DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMISTRATION, RUFUS GIWA

POLYTECHNIC, OWO.

AN ASSIGNMENT

PREPARE
GROUP C

AMUSA FARUQ
MUHAMMAD NUHU
ADESINA ADEDAYO
VICTOR MERCY JUDITH

COURSE TITLE: ELEMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

CODE: PAD 111
LEVEL: ND1 (PART TIME)

LECTURER IN CHARGE
MR. AKINMOLADUN ADEYEMI
 TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Analise the following with Illustration
i) Span of control
ii) Chain of Command
iii) Unity of Command
iv) Chief executive

2. What is Hierarchy, itemize the structure of Hierarchy in public organization.

 TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Analise the following with Illustrates

i. Span of control

ii. Chain of Command

iii. Unity of Command

iv. Chief executive

i) Span of control refers to the number of subordinates that a manager or

supervisor can effectively manage. It is also known as span of management or

span of supervision. A narrow span of control means that a manager has few

subordinates, while a wide span of control means that a manager has many

subordinates . The span of control defines how many subordinates each manager or

supervisor is responsible for in an organization. In other words, it indicates the

number of employees each manager can effectively manage. However, there is no

single form of span of control that is ideal for all types of companies. In a narrow

span of control, each manager supervises a small number of employees, whereas,

in a wide span of control, each manager supervises a greater number of employees.

In a narrow span of control, it is necessary to have more managers and more layers

of management to supervise the same number of employees than would be

necessary for an organization with a wider span of control.

The span of control is a management concept that refers to the number of

subordinates that a manager or supervisor can effectively manage 1. It shows how

many subordinates a manager is responsible for and is affected by the

organizational structure 1. When managers or supervisors have many subordinates,

we call it a wide span of control. On the other hand, if they have fewer

subordinates, we call it a narrow span of control 1. The span of control is important

because it affects the company’s effectiveness in managing the company 1. For

example, it impacts flexibility and communication within the organization. When

the span of control is wider, communication flows more quickly between levels,

enabling faster decision-making 1. In addition, organizations have fewer layers, so

messages take less time to get from the lowest level to the top level or vice versa 1.

Finally, delegation can lead to job satisfaction. Subordinates feel the manager

trusts them, encouraging them to perform better. It can also lead to constructive

feedback and better collaboration between them 1.

ii) Chain of command is the formal line of authority, communication, and

responsibility within an organization. It is the sequence of positions in an

organization that starts from the highest level of authority and goes down to the

lowest level of authority . A chain of command refers to an organizational structure

that indicates how each member of a company or organization reports to one

another. In other words, it documents the hierarchy of reporting relationships in a

company – who must answer to whom. A chain of command establishes

accountability, company’s lines of authority, and decision-making power.

iii) Unity of command is the principle that each employee should have only one

supervisor to whom they are directly responsible. This principle ensures that there

is no confusion regarding who an employee should report to and who is

responsible for their performance .

Unity of command is a principle of management that emphasizes the importance

of having a single superior issuing orders to each subordinate. This means that

each employee should receive instructions from only one boss, thereby avoiding

confusion and ensuring that everyone is on the same page. The principle of unity of

command is essential for creating a clear chain of command with well-defined

lines of authority 12.

Unity of command means that each individual involved in incident operations will be assi

supervisor.

iv) Chief executive is the highest-ranking officer in an organization. They are

responsible for making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations

and resources of a company, and acting as the main point of communication

between the board of directors and the corporate operations 1.

2. What is Hierarchy, itemize the structure of Hierarchy in public

organization.

In a public organization, the hierarchy is a structure that resembles a pyramid and

gets wider as you move down. Most agencies are headed up by a board of directors

or trustees, followed by several ranks of managers. Instructions flow vertically

down the chain.

The following are the types of organizational structures in the public sector :

 Functional Structure: This structure groups employees based on their

common skills and expertise. For instance, in a hospital, all doctors would

be grouped together, all nurses would be grouped together, and so on.

 Divisional Structure: This structure groups employees based on the

products, services, or geographic locations they work on. For instance, a

company that sells shoes might have a division for athletic shoes, another for

dress shoes, and another for casual shoes.

 Matrix Structure: This structure is a combination of functional and

divisional structures. It groups employees based on both their skills and the

products, services, or geographic locations they work on.

 Flatarchy Structure: This structure is a relatively new concept that is

gaining popularity in the public sector. It is a flat structure that allows

 employees to work together in teams, without the need for a traditional

hierarchy. This structure is often used in creative industries, such as

advertising and design.

Hierarchical organisational structure

Organisational structures define a hierarchy within an organisation. The two most

common arrangements include:

i. a flat organisational structure

ii. a hierarchical organisational structure

Each structure has its advantages and disadvantages. The most appropriate

arrangement will depend on the size and the type of your business, and the number

of management levels that you need. See reasons for changing your

organisational structure.

ii. How does a hierarchical organisational structure work?

A hierarchical structure is typical for larger businesses and organisations. It relies

on having different levels of authority with a chain of command connecting

multiple management levels within the organisation.

The decision-making process is typically formal and flows from the top down. This

creates a tall organisational structure where each level of management has clear

lines of responsibility and control. As the organisation grows, the number of levels

increases and the structure grows taller.

Often, the number of managers in each level gives the organisation the

resemblance of a pyramid. This structure gets wider as you move down - usually

with one chief executive at the top, followed by senior management, middle

managers and finally workers. Employees' roles are clearly defined within the

organisation, as is the nature of their relationship with other employees.

What are the advantages of a hierarchical structure?

A hierarchical structure can provide benefits to businesses. For example, it can

help establish:

 clear lines of authority and reporting within the business

 a clearer understanding of employee roles and responsibilities

 accountability for actions or decisions at different management levels

 clear career paths and development prospects which can motivate employees

 opportunities for employees to specialise and develop expertise in their field

 close supervision of employees through a narrow span of managerial control

 a culture of loyalty towards teams, departments and organisation as a whole

What are the disadvantages of a hierarchical organisational structure?

Workplace hierarchies are not always effective. Common disadvantages of

hierarchical structures include:

 complicated chains of command which can slow down decision-making

 inconsistencies in management at different levels which can impede work

  delays in communicating vertically through the levels and horizontally

between teams

 less flexibility to adapt and react to environmental and market pressures

 disconnect of employees from top-level management

 a strain on the employee-manager relationship due to lack of autonomy

 difficulties collaborating outside of the team 'silo' or dealing with team

rivalry

 considerable amount of corporate overhead to support the many

management layers

Generally, tall organisations are very complex. Strategies should be in place to deal

with the challenges that are likely to occur under this structure. This could include

creating a decentralised organisational structure - one in which senior

management assigns the authority for limited decision-making to lower levels in

the organisation.