What do you understand by span of control

Span of control refers to the number of subordinates or employees that a manager or supervisor is responsible for overseeing. For example, if a manager is in charge of five employees, their span of control is five. If another manager is responsible for ten employees, their span of control is ten. Having a narrow span of control, with fewer employees reporting to a manager, can allow for more personalized attention and supervision. On the other hand, having a wide span of control, with many employees reporting to a manager, can lead to more efficient communication and decision-making. According to research conducted by the Harvard Business Review, the optimal span of control varies depending on the industry and organizational structure. However, a common guideline is for managers to have a span of control of around 7-10 employees. To put it simply, imagine a teacher in a classroom. The teacher has a span of control over all the students in the class. If there are only a few students, the teacher can easily keep track of their progress and provide individualized attention. But if there are many students, it becomes more challenging for the teacher to effectively manage and support each student. Fact: According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, the average span of control in organizations is around 1:6, meaning one manager supervises six employees on average.