Span of Control

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Description of Span of Control. Explanation.

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Definition Span of Control. Description.

Span of Control is the number of people/subordinates that can be effectively managed by one manager. It is an organizational theory term that refers to how relationships are structured between leaders and subordinates in organizations. A wide span of control exists when a person oversees many subordinates. A narrow span of control exists when a leader oversees few subordinates.

The optimal Span of Control is dependent upon a great number of factors, some of which include:

The nature of the work of the subordinates.
The skills, capabilities, experience, seniority, qualifications of the subordinates.
The skills, capabilities, experience, seniority, qualifications of the manager.
The use of information technology.
The detail at which work rules and procedures have been formalized and are known by the subordinates.
The applied management style (command and control or democratic / affiliative).
The desired depth of the hierarchy in an organization (steep or flat).
Organizational approaches (Self-directed Teams, Empowerment, cross-functional teams, etc.)

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Discussions about Span of Control.

	Benefits and Drawbacks Wide Span of Control What are the main benefits and drawbacks of a wide span of control? (...)

	Effective People Management I think that the span of control can be an effective means of people management in an organizattion. (...)

	Two Different Views towards Span of Control? How did the behavouralist theory view span of control and how did the classical approach of theory v (...)

	Best Organizational Structures Out of the tall, flat and narrow span of control, which is the best balance? (...)

	Control in Management Control in management and leadership is mandatory. If you have significant control on the employees (...)

	Too Many Management Levels in Municipal Government A recent review of municipal governments for large cities has shown many major cities (over 1 millio (...)

	Increasing Subordinates and Span of Control When should we add more subordinates? (...)

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	Ways to Increase the Span of Control Organization Design, Job Design (...)

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Compare also: Flat Organizational Structure | Covert Leadership | Stretch Goals

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