Span of Control
Span of control (span of management) refers to the number of people or subordinates that a
manager supervises. The span of control typically becomes smaller as a person moves up the
management hierarchy. There is no magic number for every manager. Instead, the number will
vary based on “the abilities of both the manager and the subordinates, the nature of the work
being done, the location of the employees, and the need for planning and coordination.” The
growing trend is to use wider spans of control. Companies are flattening their structures by
reducing their layers of management, particularly middle management. This process has
increased the decision-making responsibilities that are given to employees. As a small
business grows, there will likely be more management hierarchy unless the small business
owner is committed to a flatter organization. Either approach will have implications for span of
control.
