Factors determining Span of Management

What is Span of Management?

Span of management is the number of people or subordinates that the manager can control and manage. The term ‘span of management’ is also known as ‘span of control’ and ‘span of supervision’. 
An organisation needs to maintain a balance between the number of employees within a team and the number of employees that a manager is responsible for taking care of. It relies on the type and nature of the work in the organisation. The span of control of a manager thus depends upon their subordinates, which can range from a few to a hundred. 

When an organisation understands its own span of management, they perform better, as it can create an efficient and healthy work environment for the employees and its team. It is also determined by the manager’s ability to communicate with and motivate subordinates and control their work and projects. There are different departments in an organisation, such as finance, HR, marketing, etc., and each of those departments has its team members. Handling them together might be difficult for the head of that organisation. In such a case, a span of management is necessary. If the manager can represent their subordinates well, they can manage a lot more subordinates. Managing a huge number of employees simultaneously can lead to a lack of communication between the subordinates and the manager. The wider the span of management, the easier the flow of communication, and thus decision-making is decentralized. For example, if there are too many people in the organisation, the one responsible for managing them may feel overburdened and he may find it difficult to manage the team. Similarly, if the organisation or the team is too small, the organisation may not be able to use its physical and human resources effectively. The span of management also assists the organisation to save costs as when a supervisor is efficient, he will be able to perform more productively, and it will eliminate the need for the management to hire extra personnel. 

Factors Determining Span of Management

The factors determining the span of management are as follows:

1. Capacity of Subordinates: The span of management very much depends on the efficiency and ability of the subordinates that are under the control of the manager. If they are qualified and capable enough, the work of the manager to maintain relationships with their subordinates becomes easy, and they can manage a larger number of people.  

2. Manager’s Capability to Manage: The manager’s competency and skill affect the span of management. If the manager is competent and knowledgeable, he can manage a wider span of control. The abilities of managers, like leadership, communication, decision-making, etc., to manage more subordinates can determine the span of management.

3. Size of the Organization: The organization’s size also influences the span of management. It determines the number of people the manager can handle. The larger the organization, the wider control it has over its subordinates, and thus, the information flow and communication are done more effortlessly. Whereas in a smaller organization, the span of control is restricted but concentrated and the manager can perform better supervision.

4. Nature of Work: Frequent guidance is not required when the work performed by the subordinates is simple and repetitive. So managers can supervise a large number of subordinates. But the span of management is narrow when the nature of work is different or non-identical. The rate of change in work also affects the span of management. A wider span of management is used when the work is stable and does not change frequently. 

5. Availability of Time: If the manager has more time on his hand, he will be able to manage a greater number of subordinates efficiently as he will have more time for guidance. Top-level managers have less time for supervision as they devote the major portion of their time to planning and organising, and therefore their span of management is narrow.

6. Plans and Activities: If the organization’s plans and activities to attain its goal are simple and clear, it will be easier for the manager to control the activities happening in the organization. Whereas, if the plans are unstable, it can be difficult for the manager to supervise the subordinates and the activities of the organization.  

7. Facilities Available: The span of management will be wider if advanced technologies and facilities are available. Modern and convenient office equipment and faster communication devices simplify the task of management.  

8. Degree of Decentralization: A reasonable level of decentralization lowers the load of the manager’s work as they can manage a larger number of employees. On the other hand, if the organization is centralized, the manager can efficiently control the smaller portion of subordinates.

9. Type of Technology: Wider span of management is used by organisations using mass production and assembly line technology and a relatively narrower span is used by organisations employing batch or process production systems. 

10. Geographical Dispersion of Subordinates: Control and management of employees become difficult when the subordinates are dispersed at different places. Therefore, the span of management is relatively smaller.

11. Staff Assistance: Managers can handle more subordinates if staff assistance, like a private secretary is available. The availability of staff reduces the workload of the managers. 

The span of management of an organization is an essential element for any manager overseeing their subordinates. It also affects the organisation’s communication, increasing or decreasing its efficiency. Thus, the narrower the span of management, the more effective an organization’s functioning.