Span of control is refer to the number of employees reporting to a particular manager.

The
appropriate span of control is influenced by organizational characteristics such as task
complexity, the volatility of the competitive environment, and the capabilities of both the
employees and the manager. The ideal span of control depends upon various factors, such as:

1. Nature of an organization
2. Nature of job
3. Degree of decentralization
4. Degree of planning
5. Skills and competencies of manager
6. Supervision from others
7. Communication technique

There are two types of span of control:

1) WIDE SPAN OF CONTROL

Manager

Team Team Team Team Team

member member member member member

Wide Span of control means a single managers or supervisors oversees a large number of
subordinates. This gives rise to a flat organizational structure. It is mainly aimed at the extent
of communication between a manager and his subordinates in the levels he is responsible
for. A wide span of control forces managers to develop clear goals and policies, delegate
tasks effectively, and select and train employees carefully. Since employees get less
supervision, they tend to take on more responsibility and have higher morale with a wide
span of control. On the other hand, managers with a wide span of control might become
overloaded with work, have trouble making decisions, and lose control over their
subordinates.

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 2) NARROW SPAN OF CONTROL

General
manager

Team A Team B
leader leader

Narrow Span of control means a single manager or supervisor oversees few

subordinates. This gives rise to a tall organizational structure. An organization that maintains
a relatively narrow span of control will have more hierarchical levels and gives to a tall
organizational structure. A narrow span of control tends to give managers close control of
operations and promote quick interaction between managers and employees. On the other
hand, a limited range of command can also create a situation where managers are too
involved in the work of their subordinates, which can decrease productivity and morale
among employees.

Both these organizational structures have their advantages and the disadvantages. The
major advantage of using narrow span of control is that the cross communication gets
facilitated, i.e., operative staff communicating with the top management. Also, the chance of
promotion increases with the availability of several job positions. However, the tall
organizational structure imposes more challenges where the communication suffers
drastically. It takes a lot of time to reach the appropriate points as the operating staff is far
away from the top management, and hence the actions get delayed.

In the case of wide span of control, the number of managers gets reduced in the
hierarchy, and thus, the expense in terms of remuneration is saved. Also, the subordinates feel
relaxed and develop their independent spirits in a free work environment, where the strict
supervision is absent. However, the flat organizational structure is quite challenging for

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 superior to manage a large number of subordinates at a time and also may not listen to all
efficiently.

In a conclusion, the advantages and disadvantages are clearly linked to the narrow and
wide variety of control structures. Organizations must therefore intelligently choose the span
of control to suit their specific strategy and organizational objectives.

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