There is much debate about the optimum span of control.

A hierarchical structure is needed with narrow span of control at each and every level.

On the other hand, a wide span of control offers:

The span of control for each of the 4 Managers is 3 employees.

However, the span of control is now thought to be dependent on:

Consequently, for a long time, finding the optimum span of control has been a major challenge to organization design.

In other words, if a manager has five subordinates, the span of control is five.

Flat - A management structure characterized by a wide span of control and relatively few hierarchical levels.

The proposed cuts would increase response time of chief officers and generally add to their span of control.

The span of control concept has implications for the 'shape' of an organisation.

Span of control is the term now used more commonly in business management, particularly human resource management.

This allows for a span of control in which the officers can maintain knowledge and enforce discipline within their units.

Span of control: Most people are capable of managing 2-5 separate elements.

Span of control refers to the number of persons for whom a manager has direct responsibility.

Usually, self-motivated professionals require little supervision and so in such circumstances spans of control can be large.

Where span of control is exceeded, the supervising officer should consider delegating responsibility to others.

Urwick's application of the span of control to business was not met without criticism.

"Today it's a much shorter span of control.

Flat hierarchies have few layers of management with large spans of control (see figure 25).

One of its purposes/early uses was to identify the span of control of 'project management'.

When Nielsen realised that the situation had subtly increased beyond his span of control, it was too late to summon assistance.

Reasons that leaders ignore the principle of span of control were also addressed by Urwick.

These are the factors affecting span of control:

What span of control is suitable?

Clausewitz also noted that the order of battle depends on the effective span of control by a commander.