This question has two parts; be sure to answer both. First, define span of control and contrast the two kinds of spans of control. Second, imagine that you are the manager of the customer-service department for a major furniture retailer, which has 40 CSR's (customer service representatives) on the phone lines at any given time during business hours. Can you be effective as a manager with such a wide span of control? Why or why not?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The span of control, or span of management, refers to the number of people reporting directly to a given manager.

There are two kinds of spans of control, narrow (or tall) and wide (or flat).

Narrow span of control: This means a manager has a limited number of people reporting—three vice presidents reporting to a president, for example, instead of nine vice presidents. An organization is said to be tall when there are many levels with narrow spans of control.

Wide span of control: This means a manager has several people reporting—a first-line supervisor may have 40 or more subordinates, if little hands-on supervision is required, as is the case in some assembly-line workplaces. An organization is said to be flat when there are only a few levels with wide spans of control.

Research suggests that, when aided by technology to communicate and monitor, a manager can oversee 30 employees or more. Because all of your CSR's are in one location, and because technology makes it easier to monitor their progress, you should be able to manage these workers effectively (though you may be tired quite a bit of the time).