a narrow span or wide span is depended on the nature of business and management needs

Span of Control means the number of employees reporting to a particular manager .