What are the benefits of having a large span of control within an Organisation?

The span of control is the number of persons directly reporting to a manager.
 
Narrow:  When the span of control is narrow, the manager has only a few workers to supervise.  This span of control creates a taller structure which leads to having many levels of management.
·         Pros: A narrow span of control provides better communication between managers and the workers  and gives managers better control over their specific employees. Also, supervising fewer employees does not over stress the manager which allows the manager to function efficiently.
·         Cons: More managers are needed to supervise the same number of people which increases the cost of operations of a business. Span of control tends to divide the organization in smaller departments creating additional problems of coordination between departments. Smaller span of management also results in higher number of organizational levels, increasing the distance between the employees at lower levels and the top management. Top management usually encounters difficulties in being aware of the problems faced by lower levels of the organization. Closer supervision by managers has an impact on the employees because it restricts the ability of people to exercise initiative and affects their morale. 

 Wide: When the span of control is wide many people are under the control of the manager. Wide span of control creates a flatter structure which has fewer levels of management.
·         Pros: A wide span of control is less expensive because the business employs fewer managers. With only one manager, or a manager with a supervisor or team leader in management, the employees all work together under the same manager. Less supervision and control can create a more positive attitude among employees, who appreciate the extra trust and freedom.
·         Cons: One person may have to give information to lots of others which can be very time consuming.
Some workers may feel they lack personal contact with the manager, as the manager has many employees to supervise. Fewer promotional opportunities for the employees which can be de-motivating and bring down the morale of workers. It is also difficult for the manager to keep up with the work of all employees and to ensure that the employees are getting the work done.  Increase the risk of wrong decision being made as subordinates may be less well trained or lack experience.

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• Importance Of Span of Control & Organizational Structure
• What is Span of Control And Organizational Structure?
• Expanding On the Concept of Span of Control
• Ready to get started?
• Request a Demo of OrgChart Now!
• Why is span of control important within an organization?
• What are the benefits of control in an organization?
• What would a high span of control mean for an organization?
• What is a large span of control?

Importance Of Span of Control & Organizational Structure

Published On: December 2nd, 2015

What is Span of Control And Organizational Structure?

It is very important to understand span of control and organizational structure when describing an organization. Simply, span of control refers to the number of subordinates under a manager’s direct control. As an example, a manager with five direct reports has a span of control of five. Span of control is a good metric to assess the efficiency of an organization, as long as it looked at in the context of the company’s organizational structure.

An executive team structure with a ‘narrow’ span of control

How many direct reports should a manager have?

Is there an optimal number? What needs to be considered is the nature of the work subordinates are performing and how much attention each requires. For example, the span of control can be over 100, while executive functions with high degrees of collaboration and interaction might productively tolerate no more than three or four. So the nature of the work being performed, and how much attention it requires should govern the assignment of personnel to a manager, not some industry ideal goal.

Call center organization showing a ‘wide’ span of control

Expanding On the Concept of Span of Control

While we are addressing span of control, let’s also broaden our understanding to see it in the context of the organizational levels of hierarchy.

Width: Organization structures can be described as wide (with a larger span of control) or narrow (with a smaller span of control.)

Height: As there are levels of management, or hierarchy, an organization may be tall (with many levels) or flat (with fewer levels.)

Flat organizations have a ‘wide’ span of control and Tall organizations have a ‘narrow’ span of control.  While there are pros and cons with both tall and flat structures, a company’s structure must be designed to suit the business (the customer and markets) and in a way that fits with the workforce’s capability.

A tall vs. flat organizational structure

Characteristics of a Flat Organizational Structure (Wide Span of Control)

Pros

• Encourages delegation.  Managers must better delegate to handle larger numbers of subordinates, and grant opportunities for subordinates to take on responsibilities
• Agile.  Improves communication speed and quality
• Reduces costs. More cost effective because of fewer levels, thus requiring fewer managers
• Helps prevent the workforce from disengaging by focusing on empowerment, autonomy and self-direction

Cons

• High managerial workload comes with high span of control
• Role confusion more likely
• May cultivate distrust of management

Characteristics of a Tall Organizational Structure (Narrow Span of Control)

Pros

• More rapid communication between small teams
• Groups are smaller and easier to control/manage
• There’s a greater degree of specialization and division of labor
• More and better opportunities for employee promotion

 Cons

• Communication can take too long, hampering decision-making
• Silos may develop and prevent cross-functional problem solving
• Employees may feel lost and powerless

Conclusion

As you can see, an organization’s structure dictates the span of control assigned to managers. Whether you choose a ‘tall’ or ‘flat’  structure should depend on the business and how to best serve customers. While each structure has its pros and cons the best way for you to model and visualize the organization is with OrgChart. OrgChart gives you the ability to model and visualize the organization and automate the process.

Ready to get started?

Request a Demo of OrgChart Now!

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Why is span of control important within an organization?

By increasing the span of control for managers who could or should take on more, you can actually decrease the amount of micromanagement in the organization, creating more autonomy, faster decision making, and more professional development for team members.

What are the benefits of control in an organization?

A control management system is working if it:.

Assists in achieving organizational goals..

Minimizes errors..

Utilizes and distributes resources effectively..

Evaluates the accuracy of standards..

Instils discipline and order..

Motivates employees and boosts morale..

Ensures future planning by revising standards..

What would a high span of control mean for an organization?

In management, a wide span of control means that the manager has many direct reports. Supervisors in a wide span of management are able to effectively oversee several employees at once. Having a wide span or a higher span of control means fewer managers are needed overall in the organization.

What is a large span of control?

A wide span of control means a single manager or supervisor oversees a large number of subordinates. A manager with a wide span of control may successfully monitor and control a big number of people at the same time.

What are the benefits of having a large span of control within an organization?

What are the advantages of span of control?

What is a large span of control?

What are the effects of span of control?