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Blog » HR Insights » Span of control definition The span of control definition refers to the amount of employees directly reporting to a manager or superior. Span of control is one of the cornerstones of management theory. Often in HR, when analyzing your company you will try to calculate the average span of control. This calculation will help you evaluate whether you need to start a recruitment process or not to get more managers. Keep reading and find out how to do it.
2 types of span of controlYou will find two types of span of control definition when measuring the ratio of employees to managers: Narrow span of controlA narrow span of control refers to the traditional way of seeing managers as having only a few subordinates. The organizational structure in this case is tall as opposed to flat. Wide span of controlA wide span of control occurs when one manager supervises many employees. Most big firms use wide span of control because it requires less operating costs. Narrow and wide span of controls have their advantages and disadvantages, and when it comes to choosing the right organizational structure for your business, every detail should be measured. How to calculate span of controlThe average span of control is calculated by adding up the amount of direct relationships a manager has with their employees and dividing it by the amount of managers. Organizational control is measured according to the amount of “subordinates” a manager has. These subordinates are employees not just officially under the manager’s control but that also entertain some sort of working relationship with the manager, where the manager takes the executive decision. Factors affecting span of controlThe factors that influence this are important for your HR team to know. It helps your HR and upper management team conceptualize and calculate what kind of management you need. The factors in question include:
What is a manageable span of control?A manageable span of control refers to the optimal number of employees a manager can manage. Before the advent of modern communication systems and management processes that are less hierarchical, there was an average of about 1 to 4. However, this has evolved considerably, and they may vary considerably according to the organization’s field or environment they are working in. An optimal span of control depends heavily on what sector you are working in. For example, if the type of work is very difficult and complex, a manager can manage 1-4 employees, whereas, this number can increase up to 20 subordinates for easy and repetitive work.
Did you find this information helpful? We hope so. Find out more content about human resources at our site Sesame HR. Do you want to know SesameHR?Sign up in less than 5 minutes and find out how you can digitize employee management with SesameHR and streamline your day-to-day. What is span of control in organizational structure?Span of Control (SOC) refers to the number of people reporting. directly (i.e. not through a manager or supervisor) to one individual. It is the ratio of management to staff in an organization.
How does span of control affect organizational structure?Conversely, if the span of control is too narrow, it may add more layers in the organizational structure which can slow down communication and decision making, causing the organization to become less efficient and less productive.
Why is span of control important in an organization?The span of control is important because it affects the company's effectiveness in managing the company. 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.
What is the span of control in a tall structure?In a tall organization, there will be a large number of managers, and each manager will usually be responsible for a small group of employees. This means that the span of control of each manager is very narrow.
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