Explain the phrase “span of control.” What are the implications for the management reporting system of this principle?
Expert Answer
ANSWER:
The phrase “span of control” refers to the number of subordinates that a supervisor or manager can control directly. A span of control can be narrow or wide. With a narrow span, a manager would supervise few employees whereas with a wide span, a manager would many few. This impact the management reporting system in terms of the level of detail a supervisor requires. If the span is wide, less detailed report; if narrower, more detailed report would be required. The reason is that the broad spans of control eliminate managers from these details. These supervisors delegate more of their decision-making authority to their subordinates.